What is/was the longest running Australian musical?

Hi Folks I'm trying to find out what the longest running Australian musical is/was. By Australian musical I mean show that originated in Australia, not an import. Think Dusty, the first Boy From Oz, Priscilla, Dirty Dancing etc, not shows like Les Mis or Phantom. All feedback will be appreciated! Cheers.

Lets throw a cat among the pigeons. This is not what you're looking for but. Chu Chin Chow written by Australian director actor and writer Oscar Asche Ran for 5 years in London 1916 - 1920 nad spent over 4 years on the road in Australia at about the same time. I am sure I remember reading that the Musical of "The Sentimental Bloke" had a very long run in the 1950's (measured in years) in Sydney but I have been unable to locate a raferemce to that quickly. Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing. www.tonymoore.id.au

I don't know the answer to this one, but I do think Logos could be right about The Sentimental Bloke. Sticky Apple Legs www.freewebs.com/stickyapplelegs Puppets in Melbourne www.thepromptcopy.com/pip

I thought I may have an answer for you. I own a book/pamphlet called 'Making A Song And Dance' The Quest For An Australian Musical. In the centre spread it has a 'significant musicals' list. None of them are recorded as longest running. 'The Sentimental Bloke' had a national tour of 14 months,after taking 11 years to get to the stage but according to this document 'no follow up'. Quote: "Australia's first big hit musical and one of the few to be adapted for television" So I don't have a longest for you...but here are the interesting fact ones! Collits' Inn: First revolving stage to be used in Oz Reedy Rive: Played to over 100,000 people Lola Montez: Spawned a 'Top 40' Hit A Bunch Of Ratbags: Daring show about modern life Ned Kelly: Set new standards of a Big spending musical Jonah Jones: Serious turn into serious musicals Manning Clark's History Of Australia-The Musical: Possibly a flop...possibly a hit, undecided Only Heaven Knows: First major Aus musical based on a gay relationship Bran Nue Dae: Breakthrough indigenous musical The Boy From Oz: Box office hit at home, on Broadway and then back home again. Hope that is of some interest. I thought I'd get a longest running one there...but alas no. ____________________________________________________________ Currently working on: A nice break before jumping into my next project.

I read an article in the Herald Sun, Victoria (I think it was May this year) that had a list of the longest running musicals in Australia but it included imports. You may be able to contact the Herald Sun and get a copy of it or even access it online.

Yes I read that too, but I'm pretty sure it was musicals that have played the longest in Melbourne, and was majority imported shows. It was because of Phantom's play length in the city. I think the highest was 492 performances...I'm not sure if it was Phantom or another show though. ____________________________________________________________ Currently working on: A nice break before jumping into my next project.

Noted above - The Boy From Oz: Box office hit at home, on Broadway and then back home again. The people who did the publicity for TBFO deserve some sort of award. Everyone now seems to believe it was a hit on Broadway. It wasn't. It's own producers have publicly announced that it barely covered it's costs. If you doubt this, check out - http://www.playbill.com/news/article/88272.html

...That was semi-quoted from the text. Hugh Jackman won a Tony Award from Boy From Oz- so on that account it is a success. Success is in the eye of the beholder. On monetary terms breaking even or making a profit on a show, especially on Broadway takes alot of time. If a show captivates audience, has people coming to see the show, wins awards and gets good revues surely that means to some account it's a success. Not to mention a musical that comes from Australia and makes it on to 'mainstream' Broadway. That is successful for an Australian show, no denying. How many Australian Musicals have made it onto Broadway? Now anyway, has anyone found an answer to the longest running question above? ___________________________________________________________ Currently working on: A nice break before jumping into my next project.

If anything on Broadway can recover its costs these days, even barely, it's a hit. From where I stood in New York City and talking to people on the street, Boy from Oz was a hit. Well, Boy from Oz with Hugh Jackman certainly qualified. These days on Boradway covering costs is a rare success.

My feelings on TBFO - a great show, a hit in Australia, but not a hit on Broadway. It isn't a hit if it makes it's money back 4 days before it closes. The backers could have left their money in a bank for the same period - 12 months, and got a better return. Guess it depends on one's definitions. I think a fair definition is that provided by Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein in the documentary series "Broadway -- The Golden Years." To paraphrase - a hit Broadway show is one that's highly profitable. Breaking even is not "highly profitable." Consider an actual Broadway "hit" - Spring Awakening. At it's break even point, it had a box office advance worth "...between $3.5 and $4 million." Source: Http://www.playbill.com/news/article/110617.html Perhaps the final word should be left to the unofficial bible of Broadway - The New York Times which described TBFO as neither a "...critical hit or a box-office blockbuster." Source: www.theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=940DEED6133EF93BA15756C0A9629C8B63

A small show can run a season of five performances, never produce the show again, not get any reviews, have the show produced at a venue that subsidised the performance (and provide ample and wide marketing resources) - and not be a 'hit'. It's not necessarily about money that makes a show a 'hit', but a perceived popularity amongst audience members. A review can turn a small show into a 'hit'. And anyway, I think many amateur theatre people - many of whom are regulars here - will disagree that a production has to be profitable to be a hit amongst the community. I think we have to disentangle what theatre workers consider a show a hit (being profitable, being reproduced in other countries, the rights being bought by a big producer), and what an audience member considers a show as a hit (being enjoyable, being popular, other friends and family seeing the show). We also have to consider that what can be a hit in one place (ie. La Mama's most popular show) can be seen as a detriment to another venue's bookings (ie. producing that same show from La Mama at the VAC or Opera House). It is also entirely dependant on the target audience of a venue, the location of the venue, and the expectations of that audience. I know of a number of 'hit' shows that would never break even. ... I also think the term is entirely too subjective to be defined well. Sticky Apple Legs www.freewebs.com/stickyapplelegs Puppets in Melbourne www.thepromptcopy.com/pip

According to Todd McKenney, "The Boy From Oz" ran for 767 performances. I think that would make it the longest running in terms of number of shows performed.

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