Australian musical theatre starlet, Courtney Monsma, best known for bringing Princess Anna to life in the Australian production of Disney’s Frozen the Musical, has released her debut studio album In The Light.
The debut album, which features nine covers and one original song, The Light That You Are is designed to shine a light inward, exploring the journey Courtney has been on the last couple of years as well as sharing her passion for storytelling.
“I have chosen songs that resonate with me, whilst also celebrating or marking key moments in my career. The last few years have been difficult for artists around the world, but it’s also reminded me of the importance and impact that theatre, as an art form, can have for people all over,” said Courtney.
“Connecting with the audience means a lot to me because the shared experience reinforces my purpose for performing, and I hope the songs I’ve included on In The Light have an impact for listeners as well.”
Courtney wrote her original track The Light That You Are during lockdown when she had time to reflect on mental health, including her own. The Light That You Are explores the power you can find by looking inward, rather than relying on external sources to build you up and recognising the light that shines within yourself to galvanise your own inner strength.”
Listeners will recognise several of the cover tracks including Sara Barellies’ She Used To Be Mine from Waitress and Jason Robert Brown’s I’m Not Afraid Of Anything from Songs for A New World, which Courtney used to sing to herself when studying musical theatre at Queensland Conservatorium.
Theatre lovers will revel in Courtney’s personal favourites from Beetlejuice, Means Girls on Broadway, AIDA on Broadway and Six The Musical, in which she played Katherine Howard in the Australian tour before landing the role of Princess Anna.
“I’m thrilled to include my version of Katherine Howard’s All You Wanna Do as a memento of this show’s continual impact on my life as well as amazing connections I made with the Queendom & many people through this show,” said Courtney.
“And Beetlejuice was the first Broadway show I saw so I loved recording a version of Dead Mom. It’s a stripped back version focusing on the lyrics and storytelling by Eddie Perfect and I loved adding my spin to this amazing song.”
The album also features two very special tracks from the Frozen The Musical song catalogue: True Love and I Can’t Lose You – the latter being a heart-felt duet with Courtney’s co-star Jemma Rix who plays Elsa in the Australian production of the hit Broadway show.
“It is my privilege to sing I Can’t Lose You’ with Jemma. She has been a massive part of my growth as a performer and person, as well as being one of my idols growing up,” said Courtney.
In The Light is now available for purchase in CD form from www.courtneymonsma.com and iTunes, and streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.
Image: Courtney Monsma: In The Light (supplied)