Stage Briefs

Magical Mary Poppins Boosts South Australian Economy

Image: Adelaide Festival Centre 2022 - Supplied by Adelaide Festival Centre.

In addition to the huge impression it made on the hearts of South Australians, the hit musical Mary Poppins had a flow on impact to the state’s economy, generating expenditure of an estimated $23.4 million for the state.  

Adelaide Premiere of A New Brain

David Gauci and Davine Productions celebrate 10 years of music theatre with another Adelaide debut show, a musical comedy about gratitude and fresh beginnings. 

Producer/Director David Gauci performed in the professional production of A New Brain in Melbourne and has wanted to bring this quirky musical to South Australian audiences ever since.

West Side Story Returns to Sydney Harbour in 2024

Opera Australia (OA) has announced that West Side Story will return to the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour stage in 2024, along with renewed partnerships with Dr Haruhisa Handa’s International Foundation for Arts and Culture and Destination NSW.

This production of West Side Story opened in 2019 remains the most successful of all Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour productions, having attracted record audience numbers, selling more than 65,000 tickets.

Miss Saigon for Adelaide

GWB Entertainment has announced Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Boublil and Schönberg’s musical Miss Saigon is headed to Adelaide for a summer season. Featuring an extraordinary cast of talented performers from across the Asia-Pacific region, Miss Saigon will play at the Festival Theatre from January 2, 2024 for a strictly limited season. 

Final Grease Casting Announced

The producers of the upcoming production of GREASE have revealed the final performers joining the gang at Rydell High. The production opens at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne on 31 December 2023 and Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from 24 March 2024. 

Key cast members announced include Keanu Gonzalez (Hamilton) in the role of bad boy Kenickie, Lucy Fraser (Hairspray) as the perky Patty Simcox and Gareth Isaac (Mary Poppins) as nerdy Eugene. 

West End Veterans Lead Sydney Jewish Comedy Premiere

Veteran West End theatre couple Linal Haft and Buster Skeggs will return to the stage together for the Australian premiere of the legendary musical sketch comedy revue You Don’t Have To Be Jewish, coming to the Bondi Pavilion Theatre from October 25.

Beetlejuice for Melbourne

Australian composer, writer and actor Eddie Perfect says he is "very excited to announce this morning, along with Michael Cassel Group, that Beetlejuice: The Musical The Musical The Musical will have its Australian premiere at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre in 2025! Sucks-Yes!"

Australian Premiere for Classic Jewish Comedy

The Bondi Theatre Company will stage the Australian Premiere of the musical sketch comedy show You Don’t Have To be Jewish this October and November at two Eastern Suburbs venues.

The sketches and songs were first released as a record album in 1965, penned by a team led by Grammy Award winning broadcaster Bob Booker. Timeless sketches in the musical revue include The Reading of the Will, The Plotnik Diamond and A Call from Long Island.

GREASE: Casting of Rizzo and Marty Announced

Mackenzie Dunn, playing the role of Rizzo, and Brianna Bishop, in the role of Marty, are set to join the cast of GREASE, which opens at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne on 31 December.

Brianna Bishop  was most recently seen in the lead role of Ella in the Australian premiere season of Midnight – The Cinderella Musical as well as Amber von Tussle in the Australian tour of Hairspray.