Beetlejuice musical's early closure highlights Brisbane theatre crisis

The Australian production of Beetlejuice the Musical closed in Brisbane four weeks early, with future runs in Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney cancelled entirely. Only Melbourne, where the show debuted in 2025, played a full season. The early closure follows a pattern of high-profile musicals scaling back Australian tours, including Back to the Future: The Musical, Dear Evan Hansen, Annie, and Waitress, which ditched its Sydney transfer after its Melbourne season. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) called the situation a 'crisis facing the live performance industry' and urged state and federal governments to provide financial support, such as tax rebates and cultural passes to offset ticket costs. Despite challenges, some shows thrive in Brisbane: MJ the Musical sold out in March 2025, and The Lion King set a record for the highest-selling musical presale in Queensland Performing Arts Centre history. Upcoming Brisbane productions include The Book of Mormon, Death of a Salesman, Anastasia, Strong Is the New Pretty, The Choir of Man, Scorched Earth, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), Fiddler on the Roof, Into the Woods, SIX the Musical, and American Psycho. The article argues that audience attendance is crucial to sustain the city's theatre scene.