Apart from the standard revivals, expect 2018 to see even more jukebox musicals, with a spotlight on music legends and films transitioning to the stage. Matt Myers gives the rundown.
On Broadway
Cher fans can rejoice, as The Cher Show will feature the star’s life story, with not one but three actresses playing the star in a retrospect of her career. Cher herself is behind the production. If that’s not enough, Broadway will also see the premiere of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical featuring over twenty hits from the Queen of Disco. With direction by Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, her epic hit MacArthur Park is sure to be a showstopper.
The celluloid world continues to cross to the stage with the 1984 coming of age classic The Flamingo Kid getting a musical treatment. The original film was directed by the late Garry Marshall, who happened to also direct that other cinema favourite Pretty Woman, also making its Broadway debut this year. Samantha Barks will take on the Julia Roberts role.
While the London production of Dreamgirls will transfer across the Atlantic, the 1988 classic Beetlejuice will finally hit the stage, written by none other than Aussie writer (and previous DNA Straight Mate) Eddie Perfect. Rising star Perfect is also re-writing King Kong, which originally premiered in Melbourne four years ago, and will get its Broadway debut in November.
But perhaps the biggest of all will be the stage adaptation of the Meryl Streep 2006 comedy The Devil Wears Prada. Given that Elton John and Paul Rudnick will write the music, this has hit written all over it. Elton previously provided music for The Lion King, Aida, Lestat and Billy Elliot.
The West End
Similar film adaptations continue on London’s West End with a reworking of 1988’s Big, where a twelve-year-old boy is granted his wish to become adult. One of the first screen-to-stage musicals in 1996, this new production stars Gary Wilmot.
It’s been thirty years since Back To The Future made its mark and the new stage version is written by original screenwriter Bob Gale and director Robert Zemeckis. As well as the Huey Lewis hit, The Power Of Love, new music will be written by Glen Ballard (Ghost). Hopefully original Marty McFly Michael J. Fox will attend the premiere in a DeLorean!
Fasten your seatbelts as Aussie Cate Blanchett stars as Margo Channing in an adaptation of the 1950 Bette Davis film All About Eve, which will be directed by Ivo van Hove (Lazarus). Tickets for this will sell like hotcakes!
While Australia recently saw Dusty the musical, Son Of A Preacher Man is the story of three broken-hearted strangers drawn to the site of an old 1960’s club in Soho. Featuring the hits of Dusty Springfield, it stars Diana Vickers, Debra Stephenson and Ian Reddington.
Another musical entertainer from the Sixties features in Sammy: The Sammy Davis Jr. Musical, which tells the story of the African-American entertainer who rose to fame with hits such as Candy Man. This show will include great characters, as the star’s friends included Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli. Leslie Bricusse, who provided many of the star’s classic hits, has penned the production.
And in a similar vein, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical will tell the rags to riches story of the girl from Nutbush who became rock royalty. Considering her catalogue of hits and with Turner behind the production, it could be simply the best! Adrienne Warren (Dreamgirls) will play Tina and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is the formidable Ike. Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!) will direct, with choreography by Anthony van Laast.
Australia
One anticipated play from the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is the biographical Still Point Turning: The Catherine McGregor Story, by writer/director Priscilla Jackman. Based on interviews with McGregor, it follows her life through many identities including husband, athlete and soldier through to her transformation as female. Heather Mitchell (Cloud Nine) plays McGregor in a revealing story of strength and honesty. Also presented by the STC is the classic Australian production of Ruth Park’s Sydney-based story The Harp In The South, Parts I and II. Adapted for the stage by Kate Mulvany, this will be somewhat an epic theatrical experience, where Mulvany has cleverly taken Park’s trilogy of stories (The Harp In The South, Missus and Poor Man’s Orange) into two stand-alone plays.
Perth’s Black Swan Theatre will present another Australian classic with Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. Written by Ray Lawler, the play is significant in Australian theatre history and the Western Australian production will complete its presentation by every state theatre company in the country.
At the Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC), Geoffrey Rush will star in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, reuniting the star with director Simon Phillips. Simon Gleeson and Gina Riley will head Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, and if you’re a fan of Kath & Kim or Don’s Party, get ready for Abigail’s Party with Zoe Boesen and Daniel Frederiksen. But the headlining act must be the UK touring production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This play has won several Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League and Laurence Olivia Awards and earned global critical acclaim.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Aladdin, The Book of Mormon, Mamma Mia! The Wizard of Oz and American Idiot will all continue to tour, while The Rocky Horror Show, Jersey Boys and Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical make a return. And while Missy Higgins will make her musical theatre debut in the satirical Miracle City, a big highlight will be Tina Arena taking the stage at the Sydney Opera House as Eva Peron in the 40th anniversary of Evita.
There’s no doubt that theatre has entered a new phase where big stars and big movies make for big bucks. But it also makes for big smiles, on both sides of the curtain. 2018 will no doubt be a year of more standing ovations!
