The Rocky Horror Show
opens at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne in June. Yes Les Mis actually started out as a stage musical. On the back of the success of the film, Cameron Mackintosh is bringing the West End’s longest running musical back to Australia. The new Melbourne production is the version created to celebrate the show’s 25th Anniversary in London’s West End. Cameron Mackintosh is crowing about the casting, claiming that he catapulted Anthony Warlow and Marina Prior to stardom by casting them in his first Australian production and is hoping to repeat the favour with a new generation, though Simon Gleeson, playing Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman’s role), can claim years of West End and Australian experience. Singing even better than Russell Crowe (is that really so difficult) will be Hayden Tee as Javert. Trevor Ashley plays Monsieur Thénardier (Sasha Baron Cohen’s film role), though Sir Cameron might have been bolder, and cast him as Madame Thénardier. As has been written elsewhere in this edition, Disney has cast many talented debutantes for its 10th anniversary production of The Lion King, which will roam though Sydney’s Capitol Theatre for the first part of 2013. When you are wearing those gorgeous masks big names don’t matter so much do they? Still hot is of course Grease, on stage at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre until mid December before giving 36 Stage Whispers November - December 2013
Melbourne plenty to sing about Her Majesty’s Theatre. Critics and fans have raved. “This was the best production of Grease I have ever seen - fast, funny, and massively entertaining. David Gilmore’s direction, based on his longrunning West End revival satisfied on every level,” wrote Stage Whispers’ Peter Pinne. On a smaller scale, Darlinghurst Theatre Company begins its first 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. Speaking of the old Darlo Theatre, it is about to become Sydney’s new home for Indee Musical Theatre and cabaret. Renamed in honour of Nancye Hayes, we’re yet to hear the specific plans for 2014, but with companies like Neglected Musicals and Squabbalogic as part of the consortium, there are bound to be some intriguing choices Melbourne audiences can look forward to yet another season of three musicals in staged concert form from The Production Company. Similarly in Brisbane, the newly professionalized Harvest Rain announces its 2014 season later in November. Looking ahead to 2015, Tim Minchin has revealed that his West End and Broadway smash hit Matilda will open in Melbourne in September 2015. Musical Theatre fans are licking their lips in anticipation.