From the opening words “oh, crap”, uttered by Sister Mary Lazarus, as played by the indomitable Rhonda Burchmore, we know Sister Act will be deliciously irreverent. In fact, it is a buoyant hoot, with some extraordinary musical performances and no shortage of colour and glitter. The show looks and sounds fabulous. What makes it so…
The prequel to The Wizard of Oz is back to delight anew and delight it most certainly does in a dazzling display at Melbourne’s finest theatre – the grand Regent. This is top shelf entertainment in every way. I speak of the talent, the choreography, the staging, the lighting and the sound. We are in the…
Straight from the West End, the new, reimagined production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat is a delightful, fun, engaging and dynamic family musical. Wonderfully directed by Laurence Connor, it is based on the biblical character Joseph. Seen as his father Jacob’s favourite son, he is gifted a beautiful technicolor coat by his dad. That enrages his…
The spark burns brightly in Hairspray, a delightfully breezy musical with discrimination as its theme. It is colourful and dynamic, with toe-tapping tunes, smooth moves and a stellar cast, with talent to burn. The show positively sizzles, bringing frenzied acclamation from an appreciative audience. We’re in Baltimore in 1962. Teenager Tracy Turnblad (Carmel Rodrigues) is small of stature…
Polished performances, magnificent mashups, elegant and evocative sets, colourful and creative costumes, and charismatic choreography are the highlights of Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Set at the turn of the 20th century, Christian (Des Flanagan) is a young, penniless British singer songwriter who has just arrived in Paris and goes straight to Montemarte. There he chances upon two…
Technological endeavour and craftsmanship combine in the beautifully realised The Wizard of Oz. This fun-filled family musical will have cross-generational appeal. This London Palladium production was developed from the popular MGM movie of 1939. The movie, in turn, was based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of…
Three friends – drag queens Mitzi and Felicia, and trans performer Bernadette – board a battered old bus named “Priscilla”. They plan to travel from Sydney across the desert to fulfill a performance engagement in Alice Springs. Mitzi’s past has come back to provide an unlikely second chance. Along the way to the Alice, the “girls” frock…
After seasons in Sydney and Brisbane, The Bodyguard: The Musical has taken up residence at Melbourne’s regal Regent Theatre. It’s based on the hit 1992 film starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. The stage production debuted in London’s West End on 5 December 2012. The story concerns a former secret service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer (Kip…
A stunning 60th anniversary recreation of the original 1956 Broadway production, including sets and costumes, My Fair Lady is a showcase of all that is great about musical theatre. It is, of course, the beloved tale of a Cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle. Her world is forever changed by the brilliant and demanding phonetician Henry Higgins,…
Forty-eight beautiful swans gracefully gliding across the stage in unison in Melbourne’s premier theatre is simply awe-inspiring … overwhelming (I was all but brought to tears). This is undoubtedly one of the most majestic balletic productions I have been privileged to witness. I plead with you to do all you can to secure a ticket…
