The best musicals in Sydney

It was always inevitable that Hamilton would make its way Down Under. It’s been almost three years since Lin-Manuel Miranda’s game-changing musical made its five-star Sydney debut in March 2021, and was met with overwhelming audience and critical acclaim. Remarkably, this was also the first production of the Broadway mega-hit to open anywhere in the world, following global pandemic lockdowns. A roaring success, the show went on to tour to Melbourne, Brisbane, New Zealand, and across Asia. Now, Hamilton’s back for round two. The Sydney Lyric Theatre’s exclusive return season reuniting some of the original Australasian cast with mind-boggling new talents, some of whom are making their professional theatre debut (not that you’d even guess).  So, in the year 2024, does the pop-culture hype around Hamilton maintain its heat? And can the live production withstand the test of time, especially when you can stream the original Broadway cast recording on Disney+ for $13.99? The simple answer to both questions is: yes. Although, anyone who is unfamiliar with the Hamilton lore might benefit from reading up on it beforehand (we’ve explained it briefly over here). For Australian audiences, the draw of Hamilton is not really the plot, which holds many contradictions (even Miranda himself admits to that). But if you know anything about the show, you know that the true ingenuity (aside from the game-changing race-reverse casting) lies in Miranda’s magical, genre-defying score – and by bringin

Your own private jet to take you around the world, perhaps to one of the many homes you own. A designer wardrobe and the latest technology to match. You spend your days being adored and your evenings at the hottest restaurants and clubs, where your every whim is catered to. These are the fantasies of stardom that most of us have indulged in at some point in our lives. Even knowing the heavy price many celebrities pay can’t tarnish the allure of such a heady dream.  Sunset Boulevard – now on at the Sydney Opera House after debuting at Melbourne's Princess Theatre in May this year – juxtaposes the idealism and dreams of youth against the mercenary nature of Hollywood, where people are used and discarded once they lose their value. In this new Opera Australia and GWB Entertainment production, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatrical score is deftly and beautifully handled by musical director Paul Christ and the Opera Australia orchestra; repetition of motifs is used to pull us back and forth between these two worlds. A chance meeting between struggling writer Joe Gillis (played by Tim Draxl) and forgotten silent film star Norma Desmond (Sarah Brightman) asks the question, “what happens when the spotlight fades?” Initially opportunistic, Joe quickly finds himself losing control of his life as he’s pulled further and further into Norma’s delusions and learns just how addictive fame can be.  The musical is a faithful adaptation of Billy Wilder’s iconic 1950 film, although this sometimes wo

It’s impossible to make everyone happy. Indeed, when it comes to meeting the appetites of musical theatre fans in Sydney, it’s a tall order at the best of times. This year, Sydney’s major stages have been pumping out the busiest theatre calendar we’ve seen since pre-pandemic times. However, aside from some notable exceptions, many of the productions claiming the lion’s share of the flashy budgets and the big stars are nothing we haven’t seen before. Musicals like Chicago, Grease, and Rocky Horror are fun and all – but they’ve been done more times than we care to remember, and discerning theatre lovers have a nose for when something is mainly getting a re-mount for cynical commercial gain (allegedly), rather than artistic merit.  Enter, an unlikely saving grace – Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy. Sure, the story is a familiar one, inspired by the hit early ’90s comedy movie of the same name starring Whoopi Goldberg (who was also involved in creating the original production). However, this is the first time that this screen-to-stage production has appeared on an Aussie stage. This fun and vibrant show gives you all the razzle dazzle you could want from a night at the theatre – and it blankets the Capitol Theatre in a dazzling cascade of disco ball beams, to boot.  If you’re looking for a feel-good theatrical outing with plenty of sparkles, then let this show take you to church. Leaning into a Motown-inspired brand of ’70s disco, soul, and funk rhythms, this show harnesses or

Ah, the Titanic. An unsinkable cultural icon, the “Ship of Dreams” has appeared in almost as many movies and stage productions as the songs of Canada’s queen of the power ballad, Céline Dion. It’s even got a two-and-a-half-hour (surprisingly serious) movie musical adaptation based on Maury Yeston’s Titanic: the Musical. Although, none can hold a candle to the cultural impact of James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster – you know, the one with Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. So, with nostalgia being such hot property right now, it was only a matter of time before we got the camp-as-hell musical fantasia-made-for-and-by-the-gays that is Titanique. Created by Marla Mindelle (who originated the role of Céline Dion – well, as imagined in this show), Constantine Rousouli (who originated the role of Jack) and director Tye Blue (whose countless industry credits include working on the casting team of RuPaul’s Drag Race), Titanique is revisionist history at its best. Loaded with Céline Dion’s greatest bangers, it casts Queen Dion herself (played so wonderfully by cabaret legend Marney McQueen here in Aus) as the narrator of the tragic tale, who continuously places herself at the center of the action – quite literally – much to Jack and Rose’s repeated dismay. It brings the campness of the film to the front, with Stephen Anderson (Mary Poppins) playing Rose’s awful mother Ruth (complete with a bird’s nest headpiece), and Abu Kebe (Choirboy) playing a brilliant, tear-jerking drag parody of T

Well-behaved women seldom make history, and a well-behaved production seldom breaks new ground. A celebratory (if not a touch tokenistic) musical tribute to real women who have left their own impact on the zeitgeist, Well-Behaved Women debuted on the New York stage in early 2020. It’s a contemporary song cycle that explores the stories of sixteen her-storical figures, and this new production directed by Blazey Best (Tell Me on a Sunday) tasks just four of Sydney’s most respected performers to portray all of them.   From the compact stage of Surry Hills’ Belvoir St Theatre, the show kicks off with an impressive bang. Zahra Newman’s (star of STC’s Dracula, Belvoir’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill) performance as Eve (from the bible) is a sultry rendition of the original sin, leaving you as mesmerised as Eve herself was by that serpent. Newman takes up space with an assertion of authority, commanding attention with her every movement. The stage quickly fades into blackness, and for a moment, it seems we might be intruding on the fateful moment when Eve takes the apple. As quickly as Newman’s performance begins, the show suddenly cuts to another song – this one centered on Queen Boudica, warrior queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, portrayed by Sarah Murr (& Juliet). Murr’s own gravitas continues to build on Newman’s momentum – tasked with portraying a lesser-known figure, her vocal clarity allows the audience to hear every lyric of Boudica’s story clearly. Murr’s vocal

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived… holy Six! Australia can’t get enough of Six the Musical. This pop-powered global phenomenon has already had multiple record-breaking seasons across the country. And now, due to popular demand, the disgraced wives of King Henry VIII are heading back to ye olde Sydneytown on a brand new tour with a brand new cast. After kicking off in Melbourne, the show arrives at Sydney's Theatre Royal from October 25. And if Time Out Melbourne's rave review is anything to go by, the new ensemble is coming in hot: "Kimberley Hodgson kicks things off with a bang as Catherine of Aragon, Deirdre Khoo brings subtle cheekiness to Anne Boleyn and Loren Hunter is poised as Jane Seymour. Zelia Rose Kitoko’s badass moves as Anna of Cleeves have the audience getting down, Chelsea Dawson is powerful yet heartbreaking as Katherine Howard and Giorgia Kennedy is vocally astounding as Catherine Parr." The premise is sort of hilarious: all six women who married old mate Henry are forming a pop band, and they’re battling it out to determine who will be crowned the lead singer. The stakes? The one who had the worst time of being married to the infamous Tudor King will get to be the frontwoman. Our critic summed it up best in the four-star review from 2020: “What if the Spice Girls did a concept album about King Henry VIII’s wives, and Baz Luhrmann directed the concert video?”  More like an 80-minute pop concert than a traditional musical, Six became a c

It looks like Christmas has come early, because we just found out that Elf: The Musical will make its Australian debut at the Sydney Opera House, just in time for the silly season. This heartwarming musical adaptation of the beloved film (which is, arguably, Will Ferrell’s best role ever!) is heading Down Under with a special presentation on the Opera House’s grand Concert Hall from December 19–29, presented with the (suitably named) John Frost for Crossroads Live. This ridiculously fun adventure follows Buddy on a quest to find his true identity. Despite being raised as an elf in the North Pole, Buddy learns that he is actually a human – which explains his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities. Hilarious misadventures ensue as his search for his birth family leads him to the bright lights of New York City, where he’s faced with the harsh realities that his father is on the naughty list and his half-brother doesn't even believe in Santa. Speaking exclusively with Time Out, the director of this production (and Sydney's own merry expat) Eric Giancola, told us: “Elf: The Musical is pure joy, wrapped up in a giant Christmas bow! I love how the show is able to take the magic of the film and amplify it with music, dance, and a live energy that’s completely infectious. “The holiday season is a time when we can all embrace our inner child, let go of the stresses of the year, and just revel in the warmth of love and connection. And in Sydney, where Christmas comes with beach day