Ghost The Musical to Premiere in Melbourne

Now opening in Adelaide in January 2016 at start of national tour. Click here for details.

Ghost the Musical, which was to haunt Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre from August 2013, has now been postponed following the show's lacklustre showings in London's West End and on Broadway.

The West End production is set to close on October 6, 2012 after just over 500 performances, while the Broadway production closed on August 16 after just 136 performances.

Our earlier coverage follows

The Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Hon Louise Asher MP along with Producers Michael Coppel, Louise Withers and world famous song writer and rock star Eurythmics Dave Stewart announced that this new musical has been secured as a major event for Melbourne. Co-Composer and Co-Lyricist Mr Stewart showcased this new musical highlighting the emotive score and amazing visual effects that is Ghost.

Based on the 1990 blockbuster and award winning film of the same name, Ghost the Musical is directed by the demanding and focused Matthew Warchus, along with Choreographer Australian Ashley Wallen. Warchus won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Director of a Play for God of Carnage, and is no stranger to high tech musical theatre, Directing the West End version of Lord of the Rings.

Minister Asher indicated that the Victorian Governments major event strategy is focused on making Melbourne a city of events, and that Ghost the Musical in Melbourne, as the third stop on a world tour, is ‘the theatre coup of the world’, saying that Victorian tourism and major events are ‘delighted’ with securing the event and are looking forward to the positive effect it has on Melbourne’s tourism and arts culture.

Described by Dave Stewart as ‘quite explosive’, he said that the technical illusions are ‘epic and mind boggling’. Ghost features ground breaking technology and spectacular illusions by Paul Kieve, whose credits include Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  Mr Stewart went on to say that the narrative while comparable to the film takes you on a different journey, set in Brooklyn instead of New York the narrative and score is a complex, but seamless interpretation  of the film of the same name. Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost, Jacobs Ladder, The Time Travellers Wife) has adapted his Academy Award winning original screenplay, re-inventing it for the stage. With all the same character’s Sam and Molly, and psychic Oda Mae Brown, played in the film by Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg,  the Musical score and action includes those iconic sensual moments and a recreation of the song Unchained Melody.

Ghost The Musical is directed by Tony Award winner Matthew Warchus (God of Carnage, The Norman Conquests, Boeing-Boeing) and choreographed by UK based Australian, Ashley Wallen (The X Factor, Kylie Minogue).

Ghost The Musical is created by a team of Grammy and Academy Award winners, and features a brand new, original score by Dave Stewart (half of the multi-Grammy Award winning Eurythmics)and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson's Man In The Mirror, Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill). Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost, Jacob’s Ladder, The Time Traveler’s Wife) has adapted his Academy Award winning original screenplay for the stage.  The score includes the iconic song “Unchained Melody,” famously performed in the film by The Righteous Brothers.

Ghost The Musical features ground-breaking technology and spectacular illusions by Paul Kieve, whose credits include Magic Consultant for the film of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Set and costume designs are by Rob Howell, with musical supervision and arrangements by Christopher Nightingale, lighting design by Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Bobby Aitken, and projection design by Jon Driscoll.The production, directed by Matthew Warchus, has received great praise for its spectacular technical effects.

Ghost The Musical will be produced in Australia by Colin Ingram Productions Limited and Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Adam Silberman; Michael Coppel, Louise Withers, Linda Bewick and Donovan Mannato in association with Paramount Pictures Corporation.

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film in 1990, Ghost became a blockbuster hit. The film starred Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Tony Goldwyn and Whoopi Goldberg and was directed by Jerry Zucker. Bruce Joel Rubin’s script won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and Whoopi Goldberg won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of psychic Oda Mae Brown.

Ghost The Musical opened in London’s West End at the Piccadilly Theatre on July 19, 2011, with a Broadeway season announced for March 2012.

Image: Richard Fleeshman (Sam Wheat) and Molly Jensen (Cassie Levy) in in the London production of Ghost the Musical. Photographer: Sean Ebsworth Barnes.