If you’re into musical theatre, Sydney is the place to be in 2025. Wow, there are so many shows currently playing or about to take to the stage, from Off-Broadway hits making their Southern Hemisphere debut to world-renowned Tony Award-winning shows.
We had a small taste of the line-up in a blast of a long weekend that included three world-class musicals along with some other great experiences like the Machu Picchu exhibition, a Sydney Harbour cruise on the replica Duyfken, and a relaxing session at Capybara Bathing.
It was a fabulous way to spend a weekend in Sydney, and even the not-so-kind weather couldn’t dampen our joy. The calibre of the three shows we saw, Guys and Dolls on the harbour, Hadestown, and MJ The Musical, left us in awe. But more than that, they were just incredibly good fun.
Kicking off the weekend, we had Friday afternoon cocktails and canapes at The Roosevelt Bar in Potts Point, which served up smoking cocktails cleverly named after two of the lead characters in Guys and Dolls. When it opened in the 1940s, The Roosevelt brought the glamour of New York to Sydney, making it a fitting aperitivo for a flashy musical centred around showgirls and gangsters in 1950s Manhattan.
From there, we were whisked off in style – in a stretch limo, no less – to Mrs Macquaries Point where Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is an annual drawcard during the months of March and April. This year’s production of Guys and Dolls plays on the overwater stage until April 20, and if you haven’t booked yet, you really must.
This new production of the Broadway musical sees pop star and champion swimmer Cody making his Australian musical theatre debut. Not content to slip quietly back onto the entertainment scene, the Gold Coast lad who once toured with Justin Bieber chose the country’s largest outdoor stage for his first major musical endeavour since retiring from competitive swimming.
Simpson is terrific in the lead role of Sky Masterton, a character made famous in the 1955 Guys and Dolls film by one of the biggest names of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Marlon Brando, starring alongside Frank Sinatra. Simpson is drawn to the music, the style, and the fashion of the 1940’s and ‘50’s, and heavily inspired by the singers and crooners of the era.
The five-time Tony award-winning musical is a high-energy production of show-stopping dance numbers and catchy tunes, including ‘Luck Be a Lady’ and ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’. A big yellow taxi sets the stage for a larger-than-life slice of New York City, while a gigantic One Way sign allows a glimpse of the live orchestra behind. And of course there are fireworks … plenty of them.
Sydney Harbour a stunning backdrop
If there could be a more stunning backdrop for a stage show than Sydney Harbour and the city skyline – with the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Luna Park in the distance — I highly doubt it.
The pop-up site at Mrs Macquaries Point opens at 5pm so guests can kickstart their evening as the sun sets over the harbour with dinner and drinks in one of five dining areas, ranging from casual cocktails in the Qantas Garden Bar to 5-star luxury in the HSBC Platinum Club.
The latter has table service, great views of the harbour, and (importantly!) its own restrooms. At $266, it comes with a pretty hefty price tag, but that includes a very nice three-course dinner and superior NSW wines before the show, as well as drinks and canapes (and toilets!) during the 30-minute interval.
The presenter of Guys and Dolls, Opera Australia, is also behind the production of Hadestown, which was the second show we saw during our weekend in Sydney. We must have been hiding under a rock because we knew little about this show, but it was clear we were in the minority as it was a packed house. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an appreciative and adoring audience.
Playing at the Theatre Royal, Hadestown is billed as an “epic journey of love, hope, and sacrifice”. It’s been phenomenally successful on Broadway and in the West End, winning eight Tony Awards when it opened on Broadway in 2019, and still playing to packed houses five years later. It’s been seen by three million people to date and streamed by more than 350 million. It won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.
Originating as an indie theatre project by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and developed in collaboration with director Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown (pronounced ‘Hadey’s town’) intertwines and re-imagines two legendary love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone.
Australian premiere of Hadestown
The show had its Australian premiere in Sydney in February, with Christine Anu (as Hermes) leading the stellar cast. She wasn’t performing the night we saw the show: instead, we saw it with Iosefa Laga’aia playing Hermes, which he did brilliantly.
Produced by Opera Australia and Jones Theatrical Group, Hadestown defies genres. The music could best be described as a blend of modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz, while the story has themes pitting industry against nature, doubt against faith, fear against love. In short, it’s a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back, and you must see it to understand why it’s been such a hit with audiences.
On to our third show, MJ the Musical at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre. First up, you don’t need to be a Michael Jackson fan to be bowled over by this show, which opened in February and has proved so popular that tickets sales have been extended to June 22. Neither of us are fans but we loved the show; it certainly lives up to its billing as “dynamic, electrifying” and “a celebration of Michael Jackson’s artistry”.
Roman Banks is extraordinary in the role of MJ, capturing his voice, his moves and his mannerisms in every way. I couldn’t take my eyes off his feet which perfectly replicated Jackson’s in rapid time as he walked, danced and pranced around the stage. Banks, who made his Broadway debut in Dear Evan Hansen, led the U.S. tour of MJ, performing the role 200 times there, earning him both audience and critical acclaim. The Chicago Sun-Times called him “a force of nature” and the Houston Chronicle said “what Banks does on stage as MJ is nothing short of miraculous.”
Without a shadow of a doubt, MJ the Musical will be a highlight of Sydney’s 2025 cultural events calendar. The multiple Tony Award-winning musical centres around the making of Michael Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour, with flashbacks to his youth and family life while a member of the Jackson Five. The stage sets are spectacular, the dance routines executed with precision, the music spot on, and the story an insight into the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson into legendary status.
Helping to account for the show’s high calibre is the outstanding creative team behind it. Directed and choreographed by Royal Ballet artistic associate Christopher Wheeldon, it was created by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and brought to Australia by leading producer Michael Cassel, aided by three of the original Broadway producers. Scenic design is by Tony Award and two-time Emmy Award winner, Derek McLane, who was previously responsible for Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
Michael Jackson’s greatest hits
The show features more than 25 of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits from across his career, and by the end of it, people were leaping from their seats, us included.
Guys and Dolls, Hadestown and MJ The Musical are just three of the productions wooing audiences in Sydney this year. Cult musical Titanique has proved such a hit that it is playing for an extended season at The Grand Electric in Surry Hills. The Book of Mormon, dubbed by The New York Times as “the best musical of this century”, returns to Sydney in July. Back to the Future opens in October, and looking ahead to next year, The Lion King will open in April 2026.
Among Opera Australia productions to look forward to are Strictly Baz Luhrmann, on June 23 & 24, Carmen from July 10 to September 19, and RENT the musical, from September 27 to November 1 at the Sydney Opera House.
For more information, visit www.sydney.com and www.visitnsw.com
With thanks to Destination NSW for hosting us for three nights at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth and enabling us to experience these fabulous productions during our stay.
