The best musicals in Sydney

The opening note of ‘The Circle of Life’ may just be one of the most recognisable in a Disney musical. If you don’t agree, then you may have to convince the entire theatre-going audience who were at Disney’s The Lion King on opening night. The full house’s roars could be heard all the way out of the Capitol Theatre’s front doors as the king of musicals triumphantly returns to Sydney – the first time in more than a decade. What type of show is The Lion King? It’s called The King of Musicals for a reason. If it’s not Elton John’s iconically recognisable music, or Tim Rice’s lyrics you’ve sung over a late-night karaoke session, then its Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi’s book featuring the characters you love, the characters you hate, and the ones you undoubtedly cry over – tears were definitely still shed during that scene. What’s so beautiful about The Lion King is the blurring of worlds and culture that merges in between all of these. Julie Taymor’s directorial conception blends African culture, language, movement and costume underneath masks and puppetry of the animal characters. Mufasa’s “crown” is a stoic, strong and towering headdress. The elegant lionesses soar and leap through the sky through Garth Fagan’s choreography as wing-like gowns flow behind them. The animals of Pride Rock are adorned with larger-than-life puppets of intricate designs and architecture: a re-engineered bicycle becomes leaping antelope, birds fly above the crowd on poles manipulated by performers,...

Ever since Graham Chapman galloped across the silver screen as King Arthur (with the help of one trusty sidekick and an even trustier coconut) the world has loved Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In 2004, original Python Eric Idle turned the show into a glittering stage musical called Spamalot and the rest, as they say, is history. With three Tony Awards in its saddlebag and global fans made among lovers of classic Python and musical theatre alike, this particular production originated with a sell-out season this year at Planet Royale in Perth. Now, it's galloping into NSW for a limited Sydney season. This time it features the likes of legendary Aussie actor and comedian Stephen Curry (The Castle) as King Arthur and celebrated theatre star Marney MacQueen as the Lady of the Lake. You'll find its first stop at Pyrmont's Sydney Event Centre from October 15-18, before it gallops to Rooty Hill's Coliseum Theatre from October 22-25. Expect plenty of love for the all-time comedic chops of Monty Python and The Holy Grail, reinforced by squires packing coconut shells and sight gags, as well as big Broadway numbers and a bunch of (non-threatening) audience participation. On second thought... let's not go to Camelot... It's a silly place.  You can get tickets for Monty Python's Spamalot here for the Sydney Event Centre (Oct 15-18) and here for Rooty Hill's Coliseum Theatre (Oct 22-25).

The movie-to-musical trend seems to be the only major money-making machine that Broadway can see as the answer to their economic troubles – but that doesn’t mean they’re all bad! I did hear word of Melbourne’s opening night of the popular ’80s-movie-turned-hit-cult-musical where audiences arrived with the fervour of an Olivia Rodrigo concert. But I thought it might have just been the hype of the show’s return after the West End’s semi-revival and the subsequent pro-shot of the production. Surely, Sydney audiences' more generally withheld approach to theatre etiquette wouldn’t have arrived with this level of electric energy…well f*** me gently with a chainsaw was I wrong! The fandom of Heathers arrived on opening night in full cosplay and with the level of enthusiasm suitable for an Olympic Park stadium. The cult-fangirl popularity of Heathers truly needs to be studied. What type of show is Heathers the Musical? Heathers the Musical adapts the 1988 cult-classic film, starring a young Winona Ryder, to the stage with an almost cartoonish glee. There aren’t many dark comedy musicals that still manage to have a bit of bite, but Heathers somehow survives in a world where taboo subjects are becoming more cleansed for our palates. Teenage suicide, date rape, dead parents, and murder are all on the stage, and yet somehow Heathers maneuvers through them all to the reception of a screaming crowd. It’s the classic high school as a battlefield scenario, as Veronica Sawyer must navigate...