Madagascar The Musical

Are your kids fans of the Madagascar movie series? Or do they rush home from school to watch Penguins of Madagascar on TV? Well, get ready to sing and laugh along with Madagascar The Musical!

Based on the first Dreamworks animated motion picture of the same name, Madagascar The Musical follows the story of your favourite animal friends as they escape Central Park Zoo, and then find themselves on an unexpected journey to King Julien’s Madagascar.

We had the pleasure of going along to opening night at Crown Theatre. As fans of the movies, we were looking forward to this, but we weren’t sure what to expect. The whole family loved it, from Miss 8 through to her grandmother!

Not to spoil things too much… The musical opens on a morning in Central Park Zoo with a Lin-Manuel Miranda-eque rap song as all the characters are introduced, before getting into the nitty gritty of the story and some bopping musical numbers. The musical takes a short break for a set change at about 40 minutes in, which is perfect for little ones who might be ready for a toilet or snack break.

When the musical recommences the animals wake up on a ship thinking they’re being transferred to another zoo. The penguins cause some mayhem and the friends then wake up on the island of Madagascar and King Julien, King of the Lemurs, is introduced.

Miss 8 LOVED King Julien! I think it’s fair to say he was a hit with many kids in the audience. King Julien cracked some fart jokes, and Miss 8 almost literally fell out of her chair laughing. The audience was roaring with laughter.

By the end of the show, the audience was clapping along and dancing. Madagascar The Musical is packed with loads of new songs, in addition to a classic favourite. Get ready to move it, move it!

If your kids love slapstick comedy and poop jokes (and what kid doesn’t?), your kids are sure to enjoy this show too.

From an adults perspective, the costumes are great, and the performers are versatile and dynamic. The show is a mix of song, dance and puppetry. Melman is a mix of a costume and puppetry, which is cleverly done. The show is so well put together, with characters brought to life, you find yourself forgetting some animals are puppets at times. We worked out by the end of the show there were 10 performers all up, with some people playing multiple roles.

When asked afterwards what she loved most, Miss 8 said, ‘When Gloria (the sassy hippo) danced at the beginning and went “Boom! Boom!” and shook her butt!’ But she also said Melman (the hypochondriac giraffe) and and King Julien were her favourites characters.

We attended the opening in the evening. However, if you have smaller kids who may not handle a later night one of the sessions in the morning or afternoon might be better suited.

Access is available for wheelchairs so everyone can enjoy the show.

We found the music a little bit on the loud side initially. However, luckily, Miss 8’s Dad had remembered her ear protection. So if you have a child with sensory sensitivities to sound, then we recommend you bring your hearing protection just in case.

To sum up, we loved Madagascar The Musical. We would happily see it again. If you’re planning a special outing these holidays, this would be a great experience to share with your family.

Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster.

Madagascar The Musical

Now playing at Crown Theatre, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood.

Dates
19 – 26 January 2023

Running Times
Doors open 30 minutes before show commences
Show runs for 1 hour 40 minutes including a 20 minute interval

Thursday 19 January	7pm
Friday 20 January	2pm & 7pm
Saturday 21 January	11am, 3pm & 7pm
Sunday 22 January	1pm & 6pm
Tuesday 24 January	11am, 3pm & 7pm
Wednesday 25 January	2pm & 7pm
Thursday 26 January	11am & 3pm

Event running times are approximate and subject to change.

Tickets

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday (2pm)
Premium $109.00
A Reserve $99.00
A Reserve (Admit 4) $350.00
B Reserve $79.00
B Reserve (Admit 4) $280.00
C Reserve $59.00

Friday (7pm), Saturday & Sunday
Premium $119.00
A Reserve $109.00
A Reserve (Admit 4) $390.00
B Reserve $89.00
B Reserve (Admit 4) $320.00
C Reserve $69.00

About Holly Clark

Holly Clark is currently a stay at home mum of one, a self-confessed coffee addict and a baker of sweet treats. She studied Professional Writing and Editing, and occasionally writes on her recipe blog, Lucky Star's Kitchen