The musical makes a comeback

Musical theatre has been at a crossroads in Australia for a decade. In 2007, it is making a magical comeback, according to TROY DODDS and JESSICA MASON....

For years, it has been left to the veterans of our industry to tell those younger about the apparent ‘glory days’ of Australian musical theatre. The recent trend of jukebox shows has in the space of a decade sent musical theatre in Australia into a complicated place, but in 2007 the industry suddenly faces a revival and on the same token, its biggest test.

For the first time in more than a decade, musical theatre in Australia has countless quality and exciting shows ahead of it, a few of them that will rival other forms of entertainment, whether it be because of their blockbuster status or their pure aura of being a hit internationally.

However, the road is far from easy. It has been simple for those within the theatre industry to blame poor quality shows on lack lustre ticket sales, but in 2007 if more shows fail than succeed, it is well and truly back to the drawing board and the future looks clouded. But with the shows slated for the next 12 months, it seems impossible for the current roller coaster ride to go anywhere but up.

The failures of Titanic and Sideshow Alley just months ago now seem a distant memory, because we have a huge year to look forward to.

One of the 2007 influx is a carry-over from 2006, being Priscilla, which has been playing at the Lyric Theatre since October. While the show is not playing to capacity audiences every night, its ticket sales have been solid and indeed the musical has actually taken more money than the film version at the box office. Priscilla works because it is fun – it is one of the rare survivors of the jukebox era and its Australian charm adds to the excitement it pours out. With appearances on top rating television shows and international interest, there’s no doubt Priscilla could have another year left in it. At this stage, it is pencilled in to close in July.

Miss Saigon is perhaps the biggest doubt of 2007, but opens in musical-starved Melbourne which will surely give it a boost. Melbourne unexpectedly missed out on both Titanic and Sideshow Alley so there’s certainly some cash left over in the wallets of theatre lovers, and while it is essentially an unknown cast, the production values are high and Saigon is known as a pure blockbuster. Much pressure is on Sophie Katinis, who earned the role of Ellen after an exhaustive and controversial hunt across the country. Miss Saigon is scheduled to move to Sydney and Brisbane once it concludes its Melbourne run, with other cities also on the agenda.

Melbourne also welcomes back to the most successful musical of all-time this year, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. There’s no such cast problems here, with Anthony Warlow a sure ticket seller. No tour details have been announced for Phantom, but with tickets only recently going on sale producers would be holding out hope that a long run in Melbourne awaits them. Phantom is the longest running musical in Broadway history and ran for years the last time it was here in Australia. The show has the ability to attract those who traditionally aren’t musical theatre lovers, despite its classic and general theatre elements.

Melbourne will also see three shows from The Production Company this year, including an exciting revival of 42nd Street that is sure to sell out quickly.

Talking of three shows, Sydney gets something similar with the launch of a new music theatre company in the shape of Kookaburra, which is run by mainstay performer Peter Cousens. Kookaburra will present Pippin, Company and Floyd Collins, and strong casts are slated for all three. The excitement surrounding Kookaburra continues to build, however the company has not been far from controversy, with known dramas behind the scenes and an unprecedented decision to force critics and members of the media to pay to see the show, even if they are reviewing the work. It is a practice employed nowhere else in the world and is seen by most as a risky move, but time will tell.

Sydney will also see the Melbourne Theatre Company production of the Broadway hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which last year won the Helpmann Award for Best Musical. The tuner opens in May.

And then come the risks – a revival of The Rocky Horror Show, which is expected to open at the Star City Showroom some time after July, Guy Noble’s new musical Karaoke and Mike Walsh’s production of the classic Guys and Dolls.

Not one of the above three shows have officially announced their seasons yet, but Rocky Horror recently held auditions and while some will believe the show has been tried and tested, others believe a sure fire hit is in the pipeline given the outstanding success of the show on previous occasions. Hedwig and the Angry Inch has provided the rock musical with a little bit of a revival, and Rocky Horror should succeed, but perhaps a few big names wouldn’t hurt.

Karaoke is perhaps the biggest risk – essentially a jukebox show, it is expected the show will play at the Theatre Royal and while little is known at the moment about the show, it could provide the jukebox fans with something to savour while other more traditional and contemporary shows are in town.

Guys and Dolls is certainly the show from left field, but with a new London production making headlines, it could indeed be a hit. No details have been announced about the show, but Mike Walsh has been confirmed as the producer and the show will have the added bonus of being part of the Star City publicity and marketing machine, which always provides major opportunities for shows.

Respect is the little engine that could – there’s not a huge amount of public recognition for it at the moment but with a stellar cast, it opens in Brisbane later this month before touring the country. The show focuses on women through time, and is headed by Rhonda Burchmore.

A rumoured show is The Sound of Music – it may not get underway this year, but plans for it are certainly underway and in what will be a massive coup for the industry, a reality television show is set to accompany it. There is no doubt that the ABC documentary of Dusty helped it at the box office, and taking the next step by producing a full blown reality show on a commercial network will definitely help musical theatre gain more public recognition. It is the type of exposure most industries in a similar position would kill for.

Both Sydney and Melbourne finish the year off with absolute blockbuster shows that could lead to an explosion of recent Broadway and West End hits in 2008.

It starts in Melbourne with Spalamot, the Tony Award-winning musical that is sure to attract Monty Python fans in their droves. Spamalot is a proven winner in both New York and London, defying mixed reviews to be success stories at the box office.

And in Sydney, it’s Billy Elliot that leads the new generation. The hit West End musical makes it to Australia before it even premieres on Broadway, and with a huge publicity campaign behind it, the show’s Captiol Theatre season will have all the glitz and glamour of The Lion King.

The producers of both Spamalot and Billy Elliot would be hopeful of runs longer than 12 months.

In a way, 2007 provides a ladder. Along the way, we head back to the tradition of shows like Guys and Dolls and 42nd Street, to the blockbuster era of Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon, to the new and exciting of Karaoke and of course, and to the spectacular highs of Spamalot and Billy Elliot.

The publicity machine will be in full force this year – the question now is, what shows will work, and what won’t? How we look back on 2007 will depend on many things, not the least of which is the support of the general public.