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4w ago

Beetlejuice The Musical Tour Cut Short With Brisbane Season Ending July 5

Producers said rising freight, staging and labour costs from long-distance moves plus weaker ticket spending made the rest of the national tour unsustainable.

Beetlejuice The Musical will play its final show on July 5 at Brisbane's QPAC Theatre. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)
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On stage, Eddie Perfect, in a prison-striped suit, poses, grimacing, an ensemble of similarly dressed actors around him.
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Overview

  • Michael Cassel Group confirmed on Friday that every show after Sunday, July 5 will no longer proceed, ending the Brisbane season about one month early and cancelling planned dates in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth.
  • Queensland Performing Arts Centre told Brisbane ticketholders they can exchange seats to earlier performances or seek refunds while audiences in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth will receive automatic refunds.
  • Brisbane’s cast featured Broadway lead Andy Karl with Karis Oka as Lydia, while Eddie Perfect had led the Melbourne run and relinquished the role for the tour.
  • Producers blamed high costs for moving a large-scale set with animatronics and a full crew across huge distances in Australia and said a more cautious consumer environment reduced ticket revenue.
  • Industry group Live Performance Australia warned the closure follows a string of shortened runs and urged government production incentives to lower touring risk and protect local jobs and nearby hospitality spending.