Raise the curtain: Theatre’s thriving again

It’s been a long 18 months for theatre lovers but finally our favourite shows are resuming so snap up some tickets now and get ready for curtain call.

Standing in the wings, Hamilton producer Michael Cassel could feel the waves of excited energy pulsating through the theatre.

After 14 long months in hibernation, the lights were back on in Sydney’s Lyric Theatre, the crowd was seated and the cast were in fine voice.

“There was this overwhelming sense of energy and camaraderie among the audience met full force by the overwhelming happiness of the company. That energy combined felt victorious,” Cassel says.

That heady vibe is rippling through theatres and exhibition spaces around the country as live entertainment returns after the long pandemic pause.

Hamilton is back on in Sydney and opens in Melbourne in March. Picture: Daniel Boud

The much-anticipated premiere of Moulin Rouge The Musical has its Melbourne premiere date at the Regent Theatre locked in for November 12.

And the train arrives back on Platform 9¾ on November 18 when the theatrical wizardry of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child returns to the Princess Theatre in Melbourne.

Come From Away has resumed its Sydney season at the Capitol Theatre and Dolly Parton’s 9 To 5 The Musical was announced to take up residence in that venue from February and Jagged Little Pill will open in the revamped Theatre Royal in December before heading to Melbourne.

Cassel says the Hamilton and Harry Potter casts maintained their match fitness, honed by two months of rehearsals leading up to its premiere in March and then performances until late June, with Zoom sessions throughout the lockdowns.

Neighbours of the actors would have enjoyed almost daily free “performances”. Hamilton lead Jason Arrow even bought a treadmill and rehearsed the entire show while working out on the machine to stay in shape for the physically exacting role.

Aisha Aidara and Ben Walter outside the Princess Theatre, to announce the return of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in mid November. Picture: David Caird

“We had to keep everyone connected so the transition back to the theatre was as simple as it could be and make sure the material remained familiar in their muscle memory. It’s no different to being elite athletes,” Cassel says.

“We were closed for longer than we had been playing but when we brought the company back for Hamilton, it seemed seamless.”

The pent-up demand for live experiences has been met by promoters adding more shows and immersive exhibitions.

M Live CEO Emma Triggs, who launched the acclaimed Van Gogh Alive immersive exhibition to Sydney during a lull in pandemic proceedings last September, recently announced the arrival of the spacey Neighbourhood Earth to Australia.

Its Sydney premiere was brought forward to November 19 due to the huge demand for weekend tickets, which went on sale on October 11, the day Sydney ended its 108-day lockdown.

The musical Come From Away is back on stage in Sydney and kicks off in Canberra in February. Picture: Annette Dew

The new event takes you on an exploration of space through Mars sunsets, Venus lightning storms and the surface of Jupiter.

Triggs says the multi-sensory, immersive exhibitions have typically been something Australians would catch when they were travelling, so there was a gap in the market to bring them here. “When the traditional genres of theatre and music and film stopped, I wanted to find an opportunity which fused them, using the technology to make you feel something in a new environment,” she says.

“And this was a new area because it was something that didn’t necessarily travel to Australia before.”

Neighbourhood Earth gives the backyard stargazer an awe-inspiring view of space, courtesy of input from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and NASA.

“It’s like a virtual walk-through of space,” Triggs says.

“The colours of the stars are just so beautiful, you just don’t get to see that looking up at night.

“And the way the planets swirl around you in the room reminds me of paintings.”

Frozen returns to the Melbourne stage next week. Picture: Lisa Tomasetti

GET YOUR TICKETS!

■ Hamilton – The musical everyone wants to see is back at the Lyric Theatre, Sydney, until February 27; opens at Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre on March 16. Tickets via hamiltonmusical.com.au

■ Moulin Rouge – The stage version of Baz Lurhmann’s much-loved movie musical opens on November 12, with Melbourne’s Regent Theatre transformed into the famed French nightclub. Tickets via moulinrougemusical.com

■ Neighbourhood Earth – your space adventure begins on November 19 at Sydney’s ICC. Tickets at neighbourhoodearth.com.au

■ Harry Potter and The Cursed Child – The relentlessly Covid-cursed, much-loved production returns to Melbourne’s Princess Theatre on November 18. Tickets at harrypottertheplay.com

■ Disney: Magic of Animation – Celebrating a century of classic animation at the ACMI, Melbourne, season extended to January 22, tickets via acmi.net.au/whats-on/disney-the-magic-of-animation-exhibition

Alinta Chidzey (Satine) and Des Flanagan (Christian) in Moulin Rouge. Picture: Supplied

■ Jagged Little Pill – The musical inspired by Alanis Morissette’s historic pop rock record launches the revamped Theatre Royal on December 2 and heads to Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from January 2. Tickets via jaggedmusical.com

■ Heathers The Musical – ARA Darling Quarter Theatre, Sydney, runs from February 8 to March 5, tickets via ticketek.com.au

■ 9 To 5 The Musical – The Dolly Parton West End smash hit opens at the Capitol Theatre in February with tickets from 9to5themusical.com.au

■ Come From Away – This feel-good musical is back on stage at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre and heads to the Canberra Theatre in February. Tickets at comefromaway.com.au

■ Frozen – The Broadway musical is back to melt our hearts at Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre from November 12 and heads to Brisbane in February. Tickets at frozenthemusical.com.au

■ Six The Musical – Henry VIII’s wives turn pop stars for this British production which will travel nationally and will open at the Sydney Opera House from December 19. Tickets at sixthemusical.com

Originally published as Raise the curtain: Theatre’s thriving again