Midnight shows Aussie musicals aren’t just a fairy tale

An original Australian musical is about as rare as finding a glass slipper that fits.

The new production Midnight, billed as a re-imagined Cinderella, has beginnings that are something of a modern fairy tale.

Once upon a time, writer and director Dean Murphy was watching Cinderella with his three-year-old Charli, and couldn’t shake the feeling that waiting to be rescued by a handsome prince wasn’t a great message for his young daughter.

Cinderella is a folk tale that dates back to Ancient Greece, and even the classic Disney version is from 1950 – it was definitely time for a refresh, Murphy thought.

So he began working with Pip Mushin and producer Spencer McLaren to create a Cinderella character for today – Ella – a feisty heroine with hopes and dreams of her own.

Does she even want or need a so-called Prince Charming? And will he check his privilege before the stroke of midnight?

Then, the rare chance to create a musical from the ground up attracted Australian musical theatre royalty, including Shane Jacobson, Lucy Durack, and Verity Hunt-Ballard.

Taking a break from the final week of rehearsals, Hunt-Ballard said she has relished the opportunity to develop her character, Madame Bellington.

“There’s nothing to reference, so that’s terrifying and also thrilling in terms of being able to put your own stamp on it,” she told AAP.

Hunt-Ballard is best known for starring as Mary Poppins in Cameron Mackintosh’s Australian production, but of late she has passed up roles in similar large-scale imported shows.

The Helpmann award-winning mezzo-soprano was waiting for a genuinely new and relevant production to come her way.

Midnight fitted perfectly, with original numbers by John Foreman, Anthony Costanzo and Kate Miller-Heidke, Brianna Bishop starring as Ella and Thomas McGuane playing the Prince.

Now that Hunt-Ballard’s wish has been granted, she hopes Midnight can have a life beyond its initial run.

“I think audiences are going to really enjoy the grand scale of it, and fingers crossed it does have a longer life, that’s certainly the plan,” she said.

As for the local theatre scene, Midnight is competing in a market full of imported re-runs such as Mamma Mia, Rocky Horror, Moulin Rouge, Greece and Chicago.

The feeling from the Midnight rehearsal room is that Australian musicals are almost nonexistent – and that’s nothing to do with a lack of local talent, and everything to do with a lack of cash.

Local investors tend to favour proven Broadway hits and government funding tends to go to small-scale productions, although Midnight did receive some federal money.

“There’s a philosophy that commercial stuff needs to look after itself… but then we end up in a cultural scenario where everything’s imported,” McLaren told AAP.

It’s taken seven years on and off to develop Midnight, and Murphy’s daughter Charli, who inspired the whole thing, is about to turn 10.

She’s excited to see the show and Murphy jokes she’s angling for a VIP pass.

“It will be really great for her to come in and know she was part of the gestation of the whole project,” he said.

Midnight is on at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne from June 25.