All stories by Simon Parris on BroadwayStars

Saturday, April 1, 2023

FROM DOWN UNDER: Siegfried in Bendigo by Simon Parris

The abundant musical and artistic quality impresses again as Melbourne Opera presents Siegfried, third instalment in their mighty Bendigo Ring Cycle. Seen last September in concert, Siegfrie…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Tuesday, March 21, 2023

FROM DOWN UNDER – & Juliet in Melbourne by Simon Parris

A breathless, rollicking rush of a feel good musical comedy, & Juliet makes its Australian premiere in killer form, with a peak Australian cast of fantabulous powerhouse artists.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 12:00PM
Wednesday, March 1, 2023

FROM DOWN UNDER: The Mousetrap in Melbourne by Simon Parris

Spiffingly produced and splendidly acted, Agatha Christie’s evergreen whodunit The Mousetrap keeps audiences ever in its thrall. The scarcity of touring productions of plays makes this sea…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Sunday, February 5, 2023

FROM DOWN UNDER: Mary Poppins in Melbourne by Simon Parris

Thoroughly disproving the law of diminishing returns, Mary Poppins soars again as the current Australian revival tour brings everyone’s favourite nanny back to her spiritual home at Her Ma…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Tuesday, November 29, 2022

‘A performance for the ages’: FUNNY GIRL – Broadway by Simon Parris

No doubt about it, Lea Michele is the Greatest Star, singlehandedly salvaging a train wreck of a revival and tuning it into a white hot hit. Not seen on Broadway since its original 1964 prod…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Monday, November 21, 2022

‘Sassy, sexy musical comedy’: & JULIET – Broadway by Simon Parris

Musical theatre’s new guilty pleasure, & Juliet is an accelerated endorphin rush that leaves the cheering crowd on a giddy high. A jukebox musical so in touch with its identity that it…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Wednesday, October 26, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: The United Ukraine Ballet’s Swan Lake in Melbourne by Simon Parris

Buoyed by pristine classical technique, The United Ukraine Ballet presents a charmingly traditional staging of perennial ballet favourite Swan Lake.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Saturday, October 15, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: Romeo & Juliet in Melbourne 2022 by Simon Parris

Thrillingly balancing dangerous drama and rapturous romance, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet enthrals once again in this grandly staged, meticulously recreated hallmark production from The …

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Saturday, September 3, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: Come From Away in Melbourne by Simon Parris

The unique energy and passion of Come From Away are destined to be remembered for years; at this point it feels hard to believe that another show will usurp its special place any time soon. …

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Friday, August 26, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: Hairspray in Melbourne by Simon Parris

Timeless to Me, Hairspray shakes and shimmies once again, the sheer quality of the show itself shining through just as radiantly at 20 years old. Winner of seven 2003 Tony Awards including B…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Tuesday, July 19, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: 9 to 5 the Musical in Melbourne by Simon Parris

Bubbly, bold and brassy, 9 to 5 the Musical is a well-timed wallop of feel-good fare. Proving an ideal fit for a cinema-to-stage adaptation, hit 1980 movie 9 to 5 provides three leading ladi…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Monday, June 27, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: Six in Melbourne by Simon Parris

Given its fringe origins, Six is an ideal fit for Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre, flooding the relatively intimate space with throbbing music and rock stadium lighting. The heady combination o…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Wednesday, June 22, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella in Melbourne by Simon Parris

A jewel-toned joy, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella transports audiences back to the magic of Broadway’s Golden Age, when an evening of musical theatre meant a magical discovery of n…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Thursday, June 9, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: Cruel Intentions the ’90s Musical in Melbourne by Simon Parris

A wild ride back to the heady, pre-woke 1990s, Cruel Intentions the ‘90s Musical is a salacious guilty pleasure that has all the makings of a cult classic.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Saturday, May 21, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: Lohengrin in Melbourne by Simon Parris

In a mighty coup for Melbourne, world-conquering tenor Jonas Kaufmann graces the ranks of Opera Australia for a fully-staged production of Wagner gem Lohengrin.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Thursday, May 12, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: Girl From the North Country in Melbourne & Touring by Simon Parris

Artfully conceived and oh so lovingly crafted, Girl From the North Country tempers a heart-rending narrative with the heart soothing balm of more than 20 exquisitely arranged Bob Dylan songs.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Wednesday, April 20, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: The Australian tour on Broadway hit An American in Paris by Simon Parris

Deliberately marooned in Paris at the end of WWII, ex-serviceman Jerry Mulligan juggles art, romance and music as he makes new friends, attracts the attention of a wealthy benefactress and f…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Saturday, April 9, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton arrives in Melbourne in sensational form by Simon Parris

Australia’s theatre capital takes its turn to host the Room Where It Happens, as Hamilton arrives in sensational form, setting off a theatrical powder keg at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbo…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Saturday, March 5, 2022

** MTC: Fun Home review [Melbourne 2022] by Simon Parris

Delayed over the past two theatrically arid years, multi-Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home finally makes its Melbourne debut, arriving in a superbly cast, sharply directed production that …

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Thursday, January 27, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: The Australian premiere of Jagged Little Pill by Simon Parris

Electrifying new musical Jagged Little Pill commands attention, breaks hearts and, ultimately, inspires hope in this thrilling Australian premiere season.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Sunday, January 23, 2022

FROM DOWN UNDER: Melbourne Shakespeare Company’s The Comedy of Errors by Simon Parris

The border control comedy we didn’t know we all needed, The Comedy of Errors is Melbourne Shakespeare Company’s convivial contribution to the welcome wave of theatres reopening.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Film Review: West Side Story is a ‘soaring cinematic achievement’ by Simon Parris

Respectfully adapted and lushly scored, dreamily romantic and heartbreakingly moving, the new movie adaptation of evergreen classic West Side Story gleams with the splendour of mega-budget m…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Tuesday, December 7, 2021

FROM DOWN UNDER: The Australian premiere of Moulin Rouge! by Simon Parris

A spectacular spectacular, Moulin Rouge! the Musical arrives in Melbourne in ravishing form for its Australian premiere season.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Saturday, November 27, 2021

FROM DOWN UNDER: Melbourne Theatre Company’s As You Like It by Simon Parris

Well worth the ever-extended wait, the lush new Melbourne Theatre Company production of Shakespeare’s pleasantly pastoral comedy As You Like It proves an appealing year-end treat.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Sunday, July 18, 2021

FROM DOWN UNDER: Frozen in Melbourne by Simon Parris

While its title may match the chill of Melbourne winter, the arrival of Frozen brings welcome warmth and theatrical magic as the first major musical to debut locally since March 2020.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Sunday, May 9, 2021

FROM DOWN UNDER – The Wedding Singer in Melbourne by Simon Parris

Shoulder pads, big hair and vivid colours come back to the future in the vibrant Australian premiere season of The Wedding Singer.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Saturday, May 1, 2021

FROM DOWN UNDER: Fangirls in Melbourne by Simon Parris

Not just an original score but also an original and highly entertaining story, new Australian musical Fangirls explodes onto the Melbourne stage in a very welcome yet all too brief season.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Saturday, April 17, 2021

FROM DOWN UNDER: La Traviata in Sydney by Simon Parris

In celebration of the ongoing return to live theatre, Sydney turned on perfect conditions for the opening night of La Traviata on Sydney Harbour.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Monday, April 12, 2021

FROM DOWN UNDER: The Cane in Melbourne by Simon Parris

Riding the crest of the oh-so-politically-correct zeitgeist, The Cane taps into the current craze for scrutinising old sins under today’s standards.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Monday, March 29, 2021

FROM DOWN UNDER – Hamilton in Sydney by Simon Parris

Deservedly drenched with international awards and accolades, megahit musical Hamilton arrives in Australia in pristine form, the terrific local cast members not throwing away their shots at …

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Sunday, March 7, 2021

FROM DOWN UNDER: The Winter’s Tale in Melbourne by Simon Parris

As their 2021 autumn tale, Melbourne Shakespeare Company presents a lively, well-judged open-air staging of A Winter’s Tale in the charming surrounds of Central Park Malvern.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards