'Australian audiences have an unquenchable thirst to musical theatre. It is big show business. But as another revival of Les Mis or Wicked flows back to the originators and investors abroad, the local, indigenous musical is virtually extinct. Here we have no shortage of start-ups, and composers and performers of world calibre; but rarely are they given the opportunity to develop a large-scale work. What we need is a proactive, sustainable national funding and development program that will support that talent right through to a commercial market readiness . With that backing, writes John Senczuk, we could conquer the world.' (Publication summary)
