Major Musicals Mayhem

Yes, it's that time of year again, time for a summary of all the major shows. The next couple of months are going to be interesting in Musical Theatre, with most of the major shows traversing across the country or even ocean.
One interesting trend with shows at the moment is the revival of New Zealand as a viable tour destination, with both Wicked and Jersey Boys crossing the ditch. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues.


Mary Poppins
The show will be at the Capitol Theatre until the 17th of Decmeber. It will then transfer to QPAC in Brisbane, with previews starting from the 27th of December. After Brisbane it will head to Perth. After that there are rumours of a return Melbourne season or an international tour.
The Sydney season has seen the first of cast members leaving, with ensemble members Jack Webster and Louise Bell the first to go. Auditions are cureently being jold for another ensemble member, with spmeone else expected to leave soon also.

Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages has announced it's last weeks in Melbourne. Although a closing date has yet to be confirmed, the first week of November seems to be a likely candidate. The show is transferring to Brisbane in November, with previews starting from the 12th. It is in for a very short season however, as Poppins will need the theatre from roughly the 20th of December to bump in. After this, it will head to Sydney's Royal from
mid January

Wicked
Musical juggernaut Wicked has recently celebrated it's 3rd birthday in Australia. The Perth season will close on the 11th of September. This show will also be original Glinda Lucy Durack's final performance with the show. The show is set to tour through Asia next year and New Zealand in 2013. It is unknown exactly which cast members will continue with the show, but expect to see quite a turnover of approximately half the cast.

Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys will close in Sydney on the 18th of December before transferring to New Zealand. A return to Australia is most likely once the theaters become available.


Doctor Zhivago
Doctor Zhivago will close in Brisbane on the 14th of August. It is believed some minor reworking of the show will be done ahead of the show being taken internationally, while Anthony Warlow is busy performing in Annie. The show is rumoured to then head to Korea and then to London with Warlow still at the helm.

Love Never Dies
Love Never Dies will close in Melbourne on the 17th of December before opening at Sydney's Capitol Theatre at the start of the year. It will have a maximum 6 month run, as Legally Blonde will open in June.
A live recording of the show will also happen in September, with plans for an international DVD release.

King Kong
King Kong is in workshops in Sydney at the moment, with rumours for a 2012 Opening in Melbourne's Regent Theatre

Hairspray
The fate of Hairspray is as yet unknown. The season again seems to be struggling with poor ticket sales, just as in Melbourne. The show will close in Sydney on the 25th of September. Other major cities in Australia will not host the production at this point.

Annie
Annie casting is still being finalised, as there is such a wide range of young children required. The season will open in Sydney's Lyric theatre in late December for a 12 week season. An Australian tour will then happen, heading to Brisbane in April and Melbourne mid year.


Strange Bedfellows
Strange Bedfellows will be opening in Melbourne on the 26th of October, with previews from the 19th. Despite only a 2 week season and the pulling power of Peter Cousens, John Wood, Melissa Langton and Lucy Durack, ticket sales look very sluggish. This may
affect plans for an Australian tour.

An Officer & A Gentleman
An Officer And a Gentleman is currently auditioning in Melbourne. Sydney's first round auditions were held last week with callbacks to happen next week. The show is expected to open in Sydney's Lyric in May 2012.

Upcoming:
Legally Blonde will open in June 2012 at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, however there are rumours this will be moved to the Lyric or Royal instead.
The Addams Family will open early 2013 at the Capitol
Strictly Ballrooms will open at the Lyric in September 2013.

Rumour files

We are hearing about many rumoured shows. These include Shrek, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Sister Act, 9 to 5, South Pacific, The Lion King, Dreamgirls, La Cage Aux Folles, Ghost, Warhorse (technically a play) and Book of Mormon. We have nothing to substantiate these rumours at the moment.

One rumour we have found very interesting is that South Pacific will be put on by Opera Australia. We have heard John Frost has expressed interest in mounting a version similar to the Lincoln centre's production, but an Opera Australia production seems more likely.

A Les Miserables tour looks less and less likely to happen, with producers citing theatre availabilities and generating funding as problems.