SPOTLIGHT: Dusty the Musical - The Soundtrack of a Generation, Live In Concert

Samantha Hancock
Jun 4
5 min read

"If you put an album on of hers, you do not hear her age. You only hear amazing musicality. And you're drawn in."

- Amy Lehpamer as Dusty Springfield

“Whether you know who Dusty was or not, you’ll leave this show knowing her — and loving her.”

- Director Jason Langley

Dusty The Musical – In Concert is set to dazzle Brisbane audiences when it takes over the QPAC Concert Hall from 5–8 June 2025.

Presented by Prospero Arts, this semi-staged celebration brings to life the remarkable story of Dusty Springfield — a pop icon whose voice, style, and spirit helped define a generation. From her early beginnings as Mary O’Brien to her meteoric rise as an international star, Dusty’s story is one of grit, glamour, and unforgettable music.

Featuring beloved hits like “Son of a Preacher Man”, “The Look of Love”, and “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”, the show promises a soul-stirring journey through the swingin’ sixties to the nineties, backed by a live onstage band conducted by Brendan Murtagh with musical supervision by David Young. Taking centre stage is the incredible Amy Lehpamer, returning to the role of Dusty. She’s joined by director Jason Langley and choreographer Michael Ralph, reuniting the dream team behind the acclaimed 2016 Melbourne production.

I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Amy Lehpamer and Jason Langley to chat about what it’s like to step into the world of Dusty, why this music still resonates so deeply, and the magic that’s in store for Brisbane audiences.

A Legend Reborn

“Dusty really was a woman that defined pop music,” says lead performer Amy Lehpamer, returning to the role after nearly a decade. Amy admits, returning to this role after nearly 10 years — now as a mother and a married woman — gave her a new perspective.

“It’s like my body remembers it, but my brain is catching up. I’m finding new things about Dusty. It’s more than muscle memory, it’s like returning to an old friend with a new lens. But there’s a different maturity now. Some scenes hit completely differently.”

“She led with her heart. Her artistry, her creativity, and her joy for performing were unmatched — but offstage, her life was filled with complexity, contradictions, and struggle.”

In rehearsal, Amy captures that duality with devastating clarity. I was lucky enough to witness two musical numbers — "You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me" and "Dancing in the Street" — and both gave me chills. The first was filled with anguish, Amy’s bright vocals swelling with heartbreak, her facial expressions flickering with Dusty's inner turmoil. The second was a high-energy, choreographed celebration of Dusty's connection to the Motown scene, featuring classic doo-wop backing vocals and a bursting sense of joy from the entire cast. The harmonies popped, the choreography was clean and sharp, and the ensemble exuded the tight-knit chemistry of a well-oiled machine. And what a cast. “They’re phenomenal,” Amy beams. “I’m so inspired by them.”

A Visual and Musical Feast

Directed by Jason Langley, who also helmed the 2016 revival, this Brisbane debut of Dusty – The Concert isn’t just a rehash of what came before — it’s an evolution.

“The original version of the show has changed a lot,” Jason shares. “We’ve refined it, reimagined it, and now we get to bring it to Brisbane for the very first time.”

He’s not exaggerating when he says this is more than a concert. With over 80 wigs, five LED screens, and AV animations by Craig Wilkinson, the show spans five decades of fashion and music, taking audiences from the 1950s all the way to Dusty's final year in 1999.

“Dusty was a fashion trailblazer as much as a musical one,” Jason says. “And the design celebrates that. You’ll see most of her iconic looks, set against a huge catalogue of her music performed live on stage by nine top-tier Brisbane musicians.”

More Than Just the Hits

While the show features unforgettable songs like I Only Want to Be with You, I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten, and Middle of Nowhere (a personal favourite of both Amy and Jason), it's the story that elevates this performance from tribute to theatre.

“Dusty was dictatorial in the studio — she knew what she wanted and she made it happen. She was a perfectionist, a visionary, and completely singular in her sound.”

Amy shares the stage with Nikola Gucciardo portraying a young Mary O’Brien (Dusty’s birth name), whose presence haunts the story like a memory made flesh. This dual-performance structure gives audiences rare insight into the inner emotional battles of a woman who was constantly reinventing herself while wrestling with a past she could never quite escape.

“She’s not just in the opening scene,” Jason explains. “She lingers. That inner child — the one who was overlooked, who didn’t feel beautiful — she stays with Dusty for life. And that’s such a human, relatable element. It’s really moving.”

A Story Worth Telling

More than just a musical biography, Dusty – The Concert paints a vivid portrait of a woman at

war with herself — balancing fame with fear, perfection with pain, and glamour with grief. As a queer woman in a less accepting era, Dusty’s personal life was layered with struggles that remain strikingly relevant.

“We use the word ‘icon’ a lot these days,” Amy muses, “but Dusty really was one. And her life story isn’t sugar-coated. She was queer. She was battling mental health issues and substance abuse. She was a perfectionist, often at odds with herself and the world around her.”

Langley adds:

“It’s about what happens to creative people who weren’t the most popular kids in school — how the thing that allowed them to blossom can also be the thing that holds them back.”

About more than just nostalgia, Dusty's story still resonates today — in a world where we’re still fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, mental health awareness, and women’s equality in the music industry.

“She was an enigma in her time,” Amy says. “Her music was bold, her fashion was bold, but her personal identity — her queerness, her mental health — that all had to be hidden. And it hurt her. But she still created beauty out of that pain.”

Don’t Miss It

With its blend of powerhouse vocals, iconic fashion, and heartfelt storytelling, Dusty The Musical – In Concert offers a vibrant celebration of a true music legend. With only four performances across one week, this is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it event. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Dusty or only know her name in passing, this production promises to blow the socks off audiences with its artistry, intimacy, and story that needs to be told.

So, come for the hits and stay for the heart.