Attending a Club Broadway event has been on my bucket list for a while. As an unashamed theatre nerd, the thought of coming together with other theatre nerds, singing along to showtunes while I danced like nobody’s watching always seemed like some kind of heaven. But as someone who remains a little COVID-cautious, I couldn’t quite bring myself to attend one of the indoor club events. I couldn’t believe it when they announced a free outdoor event for Vivid, which unfortunately clashed with last week’s Jason Singh show. But then the rains came down, the event was washed out, and the stars aligned with a rescheduled show. Last night I was off to my first ever Club Broadway event!

It was every bit as glorious as I hoped for. The generous space in Tumbalong Park meant that my husband and I could find a little bit of room away from the throng, while others could make connections with like-minded folk near the stage. An overture of musical hits psyched up the crowd before the appearance of Carmen Geddit doing her best Tracy Turnblad to “Good Morning Baltimore” from Hairspray. DJ Dan Murphy was a generous host, warm and welcoming to the Club Broadway veterans and newcomers alike. We were encouraged to sing and dance, to Shazam songs we weren’t familiar with and relish the ones we were. The set was a celebration of Broadway, from classic musicals to newer smashes like Hamilton and Wicked. Every 15 minutes or so, guest performers would treat us to a “show”. I relished every moment of Coco Jumbo’s “Circle of Life,” Minnie Cooper’s, “Singing in the Rain”, and Erin Clare’s “Part of Your World.” The mix of local drag queens and theatre royalty was perfect.

I must say, at my age I doubted whether I could last the three hours on my feet. However, even though there were seats available not far from us, my husband and I were never even tempted to sit down. We were having far too much singing and dancing. I’ll forever remember him playing Alexander Hamilton to my Angelica in “Satisfied,” belting like Idina to “Defying Gravity,” and shaking and shimmying until our vocals were severely compromised during “You Can’t Stop the Beat.” I loved DJ Dan’s costume changes and props. His enormous flag brought the right amount of gravitas to “Do You Hear the People Sing,” while his sequined nun’s outfit worked double-duty for “Do-Re-Mi” and “I Will Follow Him.”

While I’m not sure when I’ll get to another Club Broadway event, I know it won’t be my last. I can only hope it won’t be too long before they take the show outdoors again! Until then, you can enjoy the Club Broadway experience at one of the following shows:

16 June 2024 – Casey’s Farewell @ Universal, Eora/Sydney
29 June 2024 – Wonderland, Meeanjin/Brisbane
6 July 2024 – Chasers, Naarm/Melbourne
20 July 2024 – A Winters Ball @ Ivy, Eora/Sydney
27 July 2024 – The Court, Boorloo/Perth
31 August 2024 – Mary’s Poppin, Tarntanya/Adelaide

Image source: own photo