Melissa Langton Returns to the Stage in MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL: A Celebration of Womanhood
Australian cabaret and musical theatre star Melissa Langton is making her long-awaited return to the stage, stepping into the role of “Housewife” in the hit production MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL. A joyous and empowering celebration of womanhood, the show follows four women: “Professional Woman,” “Soap Star,” “Housewife,” and “Earth Mother”.
More than just a musical, MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL shines a light on the unspoken realities of menopause, encouraging women to embrace the changes in their bodies with humour, grace, and pride. The show is a celebration of shared experiences of laughter, vulnerability, and strength.
Langton is no stranger to the spotlight with an impressive resume that includes performances in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, LES MISÉRABLE, and THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, she has cemented her place in the Australian Theatre industry. Beyond the stage, she’s a celebrated cabaret artist and a member of the internationally touring group The Fabulous Singlettes. In 2002, she was awarded a prestigious Green Room Award for her cabaret work, further showcasing her versatility and stage presence.
Returning to musical theatre after an eight-year hiatus, Langton says being cast in MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL is a dream fulfilled. Having always wanted to be part of the production, she describes the experience as both inspirational and deeply personal. As she prepares for opening night in Sydney, Melissa Langton sat down with us to discuss the urgent need for better menopause education, greater representation of middle-aged women in the arts, and why theatre is the ideal space to spark these vital conversations.
Drawing from her own experience, she advocates for open, intergenerational dialogue about women’s health. With honesty, heart, and a touch of cabaret flair. Langton is giving voice and visibility to stories long overdue for the spotlight.
What excites you most about being part of this tour and playing the role of ‘Housewife?’
Melissa: I have wanted to do the show for quite a while now, but dates just didn’t match and the universes weren’t aligned, but this time I just thought “THE STATE THEATRE IN SYDNEY,” YES PLEASE! And who would not want to work with those other 3 fabulous women! I also have not done a Musical Theatre piece for 8 years as I have been focusing on my concert work, so I am happy to come back to it with such a fun piece.
MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL blends comedy, music, and taboo topics — how do you strike that balance as a performer?
Melissa: I feel like these 3 topics have pretty much been a part of my career since the start. The majority of my roles in Musical Theatre have been comedic roles, great music and performing tongue in cheek. I think that the most important thing to remember as a performer is to just be true to yourself and know where your strengths are. And I think these 3 things are totally my strengths!
How do you think a show like MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL reflects the progress we’ve made (or still need to make) in openly talking about menopause and women’s health?
Melissa: There is still not enough information readily available to women about Menopause. However, it is hugely improved from when I went through my initial stages of Menopause about 15 years ago when there were 2 options: the natural way (which made me want to bite the doctors head off), or plain old HRT, which was a one size fits all approach to peri-menopausal women. The information is now a little more readily available and the medications are more diverse, but considering that 51% of the population go through it, there should be a Menopause Centre on every street corner!
What message do you hope women take away from MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL?
Melissa: For women who may be having symptoms and either not realise, or are too shy to chat about, I hope that they see the show and then seize the opportunity to find out more about it. I also think that Mums should start chatting more to their daughters about it, regardless of their age, so that they are informed. And let’s be honest, their sons as well. Having a supportive husband or son can really make all the difference. My husband couldn’t have been more fabulously supportive to me when I was in the thick of it, having panic attacks (which I had never had before) and huge bouts of depression.
Comedy can be a powerful way to tackle topics people usually avoid, do you find humour opens people up to conversations they might otherwise resist?
Melissa: I really hope so. It really is such a massive lifestyle change when you first approach peri-menopause, and it can seem so isolating, that if we can all get together and talk about it through comedy, hopefully we will be part of the way to helping women get through it. Women have extraordinary capacity to just get on with things, but we often tend to do this by ignoring and just ’silently’ battling on. I hope that our approach to the topic will start wider conversations.
What are some of your favourite moments to perform in the show and is there a song you especially love singing every night?
Melissa: Well, let’s face it, the material is from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s… you’re speaking my language. I know I am biased, but surely every good song comes from that era? But I have a few favourites: My Guy, performed by Mary Wells and written by Smokey Robinson is such a classic 60’s song, I Will Survive (say no more), Hot Stuff (Flash) by Donna Summer (I danced around my handbag to this song in so many discos in the 80’s), Patti LaBelle…….. OK all of them!
You’ve performed in some of Australia’s biggest musical theatre productions. How does this show compare in terms of energy and connection with the audience?
Melissa: Due to the fact that my favourite medium is cabaret, I always love a show that isn’t just something that the audience watches. I loved doing shows like Les Miserables, Into the Woods, The Threepenny Opera, but when a show is not about observing a narrative, but is about our communication with an audience, it is a wonderful feeling. I feel like we are talking/singing directly to each person in the audience, and they will all have a different response to our conversation.
Looking back, what do you think has helped you stay creatively fulfilled and resilient in such a demanding industry?
Melissa: Oooh, this is a hard one. Do cabaret!!!! I found that learning how to be myself and relax with an audience was key to getting more work, but also to learn how to be less fearful of the audience, and learn how to be more relaxed onstage. And I took those skills back into Musical Theatre with me (although my biggest note from directors is “Melissa, stop breaking the 4th wall”!
What advice would you give to aspiring performers, especially women looking to carve out a long lasting career in the arts?
Melissa: I think having the iron in a lot of fires is the only way to stay sane in this industry. Making your own work, although scary, is the only way to survive. I don’t think it is realistic to think that you will be able to do just Musical Theatre for the rest of your life. Look around at all the avenues of performing and learn how to do it. Reach out to sing/host local council Carols, Go to your local restaurant/cafe and start doing a duo act on a Sunday afternoon, record an album, put a show together that might be accessible to a paying audience, audition for a cruise, do some pro-am theatre, reach out to universities doing student films, learn how to do harmonies (I have been hired so many times because I can read music and do harmonies, and I taught myself to do it). It’s super hard, but it can be done.
MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL is playing an exclusive two-week season at Sydney’s iconic State Theatre.
For tickets and more information, CLICK HERE
Header photo by David Hooley
