u/RandomFunUsername

I’m not in any emotional state to do my full thoughts and feelings or recap but I just need to say it.

Thank you to the full cast and crew of this incredible production.

Thank you for all the memories and the love and for being the absolute best cast this musical could have asked for.

Thank you for being the reason I have so many found family, people I love and adore and talk to daily, that tonight I got to hold onto and live through it with.

Thank you for being my lifeline for so long. Thank you for being my life for so long.

Every single person in this production has been so lovely and wonderful and I’m so sad we didn’t have more time.

I truly, truly love you guys.

ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN FIRST and probably last.

Andy Karl was on from The Whole Being Dead Thing to its reprise.

Curtain went up for the attic and ITS JAMES MF HAXBY. There was a lot of involuntary noises and physical reactions in that front row WE WERE SO SURE WE WOULDNT SEE HIM AGAIN.

What a night dude. Australia going out with a BANG. He also exited to “that’s showbiz!” instead of the usual Wicked war cry which feels very apt for both tonight and Friday’s gut punch.

I hope Andy (and Elise) are okay too ❤️

You bet your ass I was on a 6am flight back to Brisbane this morning. Double show day let’s GO.

In light of everything that’s happened in just over 24 hours, you could absolutely reasonably expect the vibe to be depressing in the Lyric today.

Instead you’d never know anything had happened. Utter professionals, had an incredible matinee show and then HOLY HELL tonight may have been the greatest one so far. So much energy in the room, so much energy on stage! They’re really giving it their all, multiple moments of Andy just going full chaos gremlin or sassy best friend. I don’t think I’ve seen Karis break into smiles like tonight since the first week of Melbourne. Ensemble absolutely killing it, our principal cast equally just giving their all and looking like they’re having the time of their lives.

I honestly hope they just go nuts from now. Enjoy every second of it, ham up those little side jokes, the world is you oyster. I will be scream cheering along at every single show.

HI REDDIT ITS BEEN A MINITE I’ve been tired.

Last night was opening! Show went off pretty much without a hitch, a bunch of fans were invited and we got to sit front row 😭 Was so much fun, so much energy. Andy threw in a “Eddie Perfect, a lot of people come to this house!” and ended with an Arnie exit. The popcorn bucket also hit the conductor’s piano and he apologized in what ended up being a funny moment.

Thursday was also a very normal show. We’ve had a lot of just “Hey Folks, Beggin your Pardon” since the Brisbane line attempt, but Thursday was the first night it was flawless, Friday the same, then today matinee he fell over during the “if I hear your cellphone ringing” line and you would never know that wasn’t part of it, immediate “recovery” just did the line pushing himself up from the floor. 10/10.

Matinee the “learn to throw your voice” line also went off at the start of Fright of Their Lives. They powered through without drawing attention to it, then when it went off the correct time he went “THATS THE ONE”. Tom put the soul box on the plinth the wrong way up, Erin corrected it without issue.

We had Rose Argentina for the first time in SO long! She was already so spectacular in Melbourne, I’m not sure if she somehow managed to get even better or if I’d just missed her but MY GOD SHE CRUSHED IT TODAY.

AND THEN BOY HOWDY TONIGHT HAPPENED.

Relatively normal first act, minor flub on TWBDT. Karis appears to be losing her voice tonight, and I say this with all the love and appreciation for how insane and polished her performance usually is - tonight may have been my favorite Dead Mom and Home combo of hers if not of all time then for a good long while. She was a little more reserved I felt, still got those big notes out perfectly, but there was also this raw, raspy quality to her voice that made it sound so authentic and heartfelt, like her voice was breaking due to sadness. Wouldn’t be shocked if we had swings tomorrow so she can rest, hope she’s doing okay, cannot stress how much I loved the performance tonight and how well she got through.

Andy brought back the “that happens over 40” joke with the smoke in the attic, and when Adam turned around I caught him saying off-mic “does that happen?” Please, creative team, keep that line and give it a mic. Amazing.

Aaaand then act 2.

We opened to the flashing lights around the stage border going on longer than usual when Lydia and Girl Scout enter the house. Then noticed a wall was missing. GS ended up walking off stage temporarily, we were ready for a show stop honestly. But Andy came out, lights went up, it was quickly addressed and then everything went forward relatively normal.

During What I Know Now, “I exploded” also went off late, and Juno’s smoke didn’t go off at all. A couple of late mic cues too. Nothing big, Andy also called the mainlands “the enemies of this show” instead of villains which visibly got Karis smiling. Honestly it looked like they were just having a lot of fun tonight. We ended on the Star Wars lightsaber exit again.

And now it’s time for a little game I like to call: Andy Karl can’t throw things into the hole!

I think there’s been 3 or 4 times the cup ends up on the net, popcorn buckets hitting things as per last night, banjo bits bouncing off the stage, newspaper also getting in Anthony the conductor’s way. Tonight the cup bounced a couple times and landed perfectly about 1.5 meters away from the hole. Was a great trick shot - brava, sir! Genuinely looking forward to playing this game on future shows. Glass pictured tonight, I was impressed.

In all seriousness I had grand concerns about Andy’s casting. Between things I’d heard and the promo being on the cringy side I was veeery worried, especially when we had a perfectly good James Haxby right there. But I am happy to eat my words, he is genuinely great in the role and I can’t wait to see him become more chaotic as the run continues.

Another two show day for me tomorrow, holding out for those potential swings for a Sunday mat 👀

Oh my GOD ITS SO GOOD TO BE BACK!

Few little changes. Adam now reacts to Barb post-shock as if he does believe she’s dead and breaks down a little before he jolts awake. Delia does a 67 reference instead of dabbing which, thanks we hate it. Juno and BJ had a moment at the end where they cried together for a good while, the line also changed from “that’s the rules!” to “I’m not finished with you!”

The smoke didn’t go off during the “I’m gone” scene in the attack and Andy immediately improvised “that happens when you’re over 40”.

Otho is from Caboolture. Wondering if that will stick.

On the topic of Andy, I was indeed a naysayer. I had seen and heard things regarding his performance that worried me, and the social media stuff has been fairly cringy. Happy to report his BJ looks and sounds much better in person, there’s a few jokes - he does a Steve Irwin impression, a Cleo Aw Naur, a couple of little Eddieisms in there that I missed greatly (Eddie we love and miss you). We got basic “beggin your pardon” and gay republican, as week as a dance 10 looks 3 joke in creepy old guy dance break. I’m hoping he does an Eddie and becomes more of a chaos gremlin over time.

Jenni is also spectacular! I got some nervous vibes at the very start but then she was all in, felt like she’d always been there. Welcome to the family Jenni 🖤

Amazing night. Amazing to see almost all the people I’d made friends with in Melbourne. Cannot wait for Tuesday!

I absolutely was not expecting this a DAY after Adelaide and got woken up to it.

Sydney is my home terf and I cannot wait to go absolutely broke on tickets but without the flights and accommodation costs this time.

October 2026, at the Festival Theatre 🥳