Just when we thought the line-up of musicals coming to Melbourne this year couldn't be more exciting, it's been revealed that the Broadway hit Anastasia will be making its Australian debut in our city this year. This rave-reviewed musical is inspired by the beloved 1997 animated feature from 20th Century Fox (which we’d argue is one of the best non-Disney princess movies ever) and, of course, the mysterious tale of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov’s rumoured escape in the dawning days of the Russian Revolution.
A lavish musical for the whole family with opulent settings and dazzling costumes, Anastasia premiered on Broadway in 2017 and played to sold-out audiences for three years before several international productions were mounted around the world, as well as two North American tours.
Music and lyrics are by the renowned writing team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, the same pair behind the movie’s score, who have been referred to as “one of the greatest songwriting teams in Broadway history”. Naturally, the musical includes all the beautiful songs from the animated film, including ‘Journey to the Past’ and ‘Once Upon a December’.
The Australian premiere of Anastasia is presented by John Frost for Crossroads Live and Opera Australia. It will open once upon a December at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre in 2025, before touring to Perth’s Crown Theatre in March 2026, and will finally land at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre in April 2026.
Casting details will be announced in the coming months. You can sign up for the waitlist to be the first to find out when tickets go on sale over at anastasiathemusical.com.au.
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