New and upcoming musicals in Melbourne

Broadway hit Anastasia will be making its Australian debut in our city this year. This rave-reviewed musical is inspired by the beloved 1997 animated feature from 20th Century Fox (which we’d argue is one of the best non-Disney princess movies ever) and, of course, the mysterious tale of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov’s rumoured escape in the dawning days of the Russian Revolution. Naturally, the musical includes all the beautiful songs from the animated film, including ‘Journey to the Past’ and ‘Once Upon a December’. It will open at the Regent Theatre in December.

Hola! Long before he created the smash-hit musical phenomenon Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda was best known for In The Heights – a colourful, high-energy celebration of community, culture and chasing your dreams. Set in New York’s Washington Heights, it blends hip hop, salsa and Latin beats to create an uplifting theatre experience. The Melbourne season will see Ryan González and Olivia Vásquez reprise their roles as Usnavi and Vanessa, with Mariah Gonzalez, Ngali Shaw and Steve Costi joining them in key roles.

It’s not uncommon for theatre productions to cast teenage characters a good bit older, body-swerving labour laws limiting the amount of time a young performer is on stage, and rightly so. So if you go in cold to MTC’s latest Tony-festooned Broadway import, Kimberly Akimbo, you might find yourself blinking for a moment at 60-something soprano and musical theatre matriarch Marina Prior doing so. But there’s an in-show explanation. Her titular character, Kimberly Levaco, is an old soul in a 16-year-old’s body, one that’s rapidly aging at four times the normal rate because of a rare genetic condition.

Do you like the strange and unusual? Then buckle up, because the juice is loose! The Australian premiere of Beetlejuice the Musical is about to open in Melbourne, with the musical adaptation of Tim Burton's kooky cult classic – starring the unnerving, green-haired and striped-suit wearing ghost – transforming the Regent Theatre into a world of footballer zombies, exorcisms and much more weirdness.