STAGE GUIDE Shows to experience this August

WORDS BY BEN LAMB

Capriccio

The Victorian Opera continues their run at the Palais Theatre, with Capriccio hitting the stage later this month. First penned in 1942, the show is set in the 18th century and follows protagonist Madeleine and the two men in love with her. Alongside the talented opera performers, this show will be supported by the Australian National Academy of Music, conducted by Simone Young.

PALAIS THEATRE 31 AUG

CHEN + FRIENDS BIG SHOW

Best known for his debut special If Weren’t Filmed Nobody Would Believe and appearances on Have You Been Paying Attention, Aaron Chen has quickly become one of Australia’s most popular comedians. Before moving to NYC, Aaron Chen is hitting the road for a small East Coast tour, with Melbourne receiving two shows on Aug 11. Alongside a set from Aaron, audiences will witness sets from his comedic friends too.

ATHENAEUM THEATRE 11 AUG

MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL

After a popular run in 2021, Moulin Rouge! is back on Melbourne stages for an encore season. Based on the 2001 film of the same name, the musical follows the relationship of protagonist Christian and cabaret dancer, Satine. The show is a jukebox musical, so it features songs like Bad Romance, Chandelier, and Every Breath You Take, among many more.

REGENT THEATRE 20 AUG

Guys And Dolls

It’s one of the world’s most popular musicals and it’s making its way to Melbourne this August courtesy of Antipodes Theatre Company. The musical has been around for a whopping 73 years since it was first brought to the stage on Broadway in 1950, with Robert Alda in the leading role.

CHAPEL OFF CHAPEL FROM 10 AUG

Joey Alexander

It’s not too often you can experience a Grammy nominee at a Melbourne university, but Joey Alexander isn’t your average performer. The pianist first burst onto the scene back when he was only 10 years old, playing with the world’s greatest jazz musicians. He then went on to perform at the White House, Grand Ole Opry, Grammys, The Apollo Theatre, and the Newport Jazz Festival, among many more. He’s now set to add Melbourne to that list, hitting the Alexander Theatre for a show, plus a Q+A session.

ALEXANDER THEATRE 10 AUG

Leading Ladies

This show celebrates three of Australia’s incredible performers, Casey Donovan, Caroline O’Connor and Silvie Paladino each performing tracks that found popularity in the theatre world – pieces from Funny Girl and Wicked, among others

HAMER HALL 12 AUG

Pippin

If you’re looking to find talent before they’re famous, look no further than this upcoming performance courtesy of the Australian Institute of Music Theatre. They’ll be putting on Pippin, another of the world’s most popular stage shows. Written by the iconic Stephen Schwarz and choreographed by the legendary Bob Fosse, this is definitely a show you don’t want to miss.

AIM THEATRE 10–12 AUG

Love With No Remorse

A new play hits the stage this month from the talented Thespian Theatre Company. This play involves a couple who are perfect from the outside, but behind closed doors, things aren’t as they seem. It’s written by Touka Shoukor and directed by James Huang, who ensure that voices of the unheard take centre stage.

MEAT MARKET STABLES UNTIL 13 AUG

Miss Peony

Written by the immensely-talented Michelle Law, Miss Peony is a new comedy hitting Arts Centre this August. The play involves Lily, as she enters a pageant, supported her beauty queen grandmother. Best of all, it’s set to be performed in three languages, English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE UNTIL 20 AUG