Ben Mingay News

Opera Australia will present GILBERT & SULLIVAN: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION at Melbourne's Regent Theatre, featuring Ben Mingay and Antoinette Halloran alongside an all-star cast performing highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, and more.

Bursting with much-loved music, Gilbert and Sulivan's operetta has long remained a crowd favourite with classics including ‘I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General', ‘Poor Wandering One' and ‘I am the Pirate King'.

Victorian Opera has announced the full cast for its production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, coming to the Palais Theatre from 31 January to 6 February.

Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho A Pirate's Life for Me! Get those swords ready and protect thy daughters as The Pirates of Penzance swing into QPAC's Concert Hall this weekend! This classic Gilbert & Sullivan production follows the young pirate, Frederic, who after completing his 21st year as an apprentice pirate, is released and meets Mabel, the daughter of the incompetent Major-General Stanley. However, Frederic soon learns that he was born on the 29th of February and has his birthday only once a leap year, meaning his duty to the pirate king is still bound until his 21st birthday (some 40+ years away). With many other characters and stories interweaving in the classic, this beautiful piece of opera is a shining light for what modern adaptions can be. 

Opera Australia has announced multi-faceted opera and musical theatre performers Ben Mingay and Katie Stenzel, will host this year’s New Year’s Eve Opera Gala in the spectacular Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

An in-concert production of the much-loved Gilbert and Sullivan classic, The Pirates of Penzance, will storm the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC) Concert Hall from 5 to 8 December 2024for six shows only.

Victorian Opera’s incoming Artistic Director Stuart Maunder AM revives his a deliciously dark but incredibly clear expression of Stephen Sondheim (Music and Lyrics) and Hugh Wheeler’s (Book) SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET – A MUSICAL THRILLER.

The residents of Fleet Street have arrived in town ahead of the Sydney Opera House season of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, with rehearsals now underway for the murderous musical opening on July 22.

Opera Australia (OA) has announced its 2024 Sydney Summer Season with guest Creative Director Lindy Hume presenting five Sydney Opera House premieres, having been invited by CEO Fiona Allan to curate the season.

With generous servings of greed, lust, and vengeance, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is coming to the Sydney Opera House this winter from 22 July to 27 August. 

Producers of La Cage aux Folles, returning for an exclusive gala season at The Concourse in Chatswood from 30 November 2022, have announced that Michael Cormick has had to pull out of playing Georges due to an ongoing medical issue with actor, musician and international musical theatre performer, Ben Mingay (Frayed, Shrek the Musical), stepping into the role.

Season two of the dramedy kicks off in London, where the lives and secrets of the Cooper family continue to unravel as they deal with the ramifications of season one’s explosive finale, and their Australian past insists on catching up with them. The series stars creator and writer, Sarah Kendall. Watch the new trailer now!

Last night, QPAC's Lyric Theatre transformed into our favourite green ogre's swamp and it is quite the spectacle. And the musical spares no expense with only the most dazzling costumes, set and puppets. Whilst I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I'd be laughing and cheering through a mask at the theatre, it was worth it to be immersed in such a world of colour, hope and love. From Fiona getting her own fairytale ending, to Farquad re-uniting with his long-lost father, to the Pinocchio finally accepting himself for who he was... the musical has it all.

The wait is finally 'ogre'!  Shrek The Musical will open its Queensland premiere season in Queensland Performing Arts Centre's (QPAC's) Lyric Theatre tonight Thursday 14 January 2021 running until 7 February 2021. 

ALL-STAR ORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN LEAD CAST CONFIRMED FOR SHREK THE MUSICAL AT QPAC

Originally live streamed as 'Friday Night Live!' during the great lockdown of 2020, 'FNL ... Alive and Unlocked!' will be unleashed in the Sydney Festival from Tuesday 5 – Saturday 9 January 2021.  The season will be live on stage and live streamed to the universe across selected performances. 

To be released throughout Mental Health Month (October 2020), SOUND MIND is a series of six new 12-15 minute online music-centred episodes exploring mental health and the performing arts.

Live from The Reservoir Room this week, FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE will showcase our two Saturday Night performers Mark Trevorrow and Matt Copley  who will also be joined by special guests Ben Mingay, Prinnie Stevens and the cast of Who's Your Baghdaddy?

Catherine Alcorn, together with three-time Gold Logie nominee, RODGER CORSER will host Australia's newest virtual venue THE RESERVOIR ROOM.  

The coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) has devastated the Australian theatre industry. While the closure of theatres has significantly helped fight this pandemic by ensuring social distancing, Australian arts' workers have been left with the grim reality of unemployment. Despite this sudden and unforeseen shutdown of theatre, the comradery and resilience of those working in entertainment continues to shine. This is evident in the hard work of James Cutler and Joshua Robson Productions who have ensured that the show will go on, by establishing an outstanding performance initiative called LIGHTS UP ON THE ARTS [HOME DELIVERY].