It is always sad to bid farewell to a year that has offered many great theatrical works across numerous genres, venues and theatrical styles. However a new year means that there is a range of new works on the horizon - both at the community theatre and major production level - that promise to immerse you in some incredible worlds, either for the first time or perhaps a second, third, fourth or however many times.

While Australia sadly doesn't have that hot spot like New York's Broadway or London's West End to enjoy dozens of works in one place, there is a continual stream of national producers including (but not limited to) Crossroads Live Australia, Disney Theatrical Productions, Global Creatures, GWB Entertainment, JONES Theatrical Group, Louise Withers and Associates, Michael Cassel Group, and NewTheatricals, bringing some amazing works to each state's major venues - or fortunately as is becoming more common - to performing arts venues in the large albeit non-capital cities like on the Gold Coast.

While more information about plans for the latter half of 2024 should be due in the coming months, please take this as an alphabetical look at what is confirmed to be touring Australia in 2024, which will be updated monthly with any new information, along with an exciting arrangement of interviews and reviews as they go live on The Otaku's Study / The Theatre Sphere.

But before I commence this article, I would like to take a moment to both acknowledge and encourage you to check out the many, many local theatre groups and societies across the country that put on some amazing productions every year and should never be underestimated. If you rely on just the works of major producers, you are missing the opportunity to see that next rising star, that musical that may be too niche or too financially risky for a year-long national tour, or getting to enjoy that beloved work you might otherwise only ever see once in a general.

Introduced to Australian audiences in the first half of 2023 as part of a Melbourne Exclusive season, Australian producer Michael Cassel Group are taking &Juliet to Perth and Sydney in 2024, and with any luck, additional other states. Asking the question "What if Romeo’s ending, was Juliet’s beginning?", it pitches an interesting concept which seeks to "flip the script", complemented by a top-tier song list for a disco musical. Furthermore, in addition to featuring newer talent such as Queensland Conservatorium 2016 graduate Lorinda May Merrypor, it also features some big names in the Australian musical theatre scene including Amy Lehpamer, Rob Mills, Casey Donovan and Hayden Tee. Definitely one on my must-see list this year!

Disney Theatrical Productions are inviting Australians to be their guest this year, by touring their very first musical, Beauty and the Beast the Musical, across Australia following its 2023 debut at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney. Telling a 'tale as old as time", where the intelligent protagonist Belle finds herself imprisoned in the castle by the fearsome Beast. Belle befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast's monstrous exterior, discovering a kind heart within, but not everything is so simple in this iconic tale of transformation and redemption.

This 2023/2024 Australian production features a stellar cast, including Shubshri Kandiah as Belle, Brendan Xavier as the Beast, Rohan Brown as Lumiere, Jackson Head as Gaston, Gareth Jacobs as Cogsworth, Nick Cox as Le Fou, Jayde Westaby as Mrs Potts and Rodney Dobson as Maurice, among many other stellar names, and a cast of local children in the role of Chip.

Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery, treachery… and All That Jazz… Following its previous season just before COVID-19 virtually shut down the Australian performing arts industry, Crossroads Live Australia are bringing CHICAGO the Musical back for a national tour across 2024, following its first leg in Perth in late-2023.

This 2024 Australian tour of CHICAGO features some big names including Anthony Warlow as Billy Flynn, Zoë Ventoura as Velma Kelly, Lucy Maunder as Roxie Hart, Peter Rowsthorn as Amos Hart and Asabi Goodman as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton. And choreography in the style of Bob Fosse? You bet'cha!

Dear Evan Hansen is the raw, moving and inspiring story of a socially anxious highschooler who is suddenly thrust into the spotlight when he inadvertently invents an important role for himself at the centre of a local tragedy.

A collaborative production between the Sydney Theatre Company and Michael Cassel Group, and with director Dean Bryant at the helm, it is exciting to see Dear Evan Hansen finally receive a major Australian production following its Broadway (2016) and West End (2019) debuts. Here's hoping that the producers perhaps collaborate to give it at least a small scale national tour.

This Sydney exclusive season will run from 12 October 2024 until 17 November 2024 inclusive at the Roslyn Packer Theatre.

Crossroads Live Australia is welcoming in 2024 with the immediate commencement of an Australian tour of Grease the Musical. This iconic 1970s musical, which served as the source material for the beloved romantic comedy film "Grease," will come to life once again on stage. Featuring a talented cast of established stars and rising young talents, this production will bring the timeless story of Rydell High and its T-Birds and Pink Ladies to audiences across Australia, with the musical backing of iconic songs from Summer Nights to You're the One That I Want to Greased Lightnin'.

The Australian cast headlines Joseph Spanti and Annelise Hall as Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski respectively, with Mackenzie Dunn as Betty Rizzo, Keanu Gonzalez as Kenickie and Brianna Bishop as Marty. Celebrity roles in this production include Patti Newton as Miss Lynch in Melbourne, Jay Laga'aia as Vince Fontaine and both Marcia Hines and Paulini alternating the role of Teen Angel.

Phil Connors, a cynical Pittsburgh TV weatherman is sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Caught in a time loop, he’s forced to relive the same day again and again… and again. As Phil recognises that an infinite loop offers infinite possibilities, is there a lesson being learned and will he ever figure out the secret to break the cycle?

Featuring a book by Danny Rubin and music and lyrics by acclaimed Australian... well... almost everything creative... Tim Minchin, Groundhog Day the Musical is finally receiving its Australian Premiere, more than half a decade following its 2016 London and 2017 Broadway debuts. This is due to be a 13-week Melbourne Exclusive season produced in Australia by GWB Entertainment, although here's hoping that it is expanded into a national tour at some point.

HAMILTON is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honour, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation

After touring across Australia between 2021 and 2023 before travelling to New Zealand and other countries around the world, it seems like there is demand for this musical about the founding of America, to receive one last hurrah in the state where the show initially debuted in Australia - Sydney. Australian producer Michael Cassel will be running an encore season of Hamilton at the Sydney Lyric Theatre starting on 30 July 2024, and running through until at least the end of October 2024. This is one of the modern-day masterpieces of musical theatre, especially with its blend of hip-hop and R&B music, and if it has been on your bucket list but you missed seeing a performance the first time around, now is a fanastic opportunity to see it.

An exemplar of the Broadway-quality musicals that are possible to be created on home soil, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is arguably my favourite musical of 2023, and is up there in quality with one of my all-time favourite musicals, the original Strictly Ballroom the Musical which was another adaptation of a Baz Luhrmann film also produced by Global Creatures.

After touring Australia over the last couple of years, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is nearing the end of its encore Melbourne run, with its last performance at the Regent Theatre scheduled for 4 February 2024. If you have the chance, and you love a good disco musical, then this is one I could strongly recommend checking out!

New York City, East Village, 1991. The vibrant, passionate bohemian community is dwindling. Gentrification pushes people from their homes, disease ravishes the population. Yet in the course of one life-changing year, a group of friends fight for their place in the world. For love. For life in the face of death.

An iconic musical well deserving of a new Australian national tour, RENT the Musical is set to commence at the QPAC's Playhouse at the end of January 2024, before touring the country for at least the next six months. The musical is being produced by LPD Productions, a relatively new Sydney-based production company who have previously produced Cry-Baby (2018) and Catch Me If You Can (2019) for Hayes Theatre Co, and are going even bigger with Rent, which they initially produced a season of exclusively for the Sydney Opera House in 2021. Never seen Rent before? You are in for a confronting yet rich experience.

Australian's continue to be spoiled with the availability of Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show, with Crossroads Live Australia continuing to tour the rock 'n roll musical across the country in 2024. Three venues in three cities (Newcastle, Melbourne and Sydney) and three narrators (Myf Warhurst, Joel Creasey and Dylan Alcott) are lined up, with Jason Donovan returning in the role of Frank 'n Furter

Whether you are a Rocky Horror virgin or are a seasoned connoisseur and are thinking of working up the courage to dabble in some audience participation, there will be multiple opportunities to get into your fishnets, and showcase your ability to Time Warp in 2024.

After spending more than half of 2023 at its home base in Sydney's Theatre Royal, TINA: The Tina Turner Musical from TEG Dainty and Stage Entertainment will finally commence its national tour. While we sadly lost Vale Tina Turner mere weeks after the musical commenced its Australian tour, and more than a few Australians rightfully gave her the honourable Nutbush Salute for her role in music, this jukebox musical serves as both a celebration of her life and her iconic works.

Following the story of the late Tina Turner, this musical features 23 hit songs from Tina Turner’s career. These include classics like Simply The Best, What’s Love Got To Do With It, and Proud Mary. Now, with this production touring Australia, you may be wondering whether the iconic song-that-every-Australiian-somehow-knows-how-to-dance-to, Nutbush City Limits made the cut. You better believe it did!

The musical offers an intimate look into the life of Tina Turner, showcasing her extraordinary journey against the backdrop of her age, gender, and race. It stands as a testament to her status as the global Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll and is celebrated as an inspiring tale of resilience and triumph.

As a kid of the 90s, the literary works of Paul Jennings were my jam, and it was also the era when every evening on ABC, often around 5 pm, there would be an episode of 'Round the Twist,' based on arguably the author's most popular work. Based on the television show and featuring a book, music, and lyrics by Paul Hodge and direction by Simon Phillips... Queensland Theatre has done what I still cannot believe and created a full-on musical based on the show. And yes, the iconic theme song is set to feature in the show. High expectations all around, especially given the calibre of Queensland Theatre's past musicals, and one I can highly suggest keeping an eye out for during its run from 12 November 2024, until 1 December 2024.

Following sell-out seasons across Australia which concluded at the end of this year, Australian producers Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Linda Bewick are taking the six wives of Henry VIII on another Australian national tour, as they once again seek to discover who met the worst fate, to determine who would become the leading lady of their after-life pop group.

While specific dates have yet to be confirmed for this tour, what we do know is that it will commence at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre in August 2024, followed by a stint at Sydney’s Theatre Royal in October 2024. The tour is then (at least as of writing and pending extensions) set to conclude at the QPAC Playhouse in Brisbane for the 2025 summer school holidays in January 2025.

Auditions are still in the process and a wait list is open to express interest, but expect to hear more news in the early months of 2024.

Musical theatre and international recording superstar Sarah Brightman leads a lavish new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece. Sunset Boulevard weaves a magnificent tale of faded glory and unfulfilled ambition. Having been discarded by Hollywood with the advent of “talkies”, legendary silent movie star Norma Desmond is tortured by her longing for a return to the big screen. When she meets struggling Hollywood screenwriter Joe Gillis in a dramatic chance encounter, their subsequent passionate and volatile relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion.

In another major coup for Opera Australia, they will be putting on a Sydney Opera House exclusive season of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard, featuring Sarah Brightman in the iconic role of Norma Desmond. The originating lead of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera on both West End and Broadway, this will mark her first theatrical role in almost three decades. This should be an incredible show, and one that were anyone to find themselves around the Sydney Opera House from August - November 2024, they might consider checking out...

It’s war on New York’s Upper West Side, and the Jets and the Sharks are locked in a fierce turf battle. But as the two teen gangs hurtle down a dangerous path, Tony and Maria cross enemy lines, dreaming of a time and place where they can love freely. Leonard Bernstein’s score is punctuated with hits: ‘America’, ‘Tonight’, ‘Maria’, ‘I Feel Pretty’, and the enduring ‘Somewhere’.

While it is hard to picture watching a musical in a venue outside of the traditional theatre, Opera Australia has carved out this exact niche through their 'Handa Opera on Sydney Harmour' series. During these annual events, they literally set up a stage overlooking the iconic Sydney Harbour and perform major works - from operatic works such as Carmen, Madama Butterfly and Aida, to musicals such as Phantom of the Opera. In 2024, their offering will be West Side Story, set to run in March and April, starting 22nd March and concluding 20 April. Despite my last visit to Sydney being in a 40+ degree heatwave and somewhat souring me to the idea of watching anything outside... this is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience I would be more than keen checking out.

Opera Australia and GWB Entertainment last partnered to present West Side Story for the stage in 2021, you can read my review of the production below:

Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other young women meet in the land of Oz. One born with emerald-green skin is smart, fiery, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent. The other is bubbly, blonde, ambitious and exceptionally popular. They become rivals, then friends…until the world decides to call one “good” and the other one “wicked.”

Even if The Wizard of Oz has been around for much, much, longer, for many musical theatre fans out there, it feels like you are much more likely to see WICKED doing the rounds of theatres across the country than the film-turned-musical it is based on. Fortunately one of those times to see it done on the professional stage is now, with Crossroads Live commencing a new national tour a couple of months back, which will flow through into 2024 and perhaps beyond.

Are you a producer or a marketing/press representative of a production and would like to keep The Theatre Sphere / The Otaku's Study in the loop of everything around your production? Please reach out to experiences (at) otakustudy (dot) com, we look forward to hearing from you!