Ghost the Musical Coming to Perth
Back in 1990, the sleeper hit movie Ghost, not only exceeded all box-office predictions to reach the status of the 91st highest grossing movie of all time, but sent the sale of pottery-wheels into overdrive. (Actually, I might have made that last bit up!)
25 years on, Bruce Joel Rubin the original screenwriter of the movie has teamed up with Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics fame) and songwriter Glen Ballard (credited to hits like Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson and Alanis Morrisettes’s Jagged Little Pill) to bring you Ghost the Musical.
It forms part of a recent trend of movies adapted for the stage, with many boasting sellout seasons and theatrical praise. Shows like, Dirty Dancing, Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Highschool Musical 1 & 2, An Officer and A Gentleman and Legally Blonde to name a few.
Ghost the Musical opened in Manchester in 2011 before transferring to London’s West End and later New York’s Broadway to great success. With five Olivier Awards and three Tony’s under its belt, it is heading Down Under where it will have its Australian premiere at the Festival Theatre in Adelaide in January.
It will then travel to Melbourne and Sydney before arriving in Perth to start its run from 21 May 2016 at Crown Theatre.
Tony award winning director Matthew Warchus has put together a stella cast with Rob Mills in the lead role of ‘Sam Wheat’ and Jemma Rix in the role that shot Demi Moore to the number one highest paid actress in Hollywood, ‘Molly Jensen’.
If you are a regular musical theatre goer in Perth, you will know that both Mills and Rix performed at Crown last year. Millsy in the roll of Danny Zuko in Grease and Rix, in the role of everyones favourite green witch, Elphaba in Wicked.
Alex Rathgeber fresh from his Helpmann Award winning performance in Anything Goes will play the role of ‘Carl Bruner’ the two-faced best friend.
Taking on the larger than life role of Oda Mae Brown, which won Whoopi Goldberg the best supporting actress Oscar in 1991, is British import Wendy Mae Brown, who is not only aptly named (are they related?) but is a remarkable talent and sure to win over the audiences with levity and a little levitation.
Other ensemble members include seasoned performers from the US, UK and Australia, with cast members Ross Chisari (playing Willie Lopez), Justine Puy and Drew Weston all graduates from our esteemed West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
In case you are one of the few people who haven’t seen the movie or you were born after the millennia, and haven’t been forced by a female member of your family to watch their favourite romantic movie of all time, then let’s get a quick snapshot of the plot.
It’s a love story about Sam and Molly. They live in a very cool New York apartment (which apparently, the real one where it was filmed, sold recently for a cool $10million US) and one night on their way home from a romantic dinner, Sam gets mugged and dies in a back alley from stab wounds. However, his spirit doesn’t leave this world and he is caught in limbo, between this world and the next. He then discovers that his beloved Molly is in grave danger and with the help of a colourful but bogus psychic, Sam tries to communicate with Molly to warn her, resulting in both heart-wrenching and heart-warming moments.
Ghost the Musical will employ special effects never seen before on stage. Objects will take on a life of their own, Sam the ghost will walk through walls, and subway passengers will be thrown in the air and disappear right before your eyes.
Tickets are on sale now for this stage spectre-tacular. A great last minute Christmas gift for someone that loves musicals or was a fan of the movie. Get along with the one you love and reignite your romance or introduce a new generation to one of the worlds best love stories.
Ghost the Musical casts is magic on Perth from 21 May. Book now to avoid disappointment.
