Two exciting international additions have been announced for the 2016 musical theatre line-up.
Ghost The Musical is on the horizon for early 2016 with the national tour set to open at the Festival Theatre in Adelaide from January 8 before playing in Melbourne, Sydney and finishing in Perth.
Based on the Oscar-winning 1990 film, Ghost The Musical premiered in Manchester in 2011 before opening on the West End and later Broadway. Auditions were held in late 2015 and it is rumoured that Rob Mills has been cast as the male lead.
The show features stunning illusions that have never before been seen in an on-stage musical to portray the supernatural elements of the plot. The musical features book and lyrics by Academy Award winner Bruce Joel Rubin as well as original music and lyrics by a team of Grammy Award-winners including Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill).
Ghost The Musical is presented in Australia by Ambassador Theatre Group Asia Pacific, GWB Entertainment and Red Live in association with Colin Ingram, Hello Entertainment and Paramount Pictures.
Also on the horizon is the hotly anticipated Kinky Boots, which will open at Melbourne’s Her Majesty's Theatre in October. Preliminary auditions were held in September in 2015 with recalls in November and December in Sydney and Melbourne.
Among the principal roles, Kinky Boots is casting six “Angels” which are male performers who, aside from acting and singing, are required to dance in heels. Inspired by a true story and based on the much-loved Miramax film, the book for the show is by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein.
The multi-award winning Broadway hit garnered six Tony awards in 2013 including Best Musical. Pop icon Cyndi Lauper wrote the music and lyrics, becoming the first solo female composer to win the Tony for Best Original Score Written for the Theatre. In addition, Kinky Boots won the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.
Australian producer Michael Cassel joins producers Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig and Cameron Mackintosh in bringing this beloved show to Australian audiences.
-- GEORGIA DAVIS
GHOST DATES
ADELAIDE
Festival Theatre,
From 8 January
MELBOURNE
Regent Theatre,
From 5 February
SYDNEY
Theatre Royal
From 18 March
PERTH
Crown Theatre
From Saturday 21 May