Today a very proud Louise Asher, Minister for Tourism and Major Events joined with Dave Stewart to announce that Ghost The Musical will open in Melbourne at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Ausgust 2013.
Ms Asher described the event as the 3rd stop of a world tour with NY being the 2nd stop and London having been the first. A current smash-hit in Londons West End Ghost The Musical will open on Broadway in April 2012. The Australian production is the 2nd to be announced with Lousie Withers (co-producer) speculating the next stop after Australia may be the rest of South East Asia.
After the official press release announcing the opening of Ghost The Musical in Australia in 2013, the Australian Minister for Tourism, The Hon Louise Asher MP published the following press release. You can download a copy here.
The Hon Louise Asher MP
Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business
Minister for Tourism and Major Events
Media release
Thursday 17 November 2011
‘Stunning visual spectacle’ Ghost The Musical to
premiere in Melbourne in 2013
Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher today announced that Melbourne had won
the Australian premiere of Ghost The Musical, following its huge success at London’s West End.
Ms Asher was joined by the musical’s Co-Composer and Co-Lyricist Dave Stewart to confirm
that Ghost The Musical will open in Melbourne at Her Majesty’s Theatre in August 2013.
The musical is the stage adaptation of the popular Academy Award-winning film GHOST (1990)
which starred Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg.
“Once again Melbourne has been chosen to host an Australian premiere season and we are
delighted to announce that Ghost The Musical will play at London’s West End and on New
York’s Broadway before coming to Melbourne,” Ms Asher said.
“Securing the premiere seasons of major theatre productions helps to reinforce Melbourne’s
status as one of the world’s most liveable cities, and provides employment and investment
opportunities.
“Australian premiere theatre seasons of major blockbuster musicals are of significant value to
Victoria. Opening seasons have consistently proven their ability to attract tens of thousands of
visitors to the state, providing millions of dollars in economic benefit to Victorian businesses.”
Ghost The Musical opened in London’s West End at the Piccadilly Theatre in July this year to
strong reviews and enormous success with more than 250,000 people having seen the
production since it opened, and it premieres on Broadway in New York in April 2012.
The UK newspaper The Guardian described the London production of Ghost The Musical as
“…a stunning visual spectacle. This is a musical in which the eyes emphatically have it”.
Renowned theatre producer Andrew Lloyd Webber said West End’s Ghost The Musical was “…a
heartbeat away from the best musical of the last 20 years”.
Ghost The Musical is directed by Tony Award winner Matthew Warchus and choreographed by
UK-based Australian Ashley Wallen.
It has been created by a team of Grammy and Academy Award winners and features an original
score by Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics fame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s Man In The
Mirror), that still includes the iconic song Unchained Melody.
Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost, Jacob’s Ladder, The Time Traveler’s Wife) has adapted his Academy
Award winning original screenplay for the stage.
Ghost The Musical will be produced in Australia by Colin Ingram Productions Limited, Hello
Entertainment/ David Garfinkle, Adam Silberman, Michael Coppel, Louise Withers, Linda
Bewick and Donovan Mannato in association with Paramount Pictures Corporation.
Casting for the Melbourne production is scheduled to commence in late 2012.
