Lead

The Australian stage production of Waitress will not continue its national tour, with planned shows in Sydney cancelled. The musical, starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Rob Mills, was set to play at Sydney Lyric from August 1 after a season at Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre. Crossroads Live Australia chief executive John Frost confirmed on Sunday that its final performance would be in Melbourne on July 19.

"This decision was not made lightly," Mr Frost said in a statement. "While we remain incredibly proud of the production and grateful for the dedication and passion of everyone involved, the challenging economic conditions currently facing audiences have had a significant impact on the live entertainment industry."

Mr Frost said cost-of-living pressures and economic uncertainty had contributed to "softer box office performance across the country, placing considerable pressure on productions of all sizes." He added, "Unfortunately, we have not been immune to these challenges. Whilst audience enthusiasm for our work remained strong, attendance levels and box office have not been sufficient to support the cost of the production."

Coverage Comparison

The cancellation of Waitress is the latest in a growing list of major musical closures in Australia. About a week earlier, Beetlejuice the Musical announced it would be closing its Australian tour early, midway through its Brisbane leg, with remaining performances in Sydney, Perth, and Adelaide cancelled. Producer the Michael Cassel Group cited increasing cost pressures and "a more cautious consumer environment" as the reasons.

Other recent cancellations include Back to the Future: The Musical, which ended its Australian run in Sydney in January after producers scrapped plans for a national tour, and Dear Evan Hansen, which also cut short its planned national tour in 2025. Additionally, a $20 million production of the opera Aida, part of Adelaide Festival's 2027 program, has been pulled.

These closures have raised concerns across the sector. Live Performance Australia (LPA) CEO Eric Lassen describes the number of recent cancellations as unprecedented. "We haven't seen anything like it in recent years," he told ABC Radio National's Life Matters.

Key Claims

  • The Waitress musical tour will end in Melbourne on July 19, with Sydney shows cancelled.
  • John Frost attributed the cancellation to cost-of-living pressures and economic uncertainty affecting box office performance.
  • Beetlejuice the Musical closed early during its Brisbane run, with other tour dates cancelled.
  • Back to the Future and Dear Evan Hansen also cut short their Australian tours.
  • Aida's Adelaide Festival shows, scheduled for next February, were cancelled.
  • Eric Lassen called the number of recent cancellations unprecedented, citing a "spillover effect in the economy."

Perspectives

Industry Perspective

Eric Lassen, CEO of Live Performance Australia, argues that the cost-of-living crisis hits the live entertainment industry from two directions: reducing consumer spending and increasing production costs. He notes that the demand for musical theatre remains strong, citing 4.4 million ticketed attendances in 2024 and over half a billion dollars in ticket revenue. Lassen proposes a Live Performance Production Incentive, a tax offset to support the industry, drawing on the UK's Theatre Tax Relief scheme, which he describes as a "game changer" with a fourfold return on investment.

Producer Perspective

John Frost of Crossroads Live Australia expressed disappointment over the Waitress cancellation, emphasizing the challenges of operating in the current economic climate. He stated that despite strong audience enthusiasm, attendance levels and box office were not sufficient to support production costs.

Producer Perspective (Michael Cassel Group)

The Michael Cassel Group, producer of Beetlejuice, cited "the current logistical realities of touring across vast distances between Australian cities" as creating increasing cost pressures that made continuing the run unsustainable.