No doubt about it, Lea Michele is the Greatest Star, singlehandedly salvaging a train wreck of a revival and tuning it into a white hot hit. Not seen on Broadway since its original 1964 production, Funny Girl returns with a redesign of the 2016 London production, retaining direction by Michael Mayer and updates to Isobel Lennart’s original book by show-doctor Harvey Fierstein.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Come From Away in Melbourne
The unique energy and passion of Come From Away are destined to be remembered for years; at this point it feels hard to believe that another show will usurp its special place any time soon. Lovers of musical theatre who are yet to experience Come From Away are strongly encouraged to take this final chance to see the show, and those who have already been will need little encouragement to return.
FROM DOWN UNDER: 9 to 5 the Musical in Melbourne
Bubbly, bold and brassy, 9 to 5 the Musical is a well-timed wallop of feel-good fare. Proving an ideal fit for a cinema-to-stage adaptation, hit 1980 movie 9 to 5 provides three leading ladies for the price of one, not to mention the scope, fully realised, for an all-singing, all-dancing set of stenographers and executives. Hailing from Broadway in 2009, 9 to 5 the Musical soared to new life in a restaged production for London’s West End in 2019, its hearty feminist power amplified again for a new generation.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Six in Melbourne
Given its fringe origins, Six is an ideal fit for Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre, flooding the relatively intimate space with throbbing music and rock stadium lighting. The heady combination of mega-talented cast, glittering production and fabulous material conjures an irresistibly electric atmosphere, grabbing the audience by the lapels and not letting go for the breathlessly brisk 75-minute running time.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella in Melbourne
A jewel-toned joy, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella transports audiences back to the magic of Broadway’s Golden Age, when an evening of musical theatre meant a magical discovery of new and wondrous work.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Cruel Intentions the ’90s Musical in Melbourne
A wild ride back to the heady, pre-woke 1990s, Cruel Intentions the ‘90s Musical is a salacious guilty pleasure that has all the makings of a cult classic.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Girl From the North Country in Melbourne & Touring
Artfully conceived and oh so lovingly crafted, Girl From the North Country tempers a heart-rending narrative with the heart soothing balm of more than 20 exquisitely arranged Bob Dylan songs.
FROM DOWN UNDER: The Australian tour of Broadway hit An American in Paris
Deliberately marooned in Paris at the end of WWII, ex-serviceman Jerry Mulligan juggles art, romance and music as he makes new friends, attracts the attention of a wealthy benefactress and falls helplessly in love with a mysterious young dancer.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Broadway’s Fun Home in its Melbourne debut
Delayed over the past two theatrically arid years, multi-Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home finally makes its Melbourne debut, arriving in a superbly cast, sharply directed production.
FROM DOWN UNDER: The Australian premiere of Moulin Rouge!
A spectacular spectacular, Moulin Rouge! the Musical arrives in Melbourne in ravishing form for its Australian premiere season.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Frozen in Melbourne
While its title may match the chill of Melbourne winter, the arrival of Frozen brings welcome warmth and theatrical magic as the first major musical to debut locally since March 2020.
FROM DOWN UNDER – The Wedding Singer in Melbourne
Shoulder pads, big hair and vivid colours come back to the future in the vibrant Australian premiere season of The Wedding Singer.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Fangirls in Melbourne
Not just an original score but also an original and highly entertaining story, new Australian musical Fangirls explodes onto the Melbourne stage in a very welcome yet all too brief season.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Chicago in Melbourne
Set to dazzle and divert, the Broadway revival of Chicago returns for its third Melbourne sentence with as sexy and sinewy a company of dancers as could possibly be wished for.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Jekyll & Hyde 25th Anniversary Concert in Melbourne
Well worth the 25 year wait, this was the Moment, not just for Anthony Warlow to actually play Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde on stage, but also for Australia to finally see a professional production of Jekyll and Hyde.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Thoroughly Modern Millie
Whoopee baby! Thoroughly Modern Millie returns in a splashy, starry staging that distils the very essence of musical comedy into an evening of unabashed joy.
FROM DOWN UNDER: Come from Away in Melbourne
Offering the pure joy of musical theatre at its unadulterated best, Come from Away is a breathless celebration of the finest qualities of humanity.
ON BROADWAY: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! is a ‘cynical practical joke on theatregoers’
An Off-Broadway show with the nerve to charge Broadway prices, the “Bard Summerscape Production of” Oklahoma! plays out like a cynical practical joke on theatregoers. The egregious experiment is a blight on 75-plus years of American musical theatre.
ON BROADWAY: Moulin Rouge is ‘a feast for the eyes & ears’
A truly spectacular spectacular, Moulin Rouge burns through the budget of a hundred musicals, all in the quest for extravagant entertainment.
FROM DOWN UNDER: The Production Company’s Lazarus
Lazarus is unlikely to appeal to lovers of traditional musical theatre, but for those seeking theatre with an edge the production more than lives up to its tantalising promise.