No Musicals Week.

When the curtain came down on Love Never Dies at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on Sunday April 1, it marked the beginning of Eastern Australia’s no big musicals week. 

Across Australia, only Perth seems to have escaped the major commercial musicals drought, thanks to the opening of Mary Poppins on Friday March 30.

Every major theatre in Sydney is dark, including the Lyric, Theatre Royal and Capitol Theatre.

Melbourne has not had a major commercial musical on stage for months. Its big musical drought won’t end until Moonshadow opens in May.

London Theatre Producer Howard Panter, recently in Australia, was shocked to see the Princess and Regent theatres dark.

In Brisbane QPAC is preparing for the opening of Annie but it does not start until April 7.

In Adelaide the Festival Theatre has not had a major musical since A Chorus Line closed in January.

What is happening? Producers often complain that Australia doesn’t have enough theatres. If so how can we have a week with no major musicals on stage? Would it happen on the West End or Broadway?

Leading Producer John Frost says there is no need to be alarmed. He told Stage Whispers, “I think it's great that there's only one week in which there are no musicals playing in Australia. Do you remember 5 or 6 years ago when for a long time there were no musicals playing, theatres in Sydney and Melbourne were dark for very long periods.”

“There's been an abundance of great musical theatre over the past few years, and you need a moment sometimes to catch your breath before the next onslaught. I've got An Officer and A Gentleman in rehearsal in Sydney, Annie bumping into Brisbane, andLegally Blonde in final casting, as well as Wicked playing in Singapore. I'm doing my bit!”

How do you plan to survive the current music theatre drought? Leave your comments at the link on our Facebook Page. http://www.facebook.com/stagewhispers

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Image from Love Never Dies. Photographer: Jeff Busby.