Musicals in 2013 and Beyond
Click here to visit our update - Musicals in 2014 and Beyond
The big musical event of 2013 is already shaping as Global Creatures' production of KING KONG Live On Stage, which has its World Premiere at Melbourne's Regent Theatre in June 2013.
An extraordinary team has been assembled, combining live performers, aerial circus, puppets and animatronics, which Global Creatures has mastered in its famous Dinosaur and Dragon shows.
Director Daniel Kramer told Stage Whispers, “The logistics of this are enormous. The only way we can rehearse is with a life-size working model of Kong, albeit not the finished creature, and on the stage of the Regent Theatre itself. We have a six month rehearsal period and we’ll need every day of that.”
But it’s not just the seven metre Gorilla that excited Stage Whispers’ Coral Drouyn at the official launch in October. She reports that this production has a commitment to the love story, and to a script with characters that engage us. The book is by Craig Lucas, a Pulitzer Prize nominee for Prelude to a Kissand The Dying Gaul, and a Tony Award nominee for Light in the Piazza. The music is by Marius de Vries, whose credits include the movie Moulin Rouge!
King Kong is too big to leave Melbourne. It’s being skyscraper tested for the big leap to Broadway.
Image above: King Kong Principal Cast - Richard Piper (Captain Engelhorn), Adam Lyon (Carl Denham), Esther Hannaford (Ann Darrow), Queenie van de Zandt (Cassandra) and Chris Ryan (Jack Driscoll) outside the Regent Theatre (Photographer: James Morgan).
The Face of Kong Revealed - link
Global Creatures is also behind the keenly anticipated musical adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s hit 1992 movie Strictly Ballroom, based on the story of a championship ballroom dancer who is breaking all the rules.
Originally scheduled to have it's World Premiere production in September 2013 at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre, It has now been announced that the production will commence previews at the Lyric on March 25, 2014, with opening night on April 12.
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The Addams Family, the first major commercial musical entry for the year, opened at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on March 23, 2013, fresh from its 18 month run on Broadway with an original cast that including Nathan Lane as Gomez.
The Australian cast featured John Waters as Gomez Addams, with Chloë Dallimore as Morticia Addams. Russell Dykstra as Uncle Fester, Teagan Wouters as Wednesday, Ben Hudson as Lurch and Meredith O'Reilly as Grandma Addams
Click here to see our video of the Opening Number - When You're an Addams.
The cast of The Addams Family were informed before the matinee on May 11 that the show would close on June 9 and would not tour. Link to more detail.
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They’re Playing Our Song will be revived by HIT Productions in a production starring Danielle Barnes and Scott Irwin. Opening at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre on March 23, the show will return to it's original Australian home, Sydney's Theatre Royal, on May 3 & 4. The production will also tour to various locations across eastern Australia. The production is drected and designed by Terence O'Connell. More details.
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Jersey Boys returned to Melbourne for a strictly limited 14-week return season at Melbourne's Princess Theatre from January 10 until March 24, 2013. A Perth season followed at the Crown Theatre from April 16 to May 26.
Neil Litchfield wrote of the Sydney production, “The hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, like “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Rag Doll”, “Oh What a Night,” “Walk Like a Man” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, combine to create a terrific score, while a more than usually substantial book (for a juke box musical), strong on characterization and cutting in its wit, doesn’t try to gloss over darker side of the Italian / American quartet, including mafia connections and criminal history.”
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Tim Lawson’s production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the stage musical based on the MGM Motion Picture, opened at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on November 16, 2012. A Melbourne season followed at Her Majesty's Theatre from January 30, 2013, playing Adelaide at the Festival Theatre from April 30, Perth from September 4 and Brisbane in November.
It’s a real a crowd pleaser for the family market. A custom made car has been flown out (or was it shipped out) from the West End production.
It has a cast that will please grown-ups. Playing the role of Caractacus Potts will be one of Australia’s best-known singers and recording artists, tenor David Hobson. The role of Truly Scrumptious will be played by Rachael Beck.
Click here for our video preview of the Melbourne season.
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Legally Blonde the Musical, which opened at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre in October, has now announced touring dates. After closing at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre on January 27, the show headed to Brisbane for a season at the Lyric Theatre from March 14, prior to Melbourne performances commencing at the Princess Theatre on May 9.
It has shopping, a cute Chihuahua, lots of pink and plenty of hunks on display.
Neil Litchfield wrote, “The smile didn’t leave my face from start to finish, during this feel-good escapist musical.”
It was announced in June that Legally Blonde would end its Australian tour on July 14.
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Award-winning Australian musical flowerchildren - the mamas and papas story returned to Melbourne, for a season at the Comedy Theatre from May 18 to June 23, 2013.
As their first mainstage production, Magnormos remount flowerchildren, reuniting the original cast comprising Casey Donovan, Matt Hetherington, Laura Fitzpatrick and Dan Humphris, which won the 2011 Green Room Award for Best Ensemble Performance.
The musical tells the turbulent story of iconic group The Mamas and The Papas, tracing their spectacular rise to fame in 1966 and their tragic demise only four years later.
In September Magnormos presented a musical triptych at the Melbourne Recital Centre, celebrating the work of Broadway’s Stephen Schwartz, also the company’s international patron. Each of the three musicals will be presented on one night, one week apart, beginning with Godspell on Monday 9th September, Pippin on the 16th, and Children of Eden on the 23rd. Stephen Schwartz visited Melbourne during the event.
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The high-energy tap dancing spectacular Hot Shoe Shuffle toured Australia for the third time in 2013, playing at Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre, QPAC from May 5.then Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
Created by song and dance man David Atkins and choreographed by Dein Perry the musical has been a smash hit in Australia and the West End.
“Hot Shoe Shuffle has had a phenomenal journey to date, having played literally to millions of people all around the world,” said David Atkins. “We are creating a brand new production for its return to Australian theatres and are on the hunt for our new and exciting triple threat cast. We’re sure the 2013 production will wow old fans and create a whole new generation of new ones.”
The dance musical features music including Putting on the Ritz, a Fats Waller Medley, Song and Dance Man, The Rug Cutter and Name in Lights by Peter Allen.
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A new Arena touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar began a national tour in May 2013. The cast featured Tim Minchin as Judas, Mel C as Mary Magdalene, Jon Stevens as Pontius Pilate and Andrew O’Keefe as King Herod. Ben Forster, selected on a UK reality show, will play Jesus. The tour commenced at Perth Arena on May 31. Adelaide Entertainment Centre (June 4), Sydney Entertainment Centre (June & & 8), Brisbane Entertanment Centre (June 11) and Rod Lver Arena, Melbourne (June 14 & 15) followed.
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Melbourne based The Production Company's program for 2013, which will include Gypsy, Singin’ in the Rain and The Pirates of Penzance.
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Sydney-based Neglected Musicals first prouduction for 2013 was Australian musical Variations by Nick Enright and Terence Clarke in March.
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John Frost joins forces with London theatre impresario David Ian to stage the revival of GREASE, which opened in Brisbane in August 2013. The cast will include Gretel Scarlett as Sandy, with Rob Mills as Danny. Bert Newton will play Vince Fontaine, Todd McKenney as Teen Idol and Anthony Callea as Johnny Casino. Rizzo, the leader of the Pink Ladies, will be played by Lucy Maunder and Kenickie will be played by Stephen Mahy. The Sydney season of Grease began in October 2013, with a Melbourne to follow in January 2014.
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Frost and Painter have also announced a revival of The Rocky Horror Show, branded the all-new 40th Anniversary Party Production will commence an Australian tour in Brisbane on December 31, 2013, with Perth and Adeleaide seasons to follow. Based on the current UK producction, we're promised a a sexy and very surprising all-Australian star cast.
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Opera Australia’s hit production of Rogers and Hammerstein classic South Pacific began its Brisbane run on December 27, playing there until February 3. There will be an encore Sydney season at the Sydney Opera House from September 13 to November 2, 2013. Perth and Adelaide seasons follow.
Reviewer Lucy Graham has sung it praises.
“Rumours may abound of a cast romance (between the sweet leading lady Lisa McCune and the oak like baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes), but this production needs no such thing to attract the hordes.
“The Music: wonderful songs that do laps in your head for days after. Comic choreography: some of the most precise I’ve seen. Terrific set design, set manipulation and costuming. And the rest.
“Just get a ticket.”
For the Brisbane season of South Pacific Gyton Grantley replaced Eddie Perfect in the role of Luther Billis, while Christine Anu took over the role of Bloody Mary from Kate Ceberano.
WICKED, the international Broadway musical blockbuster, returns to the Australasian region as part of its 10th Anniversary Year, playing Auckland for the first time at The Civic Theatre from September 2013.
WICKED then returns to its original Australian home at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne, from May, 2014 for a strictly limited season, followed by seasons in Brisbane and Sydney.
Image: Jemma Rix as Elphaba and Lucy Durack as Galinda..
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There was more news for Wicked fans, with Broadway's original Tony Award winning Elphaba, Idina Menzel, visiting Australia in June, performing in Adelaide, at the Cabaret Festival, then in other cities.
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Shane Warne The Musical returned in a revised version in 2013. Writer Eddie Perfect again appeared as the master spinner. Lisa McCune played Warne's former wife Simone, while Christie Whelan-Browne played Liz Hurley. The production played at Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival from June 5 - 9.
The new concert-style production also played at the Hamer Hall, Melbourne on June 20 and 21.
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Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will open at the Theatre Royal in Sydney in October 2013, produced by James Anthony Productions.
Tony Sheldon returns to the Australian stage for the first time in five years, after his Broadway and West End successes, to lead a cast including Matt Hetherington, Amy Lehpamer, John Wood, Katrina Retallick and Anne Wood.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels opened on Broadway in 2005 and is based on the 1988 film of the same name. More Details
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Sydney based boutique music theatre company Squabbalogic Independent Music Theatre has announced its first ever official annual season for 2013, featuring two Australian premieres - Broadway’s 2010 political punk rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and arguably the most infamous musical of all time, Carrie The Musical, in a revised and reimagined version. The Squabbalogic 2013 season of three productions within a span of 5 months, will also include returning favourite Forbidden Broadway.
Disney's The Lion King will return to Sydney's Capitol Theatre from December 2013. The Lion King which continues to play on Broadway and in the West End, where it opened in 1998 and 1999 respectively.
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Sir Cameron Mackintosh has announced there will be a new Australian production of Les Misérables, opening in Melbourne in June 2014. The production will be based on the new production, staged in the West End three years ago to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary, which was directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell and designed by Matt Kinley.
The cast has now been announced, including Simon Gleeson as Jean Valjean, Patrice Tipoki as Fantine and Hayden Tee as Javert - Click here for more details
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In an interview with Jo Litson, Tim Minchin revealed that his West End and Broadway smash hit Matilda will open in Melbourne in September 2015. Original producer, the RSC, has completed the deal with an as yet unnamed local producer for the hotly contested right to stage the show here.
Geoffrey Rush and the cast of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum concluded their farcical antics until January 6 at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne.
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John Frost's Tony Award-winning production of The King and I will return to Australia in 2014, in a co-production with opera Australia. opens in Brisbane at Queensland Performing Arts Centre in April 2014, then moves to the Princess Theatre, Melbourne in June, followed by a Sydney season at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House in September.
Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes will co-star as Anna and the King of siam, with Chinese-born Australian opera singer Shu-Cheen Yu as Lady Thiang and Adrian Li Donni as Lun Tha
Link to more detailed coverage
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Brisbane’s newly professionalized musical theatre company Harvest Rain has announces its 2014 season, their first full season as a fully professional company, featuring Guys and Dolls in March, an Arena production of CATS in July and Monty Python’s Spamalot in October.
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Darlinghurst Theatre Company begins its first full year in new home, Eternity Playhouse, with Falsettos by William Finn and James Lapine, a Tony Award winner for Best Book and Best Score in 1992.
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Speaking of the old Darlo Theatre, renamed in honour of Nancye Hayes it is about to become Sydney’s new home for Indee Musical Theatre and cabaret. First production for the new venue in February 2014 will be Sweet Charity, starring Verity Hunt Ballard in the title role.
Link to more about Sweet Charity
More on the new Hayes Theare Co
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The world premiere of the new musical All Out of Love, featuring classic songs by Air Supply, will take place in Perth in July 2014, ahead of a Singapore season and other yet to be announced Australian and international dates.
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Winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Once will have its Australian premiere season at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre from Saturday 4 October 2014 featuring an all-Australian cast, directed by its original Broadway and WestEnd director John Tiffany.
In Development
John Frost has two new musicals in the works. Dreamlover, based on the life and music of Bobby Darin (written by the Australian team of John-Michael Howson and Frank Howson) was workshopped by director Simon Phillips. No news yet of an opening. Link to earlier coverage
Frost has also announced he has joined forces with the producer of the award winning Australian film RED DOG, Nelson Woss, to explore developing the Red Dog story into a musical production. Link to earlier coverage.
Off the Stage for Now
Ghost the Musical, which was set to haunt Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre from August 2013, has been ‘postponed’ due to the disappointing response to musical's West End and Broadway productions.
I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Musical, with London star Elaine C Smith repeating the title role was to have played in Melbourne at Her Majesty’s Theatre from May 31 and in Sydney at The Theatre Royal from July 4, but the production was postponed early in January.
Australia On International Stages
The Australian flag continues to fly on international stages. Anthony Warlow is recreating his performance as Daddy Warbucks in Annie on Broadway, while Australia’s biggest international musical hit Priscilla Queen of the Desert commences its US tour in 2013. Link to Coverage.
The Boy From Oz will have its South American premiere in May 2013 in a beautiful theatre in Peru.
Hugh Jackman, too, has been announced for the Houdini musical scheduled for Broadway in the 2013/ 14 season, with a score by Stephen Schwartz. While it was originally announced that the musical would have a book by Aaron Sorkin, he has now withdrawn from the project due to film and TV committments. Link to earlier coverage
And the Wish List.
Of course musical theatre fans have a wish list of recent hits and award winners, and eagerly hope for the announcement of productions including The Book of Mormon (about to open in London), Newsies, Once and new Gershwin musical hit Nice Work If You Can Get It.
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