Melbourne's Theater Stage
Journey Beyond Borders 🌏 When Musical Theater Became a Window to a New World
Over the past year in Melbourne, I discovered a world that was completely foreign to me - musical theater. What started as casual curiosity became a personal journey of discovery about how stories are translated to the live stage.
From Broadway classics to colorful local productions, I've gathered here three theater evenings that taught me that musical theater is much more than just entertainment - it's an art form that combines music, story, and visual experience into one complete experience.
📍 Melbourne, Australia | May 19, 2024
Chicago - The Musical
When Musical Theater Made Me Understand That Art Can Dance in Every Language
"Chicago" is one of Broadway's mythical productions, having survived for decades and becoming one of the most respected shows in theater worldwide. What makes it so special that it has become timeless? Perhaps it's because the musical combines an interesting story that critiques media and the desire for fame, themes that remain relevant today.
The songs in the musical, like "All That Jazz" and "Cell Block Tango," alongside the dynamic choreography, broke theater boundaries and became unforgettable. This explains why "Chicago" didn't just survive, but became one of the most popular and influential musicals in theater history.
The advertisement that read "It'll be a crime to miss it" was all I needed to convince me to buy a ticket. Leading up to the show, I decided to watch the 2002 film version starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah, and Richard Gere.
Watching the movie deepened my connection to the story and made me excited for the musical. Songs that were vaguely familiar from the radio suddenly made sense when I realized where they came from.
The moment I arrived at the theater, there was a merchandise stand at the entrance equipped with everything imaginable featuring the show's name.
The people around me were impressively dressed for the occasion, as if this wasn't just a regular theater evening but a gala performance. For me, it was just another show on my list, but I quickly recognized the potential to turn the evening into a special experience with some alcohol and tasty snacks.
I settled into the third row, close enough not to miss any detail, to feel every moment and breath of the actors, and I could hear the excited murmur of the audience.
The show opened with the wonderful song "All That Jazz," immediately sweeping us into the heart of the 1920s. I experienced tremendous pleasure from every moment, as unlike the film, the live performance was particularly dynamic and comedic.
This sparked thoughts about creative choices in presenting a good story. How do you decide whether to present it as a musical, film, or perhaps a book?
Does someone holding a good story know in advance what form it will take when it comes to the world? This made me think about books becoming movies, and this whole creative cycle that gives multiple platforms, and thus multiple aspects, to the same story.
During the performance, magic filled the air. The singers and dancers took the audience on a journey across time to the noisy, passion-filled jazz era. The set design, costumes, and precise choreography captured the style and sophistication of the period.
Beyond aesthetic pleasure, "Chicago" presents the glamour and glitz of the entertainment industry while raising questions about society's values and how we treat crime and punishment.
I was amazed by the exceptional performance of the actors, especially the older ones, who surprised with their powerful and penetrating voices.
The perfect coordination in the actors' sharp movements stood out to me, surely the result of hours upon hours of rehearsals and preparation. I wondered if the actors get tired of performing every night and whether audience applause is what gives them the strength to continue.
The show also included wonderful songs not included in the film, probably due to their crude language, like "Class," where the characters express their feelings uncompromisingly.
Since I was first exposed to concerts, my perception of music has fundamentally changed. In this musical, I found myself curious to see the musicians playing, searching for the sources of sounds bursting from instruments, trying to connect what I heard with what I saw.
The feeling that music wasn't just background but a central character in the plot led me to appreciate every moment of the performance in a new and refreshing way.
The ending was particularly moving - when the set closed and lights dimmed, I was left thinking about how powerful a musical can be when it combines fantasy with social criticism. This is art at its best, managing to touch audiences on multiple levels, leaving us only to absorb every moment of it.
📍 Melbourne, Australia | February 1, 2024
When Diamonds and Music Collide
Moulin Rouge: A Sparkling Musical Fantasy
I still hadn't returned to full-time work at both jobs, so I had plenty of free time. I was baking my cake slowly, turns out it takes time.
Especially when the real cake is for the coming year, so there are many variables and many stakes, until I found myself building another Chat GPT with my big brother in another 6-hour conversation (as usual). It was funny and fun and we came out with an amazing product you'll surely hear about.
Until then, I found super interesting attractions happening soon in Melbourne, so I decided to manage a schedule where I'd do one of these attractions once a week, keeping an exciting routine.
The first attraction was a musical performance called Moulin Rouge. I'm sure some of you have heard this name, you definitely know Christina Aguilera's song and others, but honestly, I had no real idea what it was about. I'd seen advertisements for this musical for months - they were doing a tour around all of Australia, ending very soon in early February.
I read a bit about the musical, watched trailers and reviews, found there was also a movie that came out long ago, and watched clips to understand if it spoke to me. In the process, I recognized all the songs, not knowing this was their origin.
The videos from the musical looked colorful and sparkling, but I worried I might not understand exactly what they were saying. If we don't try, we don't know.
My curious nature pushed the fear aside and booked a ticket for tomorrow evening's show. A good seat costs $230, about 550₪, and a decent seat $200. On the payment site appeared a button I'd seen many times but never thought to use - 'AfterPay'.
It's an online payment system, like how we split into monthly payments with credit cards back home. I wouldn't think to pay in installments because my ideology says if I have money, then I'll buy the product, and if I don't have money, I simply won't buy it. It's a different way of thinking, and I know most Israelis live on installments, but I think it's better to avoid it when possible.
Here in this situation, I indeed had $230 in my account (even a bit more), but it said there's a $30 discount for new members, and the service is free. If so, then cool.
Tomorrow came, I got ready and took a small bag (this song is dangerous to health), a half-hour light rail ride brought me to the theater's vicinity.
The building was ancient and impressive, stunning in its beauty and size, forming part of the most preserved buildings in Melbourne's CBD area. The theater itself looked like a piece of art, the show's set design was simply stunning, feeling like a luxurious and glittering theater.
Mash-ups of the most famous songs made me want to sing along to all the songs, then I remembered seeing that one of the performances was a sing-along - maybe that would have been worth attending. I admit I didn't understand 100% of what they were saying, missed some jokes too, but overall they spoke quite clearly and performed stunningly and exceptionally.
So many things were happening on stage you couldn't know where to look. There was even a part where I fell for the known trick they introduced - an Eiffel Tower display during the song "Your Song" (just like the movie), which included a mash-up of basically every existing love song, and suddenly I noticed the lead actress had changed dresses during the song on stage!
The costumes were simply amazing! There's a luxurious atmosphere, naturally, dripping with sex. They recreated exact scenes from the movie, including where the lead actress descends from the ceiling on a swing, adorned with countless diamonds.
Except here she sang a mash-up of every existing diamond song including Beyoncé's "Single Ladies," Rihanna's "Diamonds," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," etc. And all I could think was how lucky I was to have watched clips from the movie beforehand.
The choice of a seat in the upper stage area was excellent - I had a perfect view of the entire stage. I'd already learned that in such performances it's worth paying more for a close seat, because you enjoy it completely differently. During the show's intermission, I immediately wrote down points so I wouldn't forget.
I was struck when they drank absinthe (green fairy) - the original version in 1800s France once caused real hallucinations and was outlawed. Later it returned in a more refined version like we know today, still containing 70% alcohol and considered quite dangerous.
I found myself amazed by every scene, wow wow wow, singing the current songs of Sia and Lady Gaga endlessly, with a huge smile spread across my face. At the show's end, the applause didn't stop, and a rain of confetti swept over the entire excited audience.
It was an exceptional experience and I'm so happy about the decision to go to this show. I'm sure everyone I know would love it and be at least as excited as I was, and I wish you could have joined me for this magical evening.
📍 Melbourne, Australia | December 29, 2024
The Blues Brothers Musical
Between Memories and Present - A Classic Coming to Life
We entered Melbourne's magnificent Regent Theatre, a stunning historical building constructed in 1929. The building, which stood in disrepair for many years, was carefully restored in the '90s and returned to its original glory.
A crowd gathered at the impressive entrance, and huge signs announced "The Blues Brothers" - the musical I'd surprised Mom with. We'd watched the original 1980s movie together countless times, and its songs still play in my head today.
"Everyone saw this movie," Mom said excitedly, remembering how she first watched it in the cinema with her entire generation. The brilliant humor and unforgettable songs made it an instant classic.
The Regent Theatre lobby is an experience itself - high ceilings decorated with stunning fresco paintings, enormous crystal chandeliers hanging above, and walls covered with hand-carved wood and stone work. The European Rococo-style architecture combines Gothic and Baroque elements, creating an atmosphere of a palace from another era.
The wide stairs leading to the auditorium are covered in rich red carpets, and every corner tells a story of grandeur and splendor. The auditorium itself, with 2,162 seats, is one of Australia's largest venues - a reminder of cinema and theater's golden days.
We took photos in the magnificent reception area, I remembered my previous visit here when I saw "Moulin Rouge." Mom couldn't stop marveling at the small details - from golden decorations on walls to the stunning painted ceiling.
When lights dimmed and the curtain opened, we were warned not to photograph until the final part. I wondered how we'd know when we got there, but I was so excited about the surprise I'd managed to arrange, I couldn't stop smiling. Knowing Mom sat beside me, ready to experience a new version of a movie we loved so much, was worth everything.
The musical was a masterpiece of entertainment. The actresses showed enormous talent, scenes were funny and surprising, and vocal performances simply took your breath away. Each singer brought her unique voice to the stage, and together they created perfect harmony.
Although the musical didn't exactly copy the original movie, it managed to maintain the magic and energy. New scenes and original songs gave the familiar story a fresh and surprising touch, without losing the spirit of the original work.
The show's final part was unforgettable - colorful, sweeping, and full of joy. The entire cast appeared on stage in stunning costumes, singing with power that shook the walls. When people started pulling out phones to photograph, I realized this was the moment we'd been waiting for.
Watching the musical raised fascinating questions about the relationship between original work and stage adaptation. How do you maneuver between loyalty to the source and the need to create something new and relevant? Why did they choose to change iconic songs from the movie - was it a copyright issue, or a deliberate artistic decision?
The complex world of theater copyrights particularly fascinates me. Is this the same production company as the original movie, or perhaps a new creator who bought the rights? How do they decide how much to preserve and how much to innovate? What's the economic significance of each such decision?
I found myself diving deeper into the world behind the art scenes. Every creation isn't just what we see on stage, but also a complex web of business and artistic decisions, rights negotiations, and countless compromises and creative choices.
I discovered that behind "The Blues Brothers" is a fascinating story of copyrights and production. The musical is actually a completely new production, created by a different team from the original movie. They bought the rights to adapt the story for stage, but not the rights to all the original songs.
This is a decision combining economic and artistic constraints - on one hand, the cost of rights to original songs could have been astronomical, and on the other hand, it's an opportunity to create something new and fresh that stands on its own.
The new creative team chose to stay faithful to the original movie's spirit and atmosphere, but add their personal touch through original music and new scenes.
It's a brilliant way to give the beloved brand new life on stage, while preserving the qualities that made us fall in love with it originally. We left the theater full of admiration, with big smiles on our faces and new songs echoing in our heads.
Beyond entertainment, I discovered that musical theater is a complex translation of emotions and humanity into the language of music and movement.
Apparently, that's exactly what I was missing - seeing how stories I already know get new life on stage, and how much live theater can surprise even someone who thinks they know what to expect.
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