Six: The Musical Has Arrived In Sydney!

Feature-SIX the Musical

After rave reviews and sold-out performances in Melbourne, the highly anticipated international smash-hit phenomenon SIX the Musical has arrived in Sydney. The queendom will descend on Sydney’s Theatre Royal to celebrate the newly coronated cast of queens. The official opening night of this award-winning global sensation will be on Wednesday 14 October at Theatre Royal Sydney. The production will then be heading to QPAC’s Playhouse Theatre in Brisbane from January 2027.

Tickets on sale now: https://www.sixthemusical.com.au

The opening night Purple Carpet is expected to bring out Sydney’s finest. Media can make their way to the Theatre Royal for 6.30pm guest arrival, with the performance kicking off at 7.30pm sharp.

Guest List for SIX Opening Night

Amanda Keller; Andy Trieu; Damien Leith; Donny Galella; Georgie Parker; Jeremy Fernandez; Kate Ritchie; Leigh Sales; Melissa Hoyer; Penny McNamee; Richard Reid; Savannah Clarke; Steve Pennells.

Angelina Thomson; Ash Magic; Darren Palmer; Emily Weir; Ian Stenlake; Jessica Redmayne; Kathryn Eisman; Lisa Wilkinson; Nancye Hayes; PJ Lane; Rob Mills & Georgie Tunny; Simon Burke; Taylor Haynes.

Annabel Crabb; Belinda Russell; Deborah Hutton; Erika Heynatz; Jay Laga’aia; John Pearce; Kerri-Anne Kennerley; Mitch and Mark; Nikki Webster; Rachael Beck; Rodger Corser; Sophie Dillman; Tina Bursill.

From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the six wives of Henry VIII—Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr—turn up the mics remixing five hundred years of history into an 80-minute electrifying pop-concert musical.

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The new SIX Queens are played by an Australian cast: Sarah Murr (Catherine of Aragon), Mia Paris Scalise (Anne Boleyn), Cara Bessey (Jane Seymour), Kadesa Honeyhill (Anna of Cleves), Angela Brischetto (Katherine Howard), and Lorinda May Merrypor (Catherine Parr).

Swings include Lauren Goetz, Geena Hutton, Thalia Smith (Dance Captain/Swing) and Cristina D’Agostino (Associate Choreographer/Assistant to the Director/Alternate Swing). The on-stage band includes Claire Healy (Music Director/Keys), Heidi Maguire (Assistant Music Director/Keys), Kathryn Stammers (Drums), Danielle Colligan (Guitar) and Matilda Yang (Bass). The company works under Australian Associate Director Sharon Millerchip.

SIX tells the story of the six wives of King Henry VIII who step out of the shadow of their infamous husband and reclaim their own narratives. Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, this pop-inspired musical portrays these historical figures as influential pop stars.

SIX has won 38 international awards including two Tony Awards and has a Platinum certified soundtrack listened to over 5.5 billion times. Since debuting at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, it has played in over 15 countries.

Creative team: Book, lyrics and music by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss; directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage; choreographed by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille; set design by Emma Bailey; costume design by Gabriella Slade; lighting design by Tim Deiling; sound design by Paul Gatehouse; orchestrations by Tom Curran; musical supervisor Joe Beighton. Originally produced by Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes, and George Stiles. Produced in Australia by Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Linda Bewick.

Tickets on sale now
Sydney – Theatre Royal Sydney – until December 20
Brisbane – Playhouse Theatre, QPAC – from January 2
https://www.sixthemusical.com.au

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Cast Announced For Premiere Of Live Storytelling Concert The Trumpet Of The Swan

Feature-The Trumpet of the Swan

Opera Australia has today announced the cast of The Trumpet of the Swan, a family friendly, live storytelling concert that will premiere at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from 20 to 22 November 2026.

Helpmann Award-winning actor Bert Labonté, as Sam the Storyteller, will guide audiences through this enchanting musical journey, adapted from E. B. White’s (Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little) charming children’s classic for the stage by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman (The Secret Garden, The Colour Purple), and with music by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, Parade).

Joining La Bonté onstage, playing Father Swan will be versatile actor and performer Ben Mingay who wowed Melbourne audiences earlier this year in OA’s Gilbert & Sullivan celebration concert, and powerhouse vocalist Marney McQueen, most recently known for her portrayal of Celine Dion in Titanique, as Mother Swan.

Completing the cast will be accomplished screen and stage actor Grant Piro, and local Melbourne based artists, Scout Hook and Arjun Tiwari, who will bring Louis’s world to life through movement and imagination.

Directed by the award-winning Tyran Parke, who is currently Head of Musical Theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts, the concert will be led by Australian-based British conductor Chad Kelly, and acclaimed Melbourne-born choreographer Freya List will add another dimension of storytelling to the performance.

Featuring a soaring score performed live, onstage by Orchestra Victoria, The Trumpet of the Swan tells the story of Louis, a swan born without a voice, as he learns to express himself through music and find his place in the world.

A hit at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, this beloved tale of friendship and self-discovery comes to life as a magical concert experience and a delightful introduction to live orchestral music for all ages.

Creatives

Conductor: Chad Kelly
Book: Marsha Norman
From the novel by: E.B. White
Music: Jason Robert Brown
Director: Tyran Parke
Choreographer: Freya List

Performance information

7:00pm 20 November
12:00pm 21 & 22 November
3:00pm 21 November

Running time

Approximately 80 minutes, no interval.

Performed in English.

Cast

Sam the Storyteller: Bert Labonte
Father Swan and others: Ben Mingay
Mother Swan and others: Marney McQueen
Louis’s thoughts, voice of Louis and others: Grant Piro
Serena, Sam’s Love and others: Scout Hook
Louis, Sam’s friend, the Swan: Arjun Tiwari
Orchestra Victoria

Bookings

Child tickets from $55 (+ booking fee)
Adult tickets from $79 (+ booking fee)
Family 4+ Offer $55 per ticket (+ booking fee)

Opera Australia Box Office (03) 9685 3700
www.opera.org.au

Regent Theatre, Melbourne

A Novel Symphony for Actors and Orchestra
Based on the Book by E.B. White
Book by Marsha Norman, Music by Jason Robert Brown

This adaptation of E.B White’s “Trumpet of the Swan” was commissioned by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was first produced at the Kennedy Center in December 2008.

By arrangement with ORiGiN Theatrical on behalf of Theatrical Rights Worldwide, New York.

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Hit Broadway Musical Anastasia Loved By Brisbane, Opening To Rave Reviews

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The Courier Mail said “Georgina Hopson is every bit the star” and that ANASTASIA is “the ultimate theatrical tasting platter. You get the show tunes and soaring ballads, but you also get comedy, romance, opera, ballet, extravagant costumes and big Broadway moments”. Scenestr said that “Georgina Hopson is a perfect princess” and “an absolute must see” while The Hollywood Reporter called it “musical theatre at its absolute finest. Don’t miss it.”

The cast for this charming modern fairytale and much-loved musical includes Georgina Hopson as Anya, Robert Tripolino as the charismatic con artist Dmitry, Joshua Robson in the role of antagonist Gleb, Rodney Dobson as Vlad, the universally adored Rhonda Burchmore as Countess Lily and theatre icon Nancye Hayes AM in the role of the Dowager Empress.

The ensemble cast includes Sophia Bae, Elliot Baker, Nicholas Cunningham, Davis Giotopoulos Moore, Todd Goddard, Matthew Jenson, Stephanie Kurlow, Bella Minniti, Simon Plant, Nathan Stafford, Alexis Van Maanen, Patrick Volpe, Annie Wilson, Deone Zanotto and Andrea Zappacosta with the Swings team featuring Manon Gunderson-Briggs, Iosefa Laga’aia, Nathan Pinnell and Emma Russell. The local Queensland performers who feature as Little Anastasia include Eva Boldery, Kalina Kita, Harvey Rose McClelland and Holly Murray.

Inspired by the mysterious tale of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov’s rumoured escape in the dawning days of the Russian Revolution, and the 1997 Oscar nominated animated film of the same name, ANASTASIA has been brought to life on the stage by the Tony Award-winning creative team of Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.

ANASTASIA is a lavish musical for all ages, transporting audiences from the twilight years of the Imperial rule to the euphoria and exuberance of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman named Anya sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by an army officer determined to silence her, she enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.

Directed by Tony Award winning director Darko Tresnjak, ANASTASIA premiered on Broadway in March 2017. It received a Tony Award nomination for Best Costume Design in a Musical and won more than 15 major international awards including Best Musical awards in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

The book for ANASTASIA was written by the late five time Tony Award winning writer Terrence McNally, whose credits include Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime.

Music and lyrics for ANASTASIA were written by the renowned writing team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens who have been referred to as “one of the greatest songwriting teams in Broadway history.” (Chicago Tribune).

Lyric Theatre QPAC, Brisbane until 18 October 2026

For tickets and further information, please visit www.anastasiathemusical.com.au

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‘Come Alive!’ The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular Coming To Adelaide October 29

Feature-‘COME ALIVE!’ The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular

‘COME ALIVE!’ The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular is coming to Adelaide, opening at the Morphettville Racecourse on October 29. This is the third stop on the production’s Australian tour which has already delighted fans across Sydney and Perth. Following its six week run in Adelaide the spectacular will then move on to Brisbane before farewelling Australia in Melbourne in early 2027.

Performed beneath a purpose-built Hippodrome, this all-ages spectacular reimagines Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s iconic soundtrack from the 20th Century Fox motion picture like never before—live, loud and breathtakingly close, with world-class circus artistry, dazzling visuals and electrifying performances.

Since its Australian premiere in May in Sydney, COME ALIVE! has become a must-see favourite, bringing to life beloved anthems including This Is Me, Rewrite the Stars and A Million Dreams.

Leading the all-Australian cast of actors, singers, dancers and acrobats Des Flanagan (CATS, Moulin Rouge!) as The Showman and Ruby Clark (The Lord of the Rings) as Max have won over audiences along with the local and international circus sensations responsible for bringing this internationally acclaimed production to life.

David Hutchinson, CEO of The Path Entertainment Group said: “After an ongoing sellout run in the UK, we have been thrilled to see Australian audiences so warmly and enthusiastically embrace COME ALIVE! We look forward to taking the show to Adelaide for the next stop on our national tour after being so warmly welcomed by fans new and old in both Sydney and Perth.”

At the helm of the production is Drama Desk award-winning Creative Director Simon Hammerstein (Masquerade, a bold new immersive production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera; Usher’s sold-out ‘My Way’ Las Vegas Residency; and Queen of the Night).

The creative team behind the production and its expansion consists of Music Producer and Olivier Award-nominated Matthew Brind (Paddington 2, Just For One Day, Legally Blonde – West End), Choreographers Jerry Reeve (Taylor Swift, The Queen’s Jubilee Platinum Party At The Palace) and Lukas McFarlane (Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance?, The X Factor), Emmy Award-nominated Lighting Designer Adam Bassett for Woodroffe Basset Design (The Rolling Stones – ‘SIXTY’ Tour 2022, London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Adele – Live), Set Designer Ruby Law (Billie Eilish, Jorja Smith, the Royal Albert Hall, Sadler’s Wells Theatre), Costume Designer Susan Kulkarni (The Peripheral, Silence, Dirty Dancing – Secret Cinema), Co-Musical supervisor Greg Arrowsmith and Technical Consultancy by Gary Beestone Associates.

‘COME ALIVE!’ The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular is inspired by the 20th Century Fox Motion Picture The Greatest Showman story by Jenny Bicks and songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

‘COME ALIVE!’ The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular in Australia is produced by Showpath Entertainment Ltd by special arrangement with Outside The Box Amusements and TSG Entertainment.

Tickets are on sale now at comealiveshow.com.au

‘COME ALIVE!’ The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular 2026/27 remaining Australian Dates:
Adelaide – From 29 October 2026, at the Morphettville Racecourse
Brisbane – From 23 Dec 2026, at Royal Queensland Golf Course
Melbourne – 25 Feb 2027, at Caulfield Racecourse

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