While Australia punches well above its weight when it comes to performers, there have been comparatively few locally written and developed shows that have become successful. This may be changing. Over the past 18 months (since the start of 2022) there have been at least thirteen Australian musicals that been either produced (including presentations of public development showcase readings) or announced.

Not all of these will become successful (realistically, only a few - or fewer - will), but the amount of work in development reaching point where it can be presented to the public (either in showcase or full form) is encouraging.

Australian musicals that have had a showing since 2022 include:

  • Moulin Rouge
  • Midnight - the Cinderella Musical
  • Bananaland
  • Bloom
  • The Dismissal
  • Driftwood
  • Rabbits on a Red Planet
  • The Lucky Country
  • Metropolis
  • Show People
  • Mount Hopeless
  • Work of Art
  • Dubbo Championship Wrestling
  • The Deb
  • Songs of the Unseen
  • Wonderfully Terrible Things
  • Roller Coaster
  • Forgetting Tim Minchin
  • The Hero Leaves One Tooth
  • The Marvellous Elephant Man
  • Villainy
  • My Brilliant Career

If you know of more, please chime in.

More details in the posts below.

Note: this post is about musicals written (or otherwise created by) Australians. It is not about international musicals produced in Australia, such as Australian productions of Hamilton, Wicked, Mamma Mia, Into the Woods, The Great Comet etc.

  • Prouvaire@kbin.socialOP
    1·
    1 year ago

    Recent developments in the Australian musical scene
    Since the start of 2022 there have been at least 13 Australian shows that been produced (including showcase readings) or announced:
    - Moulin Rouge (now playing) | adaptation of the Baz Luhrman film. Book by John Logan, music supervision by Justin Levine, directed by Alex Timbers, produced by Global Creatures. Currently playing at Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) until 27 July 2023, then returning to Melbourne’s Regent Theatre for an encore season from 20 August 2023. Productions are also playing in, or planned for, Broadway, London, North American tour, Cologne Germany, Seoul South Korea and Tokyo Japan.
    - Bloom (upcoming) | musical comedy about the power of music and connection. Book and lyrics by Tom Gleisner (co-creator of the films The Castle and The Dish), music by Katie Weston, directed and dramaturged by Dean Bryant, produced by Melbourne Theatre Company. From July 2023 at Melbourne’s Arts Centre.
    - The Dismissal (upcoming) | musical comedy about the infamous dismissal of Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam in 1975 by governor general John Kerr. Book by Blake Erickson & Jay James-Moody, music & lyrics by Laura Murphy, conceived and directed by Jay James-Moody, produced by Squabbalogic. From August 2023 at Sydney’s Seymour Centre. A public reading was presented at the Seymour Centre in 2019. It was announced as part of the Sydney Theatre Company’s season in 2021 but due to Covid the season was cancelled. It is now being presented as an independent Squabbalogic production
    - Driftwood (tour finished) | musical drama about a Jewish family in pre-WWII Austria and their post-war life in Australia, based on the memoir by Eva de Jon-Duldig and the play by Jane Bodie, music & lyrics by Anthony Barnhill, directed by Gary Abrahams. Toured Melbourne and three venues in Sydney, recently concluding in June 2023.
    - Rabbits on a Red Planet (season finished) | comedy satire about rabbits and a trip to Mars. Book & lyrics by Irving Gregory and Andy Leonard, music by Ryley Gillen, directed by Isaac Broadbent. Ran at Sydney’s Flight Path Theatre in June 2023.
    - The Lucky Country (season finished) | song cycle musical about Australian diversity and identity. Music & lyrics by Vidya Makan in collaboration with Sonya Suares, directed by Sonya Suares, presented by Hayes Theatre Company. Ran May - June 2023 in Sydney.
    - Metropolis (season finished) | musical drama based on the 1925 science fiction novel by Thea von Harbou (which also inspired the classic Fritz Lang film). Book & lyrics by Julia Robertson, music by Zara Stanton, directed by Julia Robertson, presented by Little Eggs Collective and Hayes Theatre Company. Ran April - May 2023 in Sydney.
    - Show People (season finished) | one-woman musical cabaret about six people in the business of show. Written and directed by Dean Bryant, musical arrangements and direction by Mathew Frank, and starring Christie Whelan-Browne (the same team behind Britney Spears: The Cabaret another one-woman show which I think is in the running for the best Australian musical). Had runs in Adelaide (2016), Melbourne (2022) and Sydney (January 2023).
    - Mount Hopeless (development showcase) | satiric rock opera based on the story of Burke and Wills. Written and starring Tom Hogan and Elana Stone, presented by Merrigong Theatre Company. Development showcase presented at Wollongong in September 2022.
    - Work of Art (development showcase) | dramatic musical about the creation of the Sydney Opera House. Book, music & lyrics by Jesse Layt, directed by Alexander Andrews. Presented by Little Triangle at APA Darling Quarter Theatre in Sydney in August 2022.
    - Dubbo Championship Wrestling (season finished) | rock musical comedy about, well, see the title. Book & lyrics by Daniel Cullen, music by Daniel & James Cullen, directed by Sheridan Harbridge, presented by Hayes Theatre Company. Ran May- June 2022 in Sydney.
    - The Deb (season finished) | musical comedy about teenage angst and outcasts in a country town. Book, story, lyrics and co-directed by Hannah Reilly; music, lyrics and story by Megan Washington; produced by Camp Sugar Productions and Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP). Ran April - May 2022 in Sydney (after being postponed due to Covid). Rebel Wilson (the actor/producer behind Camp Sugar) is planning to make The Deb into a movie, which she will direct.
    - Songs of the Unseen (development showcase) | musical about the Australian migrant experience. Written and directed by the Curlew Collective (Natalie Gooneratne, Anya Icao, Fanar Moonee, Senelline Fangalahi) with Margie Breen, Donna Abela and Me-Lee Hay. Development reading was presented at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres in March 2022.

    • Prouvaire@kbin.socialOP
      1·
      1 year ago

      Totally forgot to add:

      • Midnight - The Cinderella Musical (now playing) | a modern take on the Cinderella story (or should that be another modern take on the Cinderella story). Music & lyrics by John Foreman and Anthony Costanzo (with an additional song by Kate Miller-Heidke). Book & direction by Dean Murphy andPip Mushin. Now playing at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre.