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 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…
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….
There is acting and then there is ACTING. Phillip Vandarploeug (Brendan Fraser) is an American actor who has lived in Japan for the past seven years. Thus far, his big claim to fame is playing a superhero in a toothpaste commercial. In other words, he is still looking for a meaty role and his funds…
Bernadette Robinson brings sizzle to the Melbourne Recital Centre, paying homage to some of the greatest female singers to have played at Carnegie Hall. It is an emotion-charged 85-minute set with the 40-piece Australian Pops Orchestra, conducted by David Young, featuring musical director Mark Jones on piano. Time and again, Robinson extracts maximum value from…
Christmas came early to the Melbourne Recital Centre, as the mellifluous voice of Silvie Paladino filled the concert hall with glad tidings. She was the starring artiste warbling carols to the musical accompaniment of conductor John Foreman’s spectacular Australian Pops Orchestra. It was an afternoon and evening of celebration (there were actually two concerts) after…
If today’s media call is anything to go by, those attending one, several or all of the Australian Pops Orchestra’s concerts over the next fortnight are in for a special treat. Maestro John Foreman AM is looking to spread joy, happiness and optimism over the festive season. He will be doing so with his magnificent…
The ugly threat of colonialism looms large in Brodie Murray’s well realised Soul of Possum. We are on the Murray River – Wamba Wamba country – in 1853. Suddenly, the bush is devoid of its usual wildlife. There is an unseen danger. Wirramanda (Balla Neba) tries to warn brothers from another clan, but they are…
Come From Away is a brilliantly composed, intense and emotional musical. So much so, that it gets me every time. When I first saw it, I thought I had seen nothing like it. Now, several years later, having attended several productions, I feel the same way. Perhaps that is why I keep coming back to…
Imagine losing the love of your life on your wedding night, only to have the chance to win her back from the underworld, subject to strict conditions. Surely, you’d back yourself. But wait, the story gets much darker because although you and your wife are reunited, the conditions are too much to bear. In short,…
