Australia’s powerhouse vocalist, Casey Donovan, is gearing up for her biggest national tour yet, This Is Me, which will come to Belmont 16’s this May.
The tour will bring together the defining moments of a two-decade career, from Australian Idol anthems to the show-stopping musical theatre hits that have cemented her as one of the country’s most beloved entertainers.
Ahead of her Newcastle show, we caught up with Casey Donovan to talk inspiration, evolution, and owning her voice like never before.
NL: So let’s start off by talking about this tour. Obviously, I love the name. This Is Me. What does that mean to you at this stage of your career and life?
CD: I guess This Is Me is just… this is me. You know, I’ve been doing this job for about 22 years now, so I can only ever be who I am. And as Marcia Hines has always said, be true to yourself. So I will, and I will in fact, do that. So, look, This Is Me is just… it’s going to be an amazing show. And it’s a beautiful song that I have weaved into my career. It’s a song that represents strength and gratitude and power and to stand and be completely who you are, unapologetically. I think that’s a really important thing.
NL: Can you take us through the set list you’ve chosen? It must be hard to narrow down songs that represent who you are.
CD: It was very, very tricky, and it took a few days for us to cull 22 years into a setlist. So, look, it’s got songs from Idol. It’s got songs I wish I had written, songs I have written, songs that tell beautiful stories. Songs that I wish I’d sung in live theatre productions. It’s got songs I have sung in live theatre productions. And it’s… it’s been really tricky to cull songs that mean so much to myself and other people, but to make room for songs that have shaped my career and that, you know, mean the absolute world to myself.
I’ve got songs in there that have never been released or heard. I’ve got new songs, I’ve got songs like, a song that I released many, many years ago called Big, Beautiful and Sexy. And I think owning that confidence of just standing up and being proud of who you are. I think it is a really important thing. And also a big piece of This Is Me. So, yeah, I’m really excited about the set list. I know a few people are gonna be like, oh, but I really wanted to hear X, Y, and Z, and I’ll be like, I know if we had like six hours of the show, we could certainly tickle everyone’s fancy, but no, we’ve only got two hours.
NL: You mentioned some unreleased songs. Have these songs been in the archive for a while?
CD: Look, they are. I’m hoping now that I’m not doing musical theatre, eight shows a week, it frees up a lot of my mental capacity to be able to do other things, like be creative, and to write songs. So I’m hoping throughout this tour, because it is such a long tour, that I’ll be able to add new songs, remove songs, and just kind of see how the flow of the show goes.
And, you know, it’s important also that I don’t have an understudy. So it’s, you know, these are not… I don’t sing small songs. I mean, I wish I did for the love of my Gift, but there are some very big songs in there, so I will be ebbing and flowing with how my voice is sitting, and how I’m emotionally feeling. I’m really excited to be able to bring a different show to each town and city. I think it’s a really beautiful thing that no two shows will ever be the same.
NL: Has there been a particular theatre role or show that has really stuck with you?
CD: All of them have stuck with me in some way. You spend so long embodying a character, putting on the costume, the wig, painting your face, and you give so much of yourself to them. Each role has given me something, whether strength or answers I didn’t know I needed. Musical theatre has shaped my career and let me step onto different stages and be different characters.
NL: Are there songs in this tour that you wish you’d sung or written, or from roles you’d have loved to take on?
CD: Absolutely. There are songs from Waitress that I love, some from Idol I wish I’d sung, and a few extra killer Queen songs I’m excited about. The show will ebb and flow, it’s very much aligned with This Is Me. I’m organised, but I also change my mind a lot!
NL: What are you most excited to share with audiences during this tour?
CD: Everything. I haven’t done a tour of this scale in a long time. I’m excited to travel to regional communities and bring them music and stories. I want to show myself in a vulnerable yet confident way. Hopefully, people walk away saying, “Wow, I didn’t know she could do that!” I tell stories openly, I love my job, and I love singing. I’ll even say something silly before a ballad sometimes.
NL: Any particular lessons or thoughts that have been on your mind lately as you prepare for this tour?
CD: Look, I think the one thing that’s been on my mind lately is, I mean, not so much imposter syndrome, but kind of just having to talk to myself and say you are more than capable of being able to do this. It’s a big thing. It’s a big show. It’s a big sing. I’m getting my body ready, you know? You know, you, as in musical theatre… it’s… you’re an elite athlete, like the things you’re doing with your… this tiny little muscle that’s only about that big and having to do, you know, two-hour shows for four nights in a row.
So there is that little bit of questioning going “Can you do this?” So it’s that reassuring mind of mine going, we are more than capable. We have done eight shows a week for an extended period of time. You are capable, you are confident, and it’s just reassuring myself and knowing that the people who have bought tickets and sold out these shows, they just want to be in a room and they just want to see and hear me. And I think that’s a really beautiful thing to hold on to. So, yeah, I think the lesson I’m learning at the minute is just, to stand in that power and to own that power and just know that I’m safe and everything’s going to be okay.
And if it’s not, I know exactly what to do in those moments where I’m feeling a little bit left of centre. That’s the whole thing of this, too. It’s… this is me, and you get the raw, unedited version, which is quite scary sometimes, but it’s also, you know, allowing people to see me be vulnerable allows people to know that they can be vulnerable in their own life. And I think it’s a really beautiful thing to bring that together with music and storytelling.
NL: Do you still get nervous before shows?
CD: Always. I’ll never get on stage without that nervousness. Nervousness is a reminder that we’re about to do something extraordinary, and I love that. And it’s that, you know, that little bit of fear of the unknown and then getting out there and just going, “This is who I am, and this is me”.
Casey Donovan brings her This Is Me tour to Newcastle on Friday, 15 May 2026. Tickets are on sale now through 16s.com.au.
