New and upcoming musicals in Melbourne

If there's one fantasy series to rule them all, it's hard to go past The Lord of the Rings. And now, Middle-earth is about to collide with our cultural capital, with the news that The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale, has finally announced a Melbourne season. Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved epic trilogy, the stage production will have its Melbourne premiere at the Comedy Theatre from April 26. This musical invites audiences to join the Hobbits on a quest, bringing Middle-earth to life with a cast of multi-skilled actor-musicians in a theatrical event that celebrates community, courage and camaraderie – featuring an original folk-inspired score. 

We first found out that Beetlejuice the Musical was on its way to Melbourne back in August 2023. Since then, hype has only continued to build. Now we know that local legend of the stage and screen Eddie Perfect (who has already scored a Tony nomination for the music and lyrics he wrote for the kooky musical) will star in the titular role, joined by triple-threat newcomer Karis Oka as Lydia Deetz. So, start prepping your chanting, because Beetlejuice the Musical will play exclusively at Melbourne’s grand Regent Theatre from May 7. 

For the uninitiated, the gist is this: written by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown is a genre-defying musical adaption of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in a dystopian steampunk-esque underworld, set to an evocative score that blends New Orleans-style jazz and blues with modern American folk music – with a live brass band on stage, to boot. The show won eight Tony Awards when it opened in 2019, including Best Musical, and is still playing to packed houses five years later.

Arguably none of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s shows have hit harder than his 1971 rock-opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, which arrives at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre after a much-lauded run in Sydney. First revived at London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2016 for the show’s fiftieth anniversary, it’s been restaged in Australia by director Timothy Sheader. Sheader favours a ‘more is more’ approach, leaning into every ‘Webber-ism’ that made the show a success in the first place: rock'n'roll maximalism, near-inhuman vocal lines, emotional spectacle. No crucifix is too glittery or top note too loud. Megawatt vocals and an electric ensemble cast make it a cut above the other Webber revivals we’ve seen in the last couple years. Yet its heavy-handed approach also exposes the limits of spectacle for spectacle’s sake, even when it comes to Webber.