The musical is back

May 26: After years of jukebox musicals, recycled Broadway hits and box office struggles, a series of international blockbuster shows is set to turn to the world of musical theatre around. TROY DODDS looks at the shows on the way...

Last October, the professional Australian premiere production of Titanic became a disaster for producers. Despite it being artistically fantastic, audiences simply weren't interested, and the Sydney season was pulled prematurely, ahead of the planned Australian tour being cancelled. It was the failure of Titanic that perhaps proved that the "audiences must know the story" rule isn't always one to follow. After all, the story of the Titanic is perhaps more known than any other in history, but despite its Tony Awards and wonderful cast, the show met an untimely death.

In recent years, many shows have met a similar fate and perhaps it's because producers have been unwilling - or unable - to bring the top rate blockbuster musicals to Australia. Instead, we got the level below - shows like The Full Monty, We Will Rock You and Fiddler on the Roof - all quality productions indeed, but none in the category of top class current Broadway success stories that will go down as among the great musicals of all time.

In 2007 and 2008, the story changes.

In what is perhaps the most significant and crucial period in musical theatre since the boom of the 1980's, a number of the world's top shows are visiting Australia, including the international theatrical phenomenon that is Wicked, a show that has broken box office records in New York and remains the biggest selling show on Broadway.

Wicked opens at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne in July 2008 and has the backing of the Victorian Government as well as the original producers from the United States.

It is a musical like no other and has the potential to make a hell of a lot of money in Australia. Early marketing and publicity has followed the same line as the Broadway version - using the 'plenty happened before Dorothy landed' line extensively and that is regarded by many as extremely important, as while the show's quality is not in question, there does need to be an education process for Australian audiences, as it is the show that could well bring in thousands upon thousands of people who would usually not visit the theatre.

Producer John Frost believes Wicked is one of the most significant shows he has ever brought to Australia.

"Music theatre lovers adore Wicked," he said. "It’s a classic musical entertainment with wit and spectacle and a wonderful score, but it also spans the demographic. People of all ages and backgrounds. It brings in people who’ve never been to the theatre, and never thought they would go and they come out of the theatre spellbound."

Auditions for Wicked are expected to be held later this year, and there are rumours that Helen Dallimore and Adam Garcia may return to Australia to play the roles of Glinda and Fiyero, which they are currently playing on the West End.

In December, Melbourne and Sydney play host to two significant international success stories.

At the Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, Spamalot - which won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical - is planning to settle in for a long stay. While the show is a major international success and like Wicked plays on a well-known story but in a different way to the "stage adaptation" we've become so used to in recent years, it is perhaps one of the more riskier international shows coming to Australia.

Wicked's phenomenal success overseas and the casting of two Australians means it is more known than Spamalot here, and there's no doubt that The Wizard Of Oz gives Wicked a much bigger boost than Monty Python gives Spamalot, though perhaps the amount of Python fans in Australia should not be under-estimated.

Still, it would seem that Spamalot will need a big name to help sell it. Geoffrey Rush has been among those mentioned, but whether or not he would commit to such a mammoth project is questionable. Either way, there is little doubt that a big name would ease the pressure and doubt over box office success.

At Sydney's Capitol Theatre, the pre-Christmas arrival of Billy Elliot will be the most significant Sydney premiere in years. It was announced last week that Lochlan Denholm (Melbourne), Rhys Kosakowski (Newcastle), Rarmian Newton (Melbourne) and Nick Twiney (Sydney) will share the role of Billy Elliot and begin the rehearsal process in early July.

The show is one of the few stage adaptations of a film in recent years that has become a huge success story, and its arrival in Australia comes before its debut on Broadway - a rare case, these days.

Set in the North East of England it is a funny, heart-warming and feel-good celebration of one boy’s dreams set against the historic British miners’ strike of 1984/85. The story follows the journey of a young boy raised in a small mining town who, after stumbling across a ballet class while on his way to a boxing lesson, realises that his future lays not in the boxing ring, but on stage as a dancer.

Directed by Stephen Daldry with book and lyrics by Lee Hall and choreography by Peter Darling, Billy Elliot was developed for the stage by the same multi-award winning creative team behind the film Billy Elliot which captured hearts and minds the world over when it was released in October 2000. Nominated for 3 Academy Awards and 13 BAFTAs, this poignant film broke box office records across the world.

The Capitol Theatre is one of Sydney's most fabulous theatres, and like with The Lion King a few years ago it provides a wonderful home for what is a sensational, moving and tremendous musical that defies age barriers and has the ability to be a family musical to cherish.

And for those who haven't quite let go of the blockbuster era of the late 1980's and early 1990's, the revival of The Phantom of the Opera starring Anthony Warlow and the first Australian tour of Miss Saigon provides some welcome relief from recent shows that provided very little of the magic and brilliance they had become used to.

In fact, musical theatre over the next two years provides for everyone. The lovers of shows like Phantom are catered for, as are the younger generation eagerly anticipating the arrival of some of the world's greatest musicals. And for those looking for a good and affordable night out out, the success of Respect and Menopause will ensure there's always something available. Fans of the true classics can enjoy three shows from The Production Company, while home-grown shows like Priscilla will only continue to grow in success - for those that like to 'buy Australian'.

And of course, one should not forget Kookaburra - the self-titled 'national music theatre company' that made its debut with Pippin earlier this year and follows it up with Company and Floyd Collins. While Kookaburra may not necessarily benefit from the arrival of shows like Wicked and Spamalot in its first or second year, it will indeed benefit if musical theatre experiences a revival thanks to such shows, because audiences will be clamouring to see shows.

One thing is for sure: the musical theatre scene provides very few dull moments in the next two years.