Many fantasy series have come and gone, but it seems that there is no escaping the pull of the one to rule them all. Middle-earth is about to collide with the Harbour City, with the news that The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale is set to make its Australian debut in Sydney. Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved epic trilogy, the stage production will premiere with a strictly-limited season at the State Theatre Sydney from January 7, 2025.
Journeying to the Sydney stage in time for the 70th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring (the first book in the trilogy) hitting the shelves in 1954, this ambitious production invites audiences to join the Hobbits on a quest, bringing Middle-earth to life with a cast of multi-skilled actor-musicians in a theatrical event that celebrates community, courage and camaraderie – featuring an original folk-inspired score.
We reckon that this show sounds like a great occasion to celebrate your eleventy-first birthday, or any old excuse to venture out of your underground dwelling in the Shire. Word to the (Sam)wise though, you might want to load up on a hearty meal of po-ta-toes before embarking on this three-hour theatrical quest. How… precious!
The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale’s Australian debut will actually be the second stop on a world tour – which will begin in Auckland, New Zealand, at the end of 2024 following its highly anticipated US premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
There have actually been several attempts to adapt The Lord of the Rings for the stage, and this storied production is the most prominent. It has had four separate stagings around the world since 2006, including a stint in London that went down as “one of the biggest commercial flops in West End history”. Indeed, the musical has always received mixed reviews, and has undergone some rewrites in response, but it has also won awards and received a lot of praise.
“The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale is a celebration of storytelling at its finest, most electrifying and enigmatic; and we are so pleased to support this epic adventure as it travels to the magical continent of Australia from its origins in Middle-earth. At the risk of sounding cliché, this truly is, a show you cannot miss,” declared Fredrica Drotos, Steward of Middle-earth Enterprises (the owner of exclusive worldwide motion picture and stage rights for The Lord of the Rings).
Auditions have already begun in Australia to find the next generation’s iconic roles from the beloved trilogy, including Hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, Gollum, Galadriel, Gandalf, Arwen and Aragorn. So, shall we hold out hope that Aussie acting legends Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett will reprise their iconic roles from the New Zealand-shot film franchise? That would be epic.
The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale features a book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna (Maddie, La Cava) and Matthew Warchus (Groundhog Day) and original music by Academy Award-winner A.R. Rahman (Bombay Dreams, Slumdog Millionaire), Finnish folk band Värttinä, and Tony Award-winner Christopher Nightingale (Matilda the Musical). It is presented in Australia by Kevin Wallace Productions, GWB Entertainment, Middle-earth Enterprises, Tim McFarlane, KHAM Inc, People Entertainment Group, The Watermill Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
Sydney has a huge year for musicals on the horizon, with productions like the hotly anticipated Down Under premiere of Hadestown coming to town in February. We’ll have our all-seeing eyes peeled for more info about this particular theatrical spectacular. In the meantime, you can join the waitlist for tickets at lotronstage.com. Fly, you fools!
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