# Ainsley Melham

Ainsley Melham (born 2 December 1991) is an Australian actor and theatre performer. He began his career as a member of Australian children's musical group Hi-5 from 2013 to 2016, starring in the television series and performing in international tours. He later found success as a prominent theatre performer in Australia and the United States.
Melham played the title role in the Australian debut of Disney's Aladdin from 2016 to 2018 and later transferred this role to the Broadway production in 2019. Melham is also known for his starring roles in Australian productions such as Xanadu and Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, as well as a mid-season replacement for Wicked. He originated the role of Dwayne in the pre-Broadway premiere of Boop! The Musical in 2023, and will reprise the role for its Broadway debut in 2025.
Melham was nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Musical for his role as Aladdin in 2017.

## Career

Ainsley Melham was born in Australia on 2 December 1991, and raised in Bathurst with his sister Nadia. He graduated from Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), graduating in 2012. He was also educated at the NIDA Open Program, the Australasian Tap Dance Academy and La Belle School of Dance. At WAAPA, Melham performed in a range of musicals, including Ragtime, Violet, Crazy For You, A Chorus Line, Xanadu, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Into The Woods.
In January 2013, Melham joined the Australian children's musical group Hi-5 as part of a new generation, after successfully auditioning in late 2012. He starred in the documentary style cinematic release, Some Kind of Wonderful, which depicted the audition process, and appeared in three television series of Hi-5 House. After touring nationally and internationally for three years, Melham departed from the group in January 2016. He stated that he felt it was time to transition back into his theatre roots after "an incredible experience" with Hi-5.
In March 2016, Melham starred as Sonny Malone in an Australian musical production of Xanadu for Matthew Management and Hayes Theatre Co. Later in 2016, he was cast as the title role in Disney Theatrical Company's production of Aladdin in Sydney, Australia. He starred as the title character, Aladdin, and was nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Musical. After departing from the Australian cast in late 2018, it was announced that Melham would star in the Broadway production of Aladdin from 19 February 2019 at New Amsterdam Theatre. He rejoined Michael James Scott as Genie, and Arielle Jacobs as Princess Jasmine, the trio who formed the original Australian cast.
In November 2020, Melham played the title role in Pippin at the Sydney Lyric Theatre and in 2022 he played the role of Prince Topher in Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. Melham was cast as Dwayne in the pre-Broadway world premiere of Boop! The Musical, which began previews in November 2023 at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago. In July 2024, he joined the Australian production of Wicked as the Fiyero replacement in Melbourne and Brisbane while original cast member Liam Head was recovering from a knee injury.

## Theatre credits

| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Dates | Notes |
| 2016 | Xanadu | Sonny Malone | Hayes Theatre, Sydney | 12 May 2016 | |
| 2016–2017 | Aladdin | Aladdin | Capitol Theatre, Sydney | August 2016 – March 2017 | Original Australian cast |
| 2017–2018 | Aladdin | Aladdin | Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne | April 2017 – January 2018 | Original Australian cast |
| 2018 | Aladdin | Aladdin | Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane | February – June 2018 | Original Australian cast |
| 2018 | Aladdin | Aladdin | Crown Theatre, Perth | July – October 2018 | Original Australian cast |
| 2019 | Aladdin | Aladdin | New Amsterdam Theatre, Broadway, New York | February – July 2019 | Broadway theatre |
| 2019 | Kiss of the Spider Woman | Molina | Southbank Theatre, Melbourne | 18 November – 28 December 2019 | Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 2020 | Broadway S'Wonderful | Performer | Ardrie Park, Malvern East, Victoria | 15 February 2020 | The Stonnington Classics series |
| 2020 | Aladdin | Aladdin | New Amsterdam Theatre, Broadway, New York | Originally scheduled for March 2020 | Broadway theatre; did not take place |
| 2020–2021 | Pippin | Pippin | Sydney Lyric Theatre | 24 November 2020 — 24 January 2021 | |
| 2021 | Merrily We Roll Along | Charley Kringas | Hayes Theatre, Sydney | 21 October – 4 December 2021 | |
| 2022 | Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan | Lost Boy | Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre | 2 – 8 March 2022 | World Premiere State Opera South Australia, 2022 Adelaide Festival |
| 2022 | Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella | Prince Topher | Regent Theatre, Melbourne | 20 May – 23 July 2022 | Opera Australia |
| 2022 | Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella | Prince Topher | Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane | 5 August – 3 September 2022 | Opera Australia |
| 2022 | The Normal Heart | Felix Turner | Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre | 30 September – 15 October 2022 | State Theatre Company of South Australia |
| 2022–2023 | Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella | Prince Topher | Sydney Lyric Theatre | 23 October 2022 – 29 January 2023 | Opera Australia |
| 2023 | To Barbra, with Love | Performer | Canberra Theatre Centre | 10 – 11 February 2023 | |
| 2023 | Disney 100: The Concert | Performer | Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House | 23 – 25 February 2023 | |
| 2023 | Disney Princess: The Concert | Prince | Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai | 5 – 7 May 2023 | |
| 2023 | Boop! The Musical | Dwayne | CIBC Theatre, Chicago | 19 November – 31 December 2023 | Pre-Broadway world premiere; original cast |
| 2024 | Wicked | Fiyero | Regent Theatre, Melbourne | 3 July – 25 August 2024 | Melbourne and Brisbane replacement |
| 2024 | Wicked | Fiyero | Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane | 12 September – 24 November 2024 | Melbourne and Brisbane replacement |
| 2025 | Boop! The Musical | Dwayne | Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway, New York | 11 March 2025 – | Broadway debut cast |

## Filmography

Film roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
| 2013 | Hi-5 Some Kind of Wonderful | Self | |
| TBA | Aladdin: Live from the West End | Aladdin | Awaiting release; filmed in August 2019 |
Television roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013–16 | Hi-5 House | Presenter | Series 1 to 3 |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2016 | Glugs Theatrical Awards | Best Actor in Musical Theatre | Ainsley Melham as Aladdin in Aladdin | Nominated |
| 2016 | Glugs Theatrical Awards | Most Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer | Ainsley Melham as Aladdin in Aladdin | Won |
| 2017 | Helpmann Awards | Best Male Actor in a Musical | Ainsley Melham as Aladdin in Aladdin | Nominated |