''Miracle City'' is a musical with book and lyrics by

Nick Enright Nicholas Paul Enright AM (22 December 1950 – 30 March 2003) was an Australian dramatist, playwright and theatre director. Early life Enright was born on 22 December 1950 to a prosperous professional Catholic family in East Maitland, New So ...

and music by

Max Lambert Max Lambert (born 1955) is an Australian composer and musical director. Biography Born in 1955 in Sydney, he studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Lambert composed the musicals ''Darlinghurst Nights'' and ''Miracle City'', both first ...

Synopsis

It is conceived as a real time, live-to-air Christian television show ''Ministry of Miracles'' hosted by Tennessee evangelical family Ricky and Lora Lee Truswell (inspired by Jimmy and Tammy Faye Bakker) and their children Loretta and Ricky-Bob. Ex-con turned evangelist Ricky Truswell has a dream is to build Miracle City, a Christian theme park. But behind the wholesome facade is darker problems. While potential salvation arrives in the form of Reverend Millard Sizemore, it comes at a terrible price, with Sizemore asking something awful in return.

Productions

The Sydney Theatre Company (STC) debuted ''Miracle City'' in a four-week workshop production at its small Wharf 2 theatre in 1996. It featured

Tom Burlinson Tom Burlinson (born 14 February 1956) is a Canadian actor and singer. Career Tom Burlinson was born in Toronto, Canada, the son of Antony T. Burlinson (born 1923, in Greenwich, Middlesex) and Angela Schofield (born 1926, in Bury St Edmunds, ...

Genevieve Lemon Genevieve Lemon (born 21 April 1958) is an Australian actress and singer who has appeared in a number of Australian television series and international film, including a frequent collaboration with Jane Campion for Academy Award-winning ''The P ...

and Peter Carroll, and was directed by

Gale Edwards Gale Edwards (born 14 November 1954) is an Australian theatre director, who has worked extensively throughout Australia and internationally. She has also directed for television and film. Professional career Edwards began her career at Adelaid ...

. The season was supported with funding from producer

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...

for the development of new Australian musicals. While it was highly acclaimed, the musical did not a further life at the time. A small production at the

Hayes Theatre The Hayes Theatre is a 111-seat theatre specialising in music theatre and cabaret in Potts Point, Sydney, Australia. It is named after the Australian performer Nancye Hayes. Hayes Theatre Co was established at the former Darlinghurst Theatre aft ...

in Sydney in 2014 was its first revival since the original STC production, and generated a cast recording. A new production of ''Miracle City'' featuring Missy Higgins was performed at the Sydney Opera House's Studio in October 2017.

References

{{Nick Enright Australian musicals 1996 musicals Original musicals