Triple Olivier Award-winning West End play EMILIA makes Australian debut at Arts Centre Melbourne

photo credit: Pia Johnson

From the West End to Australia, the ground-breaking triple Olivier Award-winning stage show EMILIA will make its Australian debut at Arts Centre Melbourne from 10 – 27 November.

Inspired by 17th century poet and revolutionist Emilia Bassano – the supposed ‘Dark Lady’ of Shakespeare’s sonnets – the highly lauded show, written by British playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, features a team entirely made up of women and non-binary creatives from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Continue readingTriple Olivier Award-winning West End play EMILIA makes Australian debut at Arts Centre Melbourne

Is AFL star Shane Crawford Right For ‘Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’?

Last week, AFL star Shane Crawford was announced to make his musical theatre debut in the Melbourne season of the upcoming new production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

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Anthony Warlow Stars In Titanic The Musical: In Concert This November

The five-time Tony Award winning production Titanic: The Musical will play an exclusive and limited season In Concert in Melbourne this November starring one of Australia’s finest artists Anthony Warlow.

This special event will feature a 26-piece orchestra alongside a brilliant Australian cast gracing the stage at the landmark Melbourne Town Hall for 4 performances only on November 4, 5 and 6. This stunning concert production celebrates the 110th anniversary of the Titanic.

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Thoughts On Dolly Parton Presents 9 To 5: The Musical (2022)

Dolly Parton’s joyous smash hit musical 9 To 5 first premiered in Los Angeles in September 2008 before making its Broadway debut in 2009. It later opened in the US (2010), UK (2012 and 2019) and now, it’s Melbourne’s turn – now playing at the State Theatre, Art Centre.

The musical is based on the 1980 comedy film of the same name, which is the perfect source material for this kind of show. Although it has over-the-top wacky hijinks like many films of that decade, its themes and relatability as well as smart casting is where the musical excels.

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Thoughts On Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella – The Musical (2022)

It’s the final week of the school holidays and if you, a parent or guardian, haven’t taken your kid/s to the theatre yet – Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the musical for you! Now, I’m not saying childless adults can’t/won’t enjoy it too, but it’s very much aimed at a younger audience. Let me explain why.

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Thoughts on SIX – The Musical (2022)

SIX is a modern retelling of the lives of the wives of King Henry VIII of England presented as a pop concert, as the Queens take turns singing and telling their story to see who suffered the most due to Henry and should, therefore, become the group’s lead singer.

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Thoughts On Girl From The North Country Musical (2022)

Melbourne is offering a smorgasbord of musicals at the moment and currently on at the Comedy Theatre is the little mentioned Girl From The North Country.  We managed $35 rush tickets on June 7 and were seated in the second row in an almost half full theatre (granted, though, it was its final week, and also a Tuesday, which may or may not have had something to do with it).

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Review: ‘Jagged Little Pill – The Musical’ at Comedy Theatre, Melbourne (2022)

Now playing at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne until March 16 Playing at the Crown Theatre, Perth from May 14-June 5 and returning to Sydney’s Theatre Royal in July 2022

Jukebox musicals are often a risky proposition. Crafting a narrative out of a collection of songs from a specific era or artist is a difficult thing, and for every Mamma Mia! or Rock of Ages, there are countless other musicals which have adopted this technique but haven’t quite pulled it off.

Thankfully though, Jagged Little Pill, using Alanis Morrisette’s landmark 1995 album as its basis, is one of the best examples of how to do this type of show correctly. With a book by Diablo Cody (Juno, Young Adult), and featuring hits such as You Oughta Know, Ironic and Hand in My Pocket, this story of a fractured family is a moving and heartfelt one, and the characters are all well-realised and three dimensional.

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