20ten Musicals

1. WEST SIDE STORY
One of the classics from Stephen Sondheim catalogue. This performance endeavours to ask the age old question, can gangs that perform fully choreographed musical numbers still be considered tough?

Based on Romeo and Juliet the movie won 10 Academy Awards ®. This musical provides the ideal opportunity for men to wear stove-pipe jeans, tight t-shirts and baggy jackets out in public…does today’s youth know they are dressing like the chorus of a musical?
Dates
2 July – 1 August, Sydney
20 August – 30 September, Melbourne
Venue
Lyric Theatre Star City, Sydney
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Tickets
www.ticketmaster.com.au
From $90.00
Sydney tickets on sale now

2. MAMMA MIA!
They’re baaaack. As part of the 10 Anniversary tour, the hit musical returns to where ABBA had their biggest success. Some say the story line is a bit contrived to fit the songs from the Swede’s back catalogue. Some say the urge to sing along is irresistible. Others just don’t care, it is just good entertainment.

The musical equivalent of a chick-flick, Mamma Mia is sure to be the happy ending of any date.
Web
www.mamma-mia.com.au
Dates
23 October 2009 – 7 February, Sydney
13 February – 30 May, Melbourne
5 June – 1 August, Perth
10 August – 19 September, Brisbane
Venues
Lyric Theatre Star City, Sydney
Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne
Burswood Theatre, Perth
Lyric Theatre QPAC, Brisbane
Tickets
www.ticketek.com.au
Sydney and Melbourne on sale now
Perth and Brisbane waiting lists now open
From $29.00

3. MARY POPPINS
Comes to Australia after highly successful runs on Broadway and the West End. Boasting a cast, which includes Matt Lee (Judge So You Think You Can Dance) in his first lead role, Marina Prior (Cats, phantom of the Opera…), Dabra Byrne (Young Talent Time, Sunset Boulevard) and Philip Quast (Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd). The role of Mary Poppins at the time of writing this is yet to be cast so if you can dance and sing and fly contact the producers

Based on the 1964 Walt Disney film, which was in turn based on the book by Australian author, P.L. Travers this much awaited production is sure to be a hit. To be sure, even if the sets are acrylic painted cardboard cut outs Rock Eisteddfod style it the roof top dance sequence is still going to look more realistic than the Academy Award ® winning film.
Web
www.marypoppinsthemusical.com.au
Dates
30 July – 12 September
Venue
Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne
Tickets
www.ticketek.com.au
From $50.00
On sale now

4. CATS
Apparently they have more than nine lives. This show may always be on stage somewhere in the world for eternity. If setting long-run records on Broadway and London’s West End was not enough. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s feline friends are about to prowl across Australian stages once more.

Has anyone not seen this show or are we up to the next generation? Is seeing Cats a rite of passage? Parents with children aged in their mid twenties that refuse to move out of home buy them a ticket for Christmas to signal the beginning of the end.

Dates
31 December 2009 – 24 January, Adelaide
6 – 28 March, Melbourne
11 – 25 April, Perth
16 May – 6 June, Sydney
Venues
Festival Theatre, Adelaide
Lyric Theatre Star City, Sydney
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Burswood Theatre, Perth
Tickets
www.ticketek.com.au
www.bass.net.au
www.ticketmaster.com.au
From $40
On sale now


5. THE MERCHANTS OF BOLLYWOOD
Australia can’t get enough of Bollywood at the moment, particularly now that Brett Lee has left it for the professionals. Follow the trials and tribulations of different generations of the Merchant family as they try to keep the tradition of Kathak dance alive in India.

As good as a day time soap opera, though a pregnancy will not last 18 months. This musical has family feuds, religion, empires, cultural takeovers and capitalist business attitudes. Worth the ticket just to see if Shantilal Merchant has a car accident and after waking from his coma becomes evil incarnate and seduces his nemesis only to discover that she is his twin presumed dead at birth. Originally born a boy, the twin survived, was raised by a family the other side of the country before returning to end the Merchant’s dancing business. Ok I may have made up some of the plot details , but it is sure to have many unexpected twists and turns.
Web
www.merchantsofbollywood.com.au
Dates
17 – 28 February, Melbourne
2 – 7 March, Canberra
9 – 14 March, Brisbane
16 – 21 March, Newcastle
23 March – 11 April, Sydney
Venues
The Arts Centre, Melbourne
Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra
QPAC, Brisbane
Civic Theatre, Newcastle
State Theatre, Sydney
Tickets
www.ticketmaster.com.au
From $79.00
On sale now

6. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
Winner of five Tony Awards and starring Australia’s favourite character actor, Geoffery Rush is set for a surprisingly limited Australian run. At this stage only booked for Melbourne.

The show is a dream sequence. Man in the Chair (Rush) snoozes in his chair while listening to a recording of fictional 1928 musical. As he sleeps he dreams his own musical. That’s right he makes up a musical to the music of a made up musical! This show will continually break the fourth wall of the stage as the audience are drawn into the show by the Man.

Dates
18 January – 20 February
Venue
The Arts Centre, Melbourne
Tickets
www.mtc.com.au
From $95.00
On sale now

7. JERSEY BOYS
In the Tradition of Boy from Oz, Shout! and Queen The Musical, Jersey boys takes the music of a successful artist or group – this time Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – and uses it to tell the story of the careers of said artists.

It is a successful formula and therefore and therefore somewhat appropriate to employ it to relive the story of one of America’s biggest pop sensations of all time. Try and resist the urge to thump the person in the seat next to you as they fight the urge to sing along with such hits as “Big Girl’s Don’t Cry” and “Sherry”
Web
www.jerseyboys.com.au
Dates
Continuing to 28 February
Venue
Princess Theatre, Melbourne
Tickets
www.ticketek.com.au
from $60.00

8. FAME
You have seen the movie, you have seen the television series now see it live on stage. Having sorted itself out over more than ten years on Broadway, the show is now ready for its Australian debut.

Perennial Australian favourites Andrew McFarlane and Brian Wenzel will tread the boards in the 2010 production, hopefully as teachers - if not then the entry criteria for new York’s High School of the performing Arts has changed dramatically from the original 1980 Academy Award ® winning movie.
Web
www.famethemusical.com.au
Dates
15 April - 2 May, Melbourne
19 June – 4 July, Brisbane
October, Sydney – season dates TBC
There appears to be lots of room in the calendar for the seasons in each location to be extended
Venues
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Lyric Theatre QPAC, Brisbane
Lyric Theatre Star City, Sydney
Tickets
www.ticketek.com.au
From $79.00
On sale now, Melbourne and Brisbane

9. WICKED
The award winning production will continue to cast its spell over Australian audiences into 2010. Following its sell out shows in Melbourne has ventured north to Sydney. Lets hope the yellow brick road takes them further around the country.

Despite the fact that the best he can do is talk in tune it is worth seeing Bert Newton with properly fitted headwear as he plays the part of the Wizard.
Web
www.wickedthemusical.com.au
Dates
Now - 28 February
Tickets
www.ticketmaster.com.au
From $95.90
Venue
Capitol Theatre, Sydney

10. CHICAGOSure we all know the story but this is a quality production of an award winning stage musical. Craig McLachlan can sing and almost dance. His limited choreography is more than compensated for by the routines performed by the all singing all dancing ensemble.

See it once for the music performed by the orchestra live on a tiered stage, see it again to enjoy the intricacy of the dance routines you missed he first time round. Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes it is full of drama, comedy sex and all that jazz.
Web
www.chicagothemusical.com.au
Dates
27 February – 28 March
Tickets
www.ticketek.com.au
From $79.90
On sale now
Venue
Burswood theatre, Perth
Other venues in other cities may be announced