The Wind in the Willows (The Australian Shakespeare Company) – outdoor music theatre review
Set in the magnificent Royal Botanic Gardens, The Australian Shakespeare Company’s The Wind in the…
Shrek: The Musical – musical theatre review
Strong, melodic voices and good-humoured banter characterise an ideal, fun-filled family musical. Showcase Entertainment Group brings our favourite green ogre and his irritating best friend, Donkey, to life on a Victorian and NSW tour. The musical is based on the 2001 Dreamworks Animation film and the 1990 book by William Steig. With book and lyrics…
Balloon Story (Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Sydney Showgrounds) – balloon exhibition
So joyful. So creative. So colourful. Simply astounding. I felt like a little kid, full of awe and wonder. Yes, these are my words. This is unquestionably one of the must-see exhibitions of your life, for there is nothing else like it. Forget balloons stretched, twisted and folded into a sausage dog. That is so…
The Wind in the Willows (The Australian Shakespeare Company) – outdoor music theatre review
Set in the magnificent Royal Botanic Gardens, The Australian Shakespeare Company’s The Wind in the Willows is a delightful family production, which never ages. I am pleased to be able to say that three decades on, it continues to resonate – strongly. That is due to a combination of colourful characters, mischief making, engaging songs…
The Wizard of Oz (PLOS) at Frankston Arts Centre – musical theatre review
Humour plays a significant part in PLOS’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Led melodically by the beautiful voice of Lana Hutchinson as Dorothy Gale (boy, can she hold a note), the comedic elements come from the scarecrow, tinman and lion. The ageless story is that of young Dorothy, who lives on a Kansas farm…
CATS 40th anniversary production (Hamer Hall and touring) – musical theatre review
The 40th anniversary production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical CATS is mesmerising – a real crowd pleaser. Superb prowling and dancing, choreographic excellence, an enticing set design and look at me performances are its hallmark. That is not to overlook moggie-appropriate costuming, attractive hair pieces and feline-friendly make-up. And who can forget the hissing…
New Year’s Eve and the Night Before Gala Concerts (Australian Pops Orchestra)
A spectacular four concert series over 11 days finishes in grand style with three of the doyens of musical theatre treading the boards. I run out of superlatives when I try to describe the phenomenal voices of Marina Prior, Lucy Durack and Simon Gleeson … for they are living treasures. Their depth, range, texture, tone…
Anastasia, at the Regent Theatre – musical theatre review
Grand performances, stunning staging and striking costuming characterise a musical adaptation of the 1997 animated film of the same name. The story concerns a legend surrounding the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. The tale begins in St Petersburg in 1906 when the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna Romanov (Nancye Hayes) bids farewell to her youngest…
The Idols of Musical Theatre (John Foreman’s Australian Pops Orchestra)
Maestro John Foreman met Casey Donovan, Paulini and Rob Mills on the set of Australian Idol more than 20 years ago. Foreman was the original musical director of the show and all four, including Foreman, have gone on to forge enviable careers. Put them together a couple of decades on and you have the makings…
Song Sung Blue (M) – 132 minutes
Song Sung Blue is a warts and all American biographical musical drama based around a couple of divorced tribute artists. When Mike Sardinia (Hugh Jackson) meets Claire Stengl (Kate Hudson) in 1987, she is singing Patsy Cline numbers. She gives him the idea of performing as Neil Diamond. Although there is a decade age difference…
The Housemaid (MA) – 131 minutes
A twisted, narcissistic tale, The Housemaid is a tense psychological thriller, one of the better examples of the genre in a domestic setting. Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney) is down, but not yet out. She has just been released from jail and is living rough in a very old car that has seen far better days….
