Channing Tatum's 'Magic Mike Live' Show Is Coming to Australia So You Can Relive the Movie IRL
The Hollywood star won't be on stage — but a troupe of other male dancers will be stripping up a storm in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth
At the beginning of 2012, when the world discovered that Channing Tatum was starring in a movie about male strippers — and that it was based on his own experiences working in the field — everyone was a little sceptical. Which was understandable. Magic Mike boasts a great director in Steven Soderbergh, and a cast that also includes Matthew Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Olivia Munn, Riley Keough and peak McConnaissance-era Matthew McConaughey, but, on paper, it was hardly a sure thing.
Of course, once the film hit the screens, it was a hit. More than that — it was a smart and sensitive look at men chasing the American Dream by taking off their clothes. Sequel Magic Mike XXL, which released in 2015, not only repeated the feat but added more depth, and Tatum successfully turned what could've been a forgettable chapter of his pre-fame life into a successful big-screen franchise.
Actually, he's turned it into a stage and screen franchise. Yes, Magic Mike was always going to go back to where it all began. In Las Vegas and London (and soon Berlin), Magic Mike Live has been steaming up venues and letting real-life male dancers strip up a storm for eager audiences. Not to be confused with Magic Mike the Musical — because that's something that's also happening — the "immersive" dance show is coming to Australia in 2020.
Hitting Birrarung Marr in Melbourne from Tuesday, May 26 — then heading to Sydney, Brisbane and Perth — Magic Mike Live will unleash its stuff in a 600-seat spiegeltent called The Arcadia. It's the world's largest spiegeltent, because clearly this kind of show has plenty of fans. This is the first time that the performance will be held in the pop-up two-storey spot, which comes with 360-degree views of the stage, a glass lobby, custom bars, a mini food hall, and a lounge area both inside and out. And while it's blazing a trail venue-wise, on the stage, the Aussie show will combine elements of the Magic Mike Live's three other international productions.
While Tatum came up with the idea for Magic Mike Live and co-directs the show, the Step Up, 21 Jump Street, Logan Lucky and Kingsman: The Golden Circle star isn't actually one of the performers. Instead, a cast of 20 — including 15 male dancers — will showcase a combination of, dance, comedy and acrobatics. Continuing her role from the films, stage show co-director and choreographer Alison Faulk is behind the sultry moves, drawing upon a career spent working with Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Missy Elliott, P!NK, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin.
It probably goes without saying, but if you're already thinking about buying Magic Mike Live tickets, expect to have plenty of hens parties for company.
Jerry Metellus
MAGIC MIKE LIVE AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Melbourne — Birrarung Mar, from Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Sydney — Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, from Thursday, November 19, 2020
Brisbane — TBC
Perth — TBC
Magic Mike Live tours Australia from Tuesday, May 26, 2020, when it kicks off its shows in Melbourne. For more information — or to buy tickets for the Melbourne and Sydney legs, or sign up for the Brisbane and Perth waitlists — visit the website.
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