#1
Posted: 6/28/26 at 7:07am
First Beetlejuice, now Waitress - what's going on? https://www.sydneylyric.com.au/waitress
Is Australian Theatre Collapsing?
#2
Posted: 6/28/26 at 11:58am
Waitress had no chance of success, it’s such a niche show. Who really was the audience for this. While it might have a very small cult following it was never going to be a monster hit, and didn’t need a 10 week season.
Bettlejuice was sold as see it in Melbourne or not see it at all.
Back to the Future well the less said about that waste of a show the better
Book of Mormon has only survived the Melbourne season cause they discounted nearly every ticket over the last 2 months or more at 89.00 AUD ( 61.00 USD for every seat at every show )
The shows that are doing well ( surprisingly ) Pretty Woman opens next week and is selling extremely well, Anastasia has been popular, The Lion King.
it also doesn’t help that a certain person went to war to stroke his ego, causing cost of living to raise to insane heights.
Well I didn't want to get into it, but he's a Satanist.
Every full moon he sacrifices 4 puppies to the Dark Lord and smears their blood on his paino.
This should help you understand the score for Wicked a little bit more.
Tazber's: Reply to
Is Stephen Schwartz a Practicing Christian
#3
Posted: 6/28/26 at 2:26pm
Waitress has been quite popular in North America. It toured and then lots of regional theatres put on their own productions once rights were released. I think this says more about how the producers in Australia were financing this than its appeal to an audience.
...
#4
Posted: 6/28/26 at 10:43pm
Waitress is seen as a little indie movie that no one in Australia saw. Also Sara Bareilles is not widely known. Just cause it’s a hit in America doesn’t mean it’s the same everywhere else. This show just doesn’t have must see!
reNt failed to recoup in nearly every production world wide, monster hit in the states. Loss maker everywhere else.
reNt failed to recoup in nearly every production world wide, monster hit in the states. Loss maker everywhere else.
Well I didn't want to get into it, but he's a Satanist.
Every full moon he sacrifices 4 puppies to the Dark Lord and smears their blood on his paino.
This should help you understand the score for Wicked a little bit more.
Tazber's: Reply to
Is Stephen Schwartz a Practicing Christian
#5
Posted: 6/29/26 at 3:06am
Sport is the King is Australia and there are pages in newspapers supporting this. There only the companies advert. for their show and maybe 2 paragraphs-somewhere by the paper. Reviews are spasmodic and more about the writers ego. There are hours of sport weekly on TV and the only showbiz news is about pop 'stars' or on showbiz drama. There is no outlet for live theater.
Australia has only a very small population and an even smaller one for theater. We have no tourists that visit just for the theater.
In general we are not a country who remembers every detail of a film and want to relive every moment on stage, like America.
We have amazing artists who equal London and NY but none that would sell out a season. A 2 night concert-yes. Marina Prior in Phantom-yes-but the audience want Phantom and then talk about Marina.
The Production Company sold out on subscription for years doing part staged concert versions of a wide variety of musicals with the best of Australian talent.
We have the theaters. We have the talent but picking the shows that so few want to visit, is a minefield.
Producers risk $millions to 'put on a show', and it is a business-they need to make a profit so ticket prices reflect the costs. In America seat prices are adjusted daily due to demand.
Michael and Tina had world wide publicity behind them-Waitress, nothing-a years old cult film.
I have no answer except more support from newspapers and TV BUT AGAIN IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY AND SPONSERS !.
Maybe Fiddler will succeed. I have tickets for this, Mormon and Into the Woods. That might help.PS. There should be pantos every years to educate and encourage children into the delights and magic of theater.
Australia has only a very small population and an even smaller one for theater. We have no tourists that visit just for the theater.
In general we are not a country who remembers every detail of a film and want to relive every moment on stage, like America.
We have amazing artists who equal London and NY but none that would sell out a season. A 2 night concert-yes. Marina Prior in Phantom-yes-but the audience want Phantom and then talk about Marina.
The Production Company sold out on subscription for years doing part staged concert versions of a wide variety of musicals with the best of Australian talent.
We have the theaters. We have the talent but picking the shows that so few want to visit, is a minefield.
Producers risk $millions to 'put on a show', and it is a business-they need to make a profit so ticket prices reflect the costs. In America seat prices are adjusted daily due to demand.
Michael and Tina had world wide publicity behind them-Waitress, nothing-a years old cult film.
I have no answer except more support from newspapers and TV BUT AGAIN IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY AND SPONSERS !.
Maybe Fiddler will succeed. I have tickets for this, Mormon and Into the Woods. That might help.PS. There should be pantos every years to educate and encourage children into the delights and magic of theater.
#6
Posted: 6/29/26 at 3:30am
Is Anastasia still running on the season? Will Moulin Rouge and Beautiful Noise still happen?
#7
Posted: 6/29/26 at 3:36am
Both Moulin and A beautiful noise will happen
Noise should be a massive hit, Neil Diamond is loved
in Australia. Once word of mouth gets out ( I personally think he deserved better than this noisy messy show ).
Rouge is know across Australia and the name will sell that.
Waitress was originally talked about being done by one of the subscription theatre companies, that’s where it should have stayed!
Noise should be a massive hit, Neil Diamond is loved
in Australia. Once word of mouth gets out ( I personally think he deserved better than this noisy messy show ).
Rouge is know across Australia and the name will sell that.
Waitress was originally talked about being done by one of the subscription theatre companies, that’s where it should have stayed!
Well I didn't want to get into it, but he's a Satanist.
Every full moon he sacrifices 4 puppies to the Dark Lord and smears their blood on his paino.
This should help you understand the score for Wicked a little bit more.
Tazber's: Reply to
Is Stephen Schwartz a Practicing Christian
#8
Posted: 6/29/26 at 9:39am
SweetLips22 said: "Sport is the King is Australia and there are pages in newspapers supporting this. There only the companies advert. for their show and maybe 2 paragraphs-somewhere by the paper. Reviews are spasmodic and more about the writers ego. There are hours of sport weekly on TV and the only showbiz news is about pop 'stars' or on showbiz drama. There is no outlet for live theater.
Australia has only a very small population and an even smaller one for theater. We have no tourists that visit just for the theater.
In general we are not a country who remembers every detail of a film and want to relive every moment on stage, like America.
We have amazing artists who equal London and NY but none that would sell out a season. A 2 night concert-yes. Marina Prior in Phantom-yes-but the audience want Phantom and then talk about Marina.
The Production Company sold out on subscription for years doing part staged concert versions of a wide variety of musicals with the best of Australian talent.
We have the theaters. We have the talent but picking the shows that so few want to visit, is a minefield.
Producers risk $millions to 'put on a show', and it is a business-they need to make a profit so ticket prices reflect the costs. In America seat prices are adjusted daily due to demand.
Michael and Tina had world wide publicity behind them-Waitress, nothing-a years old cult film.
I have no answer except more support from newspapers and TV BUT AGAIN IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY AND SPONSERS !.
Maybe Fiddler will succeed. I have tickets for this, Mormon and Into the Woods. That might help.PS. There should be pantos every years to educate and encourage children into the delights and magic of theater."
Australia has only a very small population and an even smaller one for theater. We have no tourists that visit just for the theater.
In general we are not a country who remembers every detail of a film and want to relive every moment on stage, like America.
We have amazing artists who equal London and NY but none that would sell out a season. A 2 night concert-yes. Marina Prior in Phantom-yes-but the audience want Phantom and then talk about Marina.
The Production Company sold out on subscription for years doing part staged concert versions of a wide variety of musicals with the best of Australian talent.
We have the theaters. We have the talent but picking the shows that so few want to visit, is a minefield.
Producers risk $millions to 'put on a show', and it is a business-they need to make a profit so ticket prices reflect the costs. In America seat prices are adjusted daily due to demand.
Michael and Tina had world wide publicity behind them-Waitress, nothing-a years old cult film.
I have no answer except more support from newspapers and TV BUT AGAIN IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY AND SPONSERS !.
Maybe Fiddler will succeed. I have tickets for this, Mormon and Into the Woods. That might help.PS. There should be pantos every years to educate and encourage children into the delights and magic of theater."
Thank you for your take, SweetLips22. Those theaters were also probably built in a period where nearly 100% of Australian culture was UK exports. It’s always been a problem funding Australian theater, publishing, film and TV. It’s a necessary and important investment though.
Updated On: 6/29/26 at 09:39 AM
#10
Posted: 6/29/26 at 8:53pm
I think one problem is that a lot of Australian musical theatre productions tend to be very big or very small. There are exceptions, but there doesn't seem to be much of a 'middle tier'; it's generally either a huge national tour (which requires very broad appeal in order to succeed), or a low-budget, two-week local run that most of the country's theatre fans have no opportunity to see. I'm not sure what the answer is.
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