After making the Sydney Capitol Theatre its home in the middle of 2023, it has today been confirmed that Disney’s Beauty and the Beast the Musical has entertained over 340,000 theatre-goers – both Sydneysiders, and those like myself, who travelled from other states to see this production. That number is set to continue and expected to ultimately breach the 350k mark, with the musical set to enjoy three more weeks in the state before it packs up and moves to the second stop of its Australian tour.
Won’t have a chance to see Beauty and the Beast the Musical in Sydney, but wish to attend a performance still? The show will commence the second leg of its Australian tour at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Lyric Theatre starting February 2024, before heading to Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre in June 2024. Other states may or may not be announced in the future for dates following this.
Check out our interview with Shubshri Kandiah, Beauty the the Beast the Musical Australia’s Belle
Beauty and the Beast the Musical was the very first musical created by Disney Theatrical Productions, first arriving on Broadway in 1994 and enjoying its Australian premiere only the following year in 1995. The Brisbane leg of this tour is particularly notable, as it will be the first time the state has ever played host to the musical on an official tour scale.
The 2023-2024 Australian production features a principal cast including Brisbane’s Shubshri Kandiah as Belle, Brendan Xavier as Beast and Melbourne’s Rohan Browne in the role of Lumiere. Additionally, Brisbane’s Jackson Head will step into the role of Gaston, Cogsworth will be played by Melbourne’s Gareth Jacobs and Gold Coast’s Jayde Westaby will play Mrs Potts. You can expect to see a range of young Queensland children performing opposite Westaby in the role of Chip. The principal cast is capped off by Nick Cox as Le Fou, Rodney Dobson as Maurice, Hayley Martin as Babette and Alana Tranter as Madame.
