Muriel's Wedding (musical)

Muriel's Wedding
Logo for the premiere production
Music	Kate Miller-Heidke, Keir Nuttall, ABBA
Lyrics	Kate Miller-Heidke & Keir Nuttall and ABBA
Book	P. J. Hogan
Basis	Muriel's Wedding
Premiere	6 November 2017 (2017-11-06): Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney
Productions	2017 Sydney

Muriel's Wedding the Musical is an Australian stage musical, based on the 1994 film of the same name. It has a book by P.J. Hogan (the original film's writer and director) and music and lyrics by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall with additional songs by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson originally written for ABBA.

Musical numbers

Act 1

• "Sunshine State of Mind" – Company
• "The Bouquet" – Muriel
• "Meet the Heslops" – Perry, Malcolm, Joanie and Betty
• "Dancing Queen"† / "The Bouquet" (Reprise) – Muriel, Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Benny and Björn
• "Progress" – Bill, Deidre and Company
• "Can't Hang" – Tania, Cheryl, Nicole and Janine
• "Lucky Last/Perry Heslop" – Muriel and Perry
• "Money, Money, Money"† – Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Benny and Björn
• "People People" – Tania, Cheryl, Nicole and Janine
• "Girls Like Us" – Rhonda and Muriel
• "Waterloo"† – Rhonda, Muriel, Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Benny and Björn
• "Amazing" – Rhonda and Muriel
• "Sydney" – Company
• "Any Ordinary Nightclub" – Company
• "Strangely Perfect Stranger" – Muriel and Brice
• "Any Ordinary Night" – Company

Act 2

• "Perry Heslop" (Reprise) – Perry
• "Here Comes the Bride" – Company
• "A True Friend" – Muriel and Rhonda
• "Never Stick Your Neck Out" – Brice and Male Company
• "Why Can't That Be Me?" – Muriel
• "True Friend" (Reprise) / "Super Trouper"† – Rhonda, Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Benny and Björn
• "Life Is a Competition" – Ken and Company
• "Mr and Mrs Shkuratov" – Muriel, Alexander, Ken and Company
• "Shared, Viral, Linked, Liked" – Tania, Cheryl, Nicole and Janine
• "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"† – Tania, Cheryl, Nicole, Muriel, Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Benny and Björn
• "The Bouquet" / "Can't Hang" (Reprise) – Company
• "SOS"† – Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Benny and Björn
• "My Mother (Eulogy)" – Muriel, Perry, Malcolm, Joanie and Company
• "Strangely Perfect Strangers" (Reprise) – Brice and Muriel
• "A True Friend" (Reprise) – Company

All songs by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall, except as noted (†): "Dancing Queen", "Waterloo", "Fernando", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "SOS" by Benny Anderson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson; "Money, Money, Money" and "Super Trouper" by Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus.

Productions

The original production began previews from 6 November 2017 with an official opening on 18 November 2017, and ran until 27 January 2018 at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in Sydney, produced by Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures. Simon Phillips directed, and Gabriela Tylesova designed the set and costumes. The 28-person cast included Maggie McKenna in the title role, Justine Clarke (Muriel's mother, Betty), Gary Sweet (Muriel's father, Bill Heslop), Madeleine Jones (Rhonda), Helen Dallimore (Deidre Chambers), Christie Whelan Browne (Tania Degano), Briallen Clarke (Joanie), Michael Whalley (Perry), Connor Sweeney (Malcolm), Ben Bennett (Brice Nobes) and Stephen Madsen (Alexander Shkuratov).

An extended run is scheduled to open at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in July 2019.

Reception

Muriel's Wedding received very positive critical responses. The Sydney Morning Herald commented that: "Muriel's Wedding feels like the complete package: a beloved film seamlessly updated; a central character who retains all the ambiguities that made you root for her in the first place; a conspicuously inventive score peppered with classic pop hits, and a mainstage debut that will be talked about for years. Adapting his own screenplay to the stage and into the social media present, PJ Hogan's book amplifies the Cinderella aspects of Muriel's story without sacrificing the satirical and melancholic elements that gave the film its depth and heart."

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref(s)
2017	Sydney Theatre Awards	Best Production of a Mainstage Musical	Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures	Won
		Best New Australian Work	PJ Hogan, Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall	Nominated
		Best Newcomer	Maggie McKenna	Won
		Best Direction of a Musical	Simon Phillips	Won
		Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical	Maggie McKenna	Nominated
		Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical	Justine Clarke	Nominated
			Madeleine Jones	Won
			Christie Whelan Browne	Nominated
		Best Choreography in a Musical	Andrew Hallsworth	Won
		Best Costume Design of a Mainstage Production	Gabriela Tylesova	Nominated
		Best Original Score of a Mainstage Production	Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall	Won
		Best Musical Direction of a Musical	Isaac Hayward	Won

Recordings

Untitled

The original cast recording was released 12 January 2018 and debuted at #17 on the ARIA Albums Chart in Australia.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall with additional songs by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson originally written for ABBA

No.	Title	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"Sunshine State of Mind"	The Cast of Muriel's Wedding The Musical	3:33
2.	"The Bouquet"	Maggie McKenna	2:14
3.	"Meet the Heslops"	Michael Whalley Connor Sweeney Briallen Clarke Justine Clarke	2:19
4.	"Progress"	Gary Sweet Helen Dallimore The Cast of Muriel's Wedding The Musical	4:00
5.	"Can't Hang"	Christie Whelan Browne Manon Gunderson-Briggs Hilary Cole Laura Murphy	3:18
6.	"Lucky Last / Perry Heslop"	Maggie McKenna Michael Whalley	1:52
7.	"Girls Like Us"	Madeleine Jones Maggie McKenna	1:35
8.	"Waterloo"	Madeleine Jones Maggie McKenna Sheridan Harbridge Jaime Hadwen Aaron Tsindos Mark Hill	2:10
9.	"Amazing"	Madeleine Jones Maggie McKenna	3:25
10.	"Sydney"	The Cast of Muriel's Wedding The Musical	2:54
11.	"Strangely Perfect Stranger"	Maggie McKenna Ben Bennett	2:32
12.	"Here Comes the Bride"	The Cast of Muriel's Wedding The Musical	3:36
13.	"Never Stick Your Neck Out"	Ben Bennett The Male Cast of Muriel's Wedding The Musical	3:13
14.	"Why Can't That Be Me?"	Maggie McKenna	2:36
15.	"Life Is a Competition"	Dave Eastgate The Cast of Muriel's Wedding The Musical	3:42
16.	"Mr and Mrs Shkuratov"	Maggie McKenna Stephen Madsen Dave Eastgate The Cast of Muriel's Wedding The Musical	5:44
17.	"Shared, Viral, Linked, Liked"	Christie Whelan Browne Manon Gunderson-Briggs Hilary Cole Laura Murphy	1:55
18.	"SOS"	Jaime Hadwen Sheridan Harbridge Aaron Tsindos Mark Hill	3:58
19.	"My Mother (Eulogy)"	Maggie McKenna Michael Whalley Connor Sweeney Briallen Clarke The Cast of Muriel's Wedding	4:54
20.	"A True Friend"	The Cast of Muriel's Wedding	3:57
21.	"Sydney (Remixed by Pip Norman)"	The Cast of Muriel's Wedding	3:29

Personnel

Source:

• Music and Lyrics: Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall
• Additional songs: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson originally written for ABBA
• Cast Album produced by: Guy Simpson (except "Sydney" remix - produced by Pip Norman)
• Cast Album executive produced by: Carmen Pavlovic and Angela Dalton
• Recorded and Mixed by: Adrian Breakspear
• Mastered by: Leon Zervos
• Recorded at: Sony Studios, Turning Studios and Sydney Theatre Company
• Music Supervisor: Guy Simpson
• Musical Director: Isaac Hayward
• Orchestrations, Arrangements and Additional Music: Isaac Hayward