Five Spectacular Musicals Hitting Sydney Stages in 2023
From returning classics to anticipated premieres, you won't want to miss a beat of these shows.
Five Spectacular Musicals Hitting Sydney Stages in 2023
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From returning classics to anticipated premieres, you won't want to miss a beat of these shows.
Opinions may be divided on what is truly the best medium of entertainment, but there's no denying the simple pleasure of going to a musical. The feeling of being swept off your feet by a particularly memorable tune, doubled over laughing or drenched in your own tears, its a stagecraft that's captured the love of millions around the world.
This year is is no exception for killer musicals, so we partnered with Destination NSW to curate a guide to the biggest musicals coming to stages in Sydney in 2023. Whether you want to laugh, sing or cry, there's a stage show below for you.
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After a global debut in London in 2018, this rocking semi-biographical musical is the story of the woman who would rewrite the rules of a genre, and in doing so become the queen of rock and roll. That woman was, of course, Tina Turner, the artist behind hits like ‘Simply The Best’, ‘What’s Love Got To Do with It’ and ‘Nutbush City Limits’. This musical is as much a celebration of the music as it is the woman, so be ready to rock out to all your favourites and pay tribute to the star the way she’d want you to.
The creators? Award-winning masters of the craft Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins, and director Phyllida Lloyd. The stars? Ruva Ngwenya as Tina Turner, Tim Omaji as Ike Turner, Ibinabo Jack as Tina’s mother Zelma Bullock and Nadia Komazec as her manager Rhonda Graam. TINA — The Tina Turner Musical is playing now at Theatre Royal Sydney.
Image: Daniel Boud
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Delighting audiences for decades, Beauty and the Beast is truly a cultural cornerstone. And yes, that includes the 1991 Disney film, the original Broadway musical (starring a young Hugh Jackman in 1995) and the 2017 live-action film. Beauty and the Beast: The Musical is based on the original Disney film and is bringing the tale as old as time to the Capitol Theatre from Wednesday, June 14 in its Australian premiere.
The newly reimagined and redesigned production began its journey in 2021 with a stint in the UK, and will feature all the favourites of fans. From the standout songs ‘Be Our Guest’, ‘Gaston’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ to the magical choreography of the ballroom dances, it’s enjoyable for all ages. The cast includes Shubshri Kandiah as Belle, Brendan Xavier as Beast, Rohan Browne as Lumiére, Gareth Jacobs as Cogsworth and Andy Cook as Gaston.
Image: Johan Persson.
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After 20 years of touring across 16 countries, Wicked is coming back to Australia for the first time since 2011. Since its stage debut in 2003, Wicked has become synonymous with theatre and wracked up over 100 major awards — including three Tony Awards, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. so there’s no doubt you’re in for a quality night of entertainment.
If you’re among the small few who are unaware of its story, Wicked is something of a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, starting before and ending after the events of the classic film, and follows the relationship of two women who would come to be known as Glinda the Good Witch, and the Wicked Witch of the West. But there’s a lot that comes before the labels, so get out your ruby slippers, click your heels three times and await Wicked‘s arrival at Sydney Lyric Theatre in August 2023.
Image: Joan Marcus.
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Another veteran of the genre is Miss Saigon, a show that saw its stage debut in 1989 and has since played in front of over 38 million guests. It’s a very emotional story inspired by an equally emotional opera, Madama Butterfly. Miss Saigon takes place in Saigon (shocker) in the final days of the Vietnam War and explores the relationship of an American soldier and a local woman throughout the end of the war and its aftermath, delving into the tragic subject of the impact of relationships between civilians and foreign soldiers, from the perspective of Saigon local Kim.
This is a love story, but it’s also a tragedy, so prepare for some serious feels. This production of the musical is from Cameron Mackintosh, who was also behind other world-famous musicals like Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables and Mary Poppins. The cast includes the debut of Abigail Adriano as Kim alongside Nigel Huckle as Chris, Seann Miley Moore as The Engineer and the Australian debut of Laurence Mossman as Thuy. Miss Saigon is coming to the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, August 17 and running until Friday, October 13.
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Mamma mia, here we go again. MAMMA MIA! The Musical is bringing its Greek-set onstage party back to Sydney in 2023 — and if you’re a musical fan, an ABBA devotee or perennially keen to indulge in 70s nostalgia, you’ll want to be there. It was in fact this musical that spawned the hit 2008 film, and not the other way around as some might assume. So ABBA fans of all generations will get a kick out of the production. In case you don’t know, it’s the story of 20-year-old Sophie, who invites three men that could be her father to her wedding with the intention of finding out which one it is to give her away.
The production stars Sarah Krndija as Sophie, Elise McCann as her mother, Donna, and Martin Crewes, Drew Livingston and Tim Wright as the three potential fathers. As you may have gathered (or might know already), the musical is soundtracked by all the hits of 70s pop group ABBA, involving everything from ‘Money, Money, Money’, ‘Thank You for the Music’ to ‘Take a Chance on Me’ and the titular ‘Mamma Mia’. Factoring in the classic rom-com plot, banging soundtrack and all-around stellar vibes, what’s not to love? MAMMA MIA! The Musical is showing in the Sydney Lyric Theatre from Wednesday, May 24.
Image: James D Morgan.
For more information on musicals and other events happening in NSW throughout 2023, visit the Destination NSW website.
