Melbourne to host world’s biggest shows in coming months

Melbourne has proven itself as Australia’s musical theatre capital, with some of the biggest shows set to open to right on our doorstep.

Melbourne is set to stage Broadway blockbusters, including Tina! The Tina Turner Musical and a musical version of the classic Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd film Trading Places, as musical theatre kicks back into gear and producers chase the world’s biggest shows.

Victorian Major Events Minister Martin Pakula said Melbourne has proven itself as Australia’s musical theatre capital, and will continue to do so.

Mr Pakula said Visit Victoria is “in constant discussion with the biggest theatre promoters around the world,” adding: “Their connections with the theatre world are second to none in Australia.I’m confident if something is up for grabs and available, we’ll be right in there pitching for it.”

Peter Pan is coming to Melbourne.

The Wedding Singer. Picture Nicole Cleary

His comment come as industry whispers predict blockbuster shows including the Tina Turner musical, Tina! The Tina Turner Musical , Trading Places, based on the classic 1983 John Landis comedy, and Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe’s 2000 ode to rock, will come to Melbourne.

Producers are also hopeful Eddie Perfect’s Broadway hit comes to Melbourne, and Mary Poppins and 9 To 5 head down the Hume Highway after their Sydney seasons wrap.

Also waiting in the wings, Phantom Of The Opera, with Australian star Josh Piterman in the lead role, will open in October 2022.

Carmen Pavlovic, producer of Moulin Rouge which opens at the Regent Theatre on Friday, said Melbourne is ready to shine.

“There’s a palpable sense of anticipation in the air,” she said. “It feels really significant that we can contribute to the revitalisation of the city in a tangible way and also give Melburnians an exhilarating night out.”

Mr Pakula said Melbourne’s selling points to New York and London theatre producers are simple: venues and crowds.

“The fact we’ll have Moulin Rouge, Harry Potter and Hamilton all playing at once will make us one of the few places on Earth where that’s the case,” Mr Pakula said.

“We’ve got a community that’s already demonstrated over many years, its preparedness to go out and attend theatre,” he said.

“We’ve got a community that’s absolutely hungry for live theatre options. If you bring your production to Melbourne, you can be pretty sure you’re going to have sell out after sell out after sell out, whether it’s Muriel’s Wedding, Jersey Boys, Miss Saigon, Phantom Of The Opera, Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, they all run well in Melbourne.”

Hamilton will open in Melbourne in March.

Jagged Little Pill musical is opening in Melbourne in January 2023.

BIG CHANGE COMING TO HARRY POTTER PLAY

THE Australian production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be condensed into a one-part play from May.

The play, which is performed in two parts, will continue in that format until March 27 before the production closes to prep and rehearse the new version.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be reopening at the Princess Theatre.

The Herald Sun first reported on the planned changes for the play in August.

Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender said: “After exploring a single-show experience for North American audiences, it became clear that this new version of our glorious play should be presented for our audiences in Melbourne next year.

“The production is set around the same powerful narrative, while delivering all the amazing illusions, stagecraft, and storytelling that have captivated audiences and critics alike.”

Tickets for the new version in Melbourne will go on sale on November 19.

LIVE SHOWS BRING US ALIVE

MICHAEL CASSEL IS AUSTRALIAN PRODUCER OF HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD AND HAMILTON

THEATRE and live entertainment have the power to uplift and inspire. To entertain, to bring joy, to educate and to make us think.

Nothing can beat that feeling – that connection – of being in an audience in a darkened theatre, sharing a moment of magic. A moment where everyone gasps, laughs or cries in unison.

We react to the performance on stage – expertly crafted and delivered by storytellers, creators, musicians and technicians who breathe life into these stories eight times a week – and to each other. Nothing can replace it, for it can only be experienced in that moment. That’s what makes it unique.

Moulin Rouge will be opening in Melbourne this month. Picture: Alex Coppel

Melbourne has long had a reputation for its strong theatre community.

As the lights return to theatres across the East End Theatre District this week – from the Princess Theatre to the Regent and Her Majesty’s – we’ll once again enjoy the electric atmosphere of audiences shuffling from bars, restaurants and hotels to nearby venues to witness some of this country’s finest talent.

A successful Australian theatre industry is built from everyone’s success. We wish every show a triumphant season – it encourages audiences to return and stokes a hunger for more.

And what a return this is turning out to be, with the likes of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Moulin Rouge! and Frozen on Melbourne’s doorstep. As we look to next year with our production of Hamilton making its way to Melbourne, I can’t wait to hop between the two theatres where my shows are on, stand at the back and think how lucky we are to be alive right now.

Melbourne, it’s show time.