What’s happening?
International lyric tenor Paul Ettore Tabone is returning to Australian stages with a tribute to Andrea Bocelli.
“Paul Tabone Salutes Andrea Bocelli” will be staged at CQCM Theatre, Mackay, on May 9, 2026.
The Mackay performance will feature local performers Tom Wakeham, Eve Pratt and Meg McDonald.
Tabone has been described by the BBC as “Australia’s own Bocelli”.
Theatre Direct also praised him as “a powerhouse voice that could fill a stadium”.
The concert celebrates Bocelli’s best-known music through live vocals, piano and orchestral arrangements.
The program includes The Prayer, Time to Say Goodbye, Canto della Terra, Besame Mucho and more.
Why it matters?
The Mackay concert brings an international tenor to a local stage.
It also gives regional performers a place in the same program.
Tabone’s connection to Bocelli adds weight to the tribute.
In 2016, he shared the stage with Andrea Bocelli at the Arena di Verona.
That performance was held before 20,000 people.
It was also broadcast to more than 20 million viewers worldwide.
That moment inspired this tribute concert, now touring across Australia.
Local Impact
For Mackay audiences, the concert offers a major classical crossover performance close to home.
It also highlights local talent through Tom Wakeham, Eve Pratt and Meg McDonald.
Their appearances give the Mackay show its own local flavour.
The concert also connects with Tabone’s Queensland roots.
His story began on a North Queensland sugar cane farm.
He later performed on major stages across Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
By the numbers
- Tabone performed with Andrea Bocelli in 2016 before an Arena di Verona audience of 20,000.
- That Arena di Verona performance was broadcast to more than 20 million viewers worldwide.
- Tabone has performed a record-breaking 1,800 shows in The Phantom of the Opera in London.
Zoom In
Tabone’s career spans opera, classical crossover and musical theatre.
He has performed in London’s West End and on Broadway.
His credits also include the Sydney Opera House, the National Opera of Bucharest and Teatro Carlo Felice in Italy.
For this concert, he will be joined by a world-class pianist.
The live piano will support rich orchestral arrangements throughout the evening.
The concert is built to balance warmth, emotion and theatre-scale sound.
Zoom Out
The tribute is not only about Bocelli’s music.
It also reflects Tabone’s own path from North Queensland to international stages.
His voice, stage presence and theatre background shape the concert’s style.
The show brings together opera, classical crossover and musical storytelling.
Each performance also includes local guest artists, making every concert different.
What To Look For Next?
The Mackay performance will bring Tabone’s national tribute tour to CQCM Theatre on May 9.
Local audiences can expect Bocelli favourites, live piano and guest appearances from Mackay performers.
Bookings are open through www.paultabone.com.
