Fear of coming out and the judgment associated with doing so are the subject of a new musical, focusing on the LGBTQIA+ community. A cast of 21 sings and shimmies its way through 16 numbers, including a reprise, as the story surrounding the final days of a political campaign unfold. It is 2017, at the…
This all singing, all dancing, hit song fest just gets better and better, year after year. What a show! What a production! Elvis may have officially left the building, but Bill Cherry, for one, does a mighty job of looking and sounding like The King, who would have turned 90 this week. And he’s up…
It’s lively. It’s cheery. It upends political correctness. In fact, it is the perfect holiday treat. I speak of School of Rock The Musical, featuring the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Julian Fellowes. Based on the 2003 film, which was a hit for Jack Black, who played…
What a glorious way to bring in the New Year! Witness three powerhouse performances from musical theatre royalty, accompanied by conductor John Foreman’s Australian Pops Orchestra. It is the stuff of goosebumps. Silvie Paladino, Paulini and Josh Piterman lay it all on the line. Emotional resonance is palpable throughout. Many times, I had a lump…
One woman is a kleptomaniac who awoke to see her lawyer husband in bed next to her doing the horizontal rumba with a stranger. Another is an orphan and inveterate liar who lived with and was carer to her recently deceased grandmother. Then nanna died and she was left penniless. Both are friendless loners. Both…
Poignant and compelling, the Australian premiere of six-time Tony Award winner Dear Evan Hansen – about a socially anxious 17-year-old – is a theatrical triumph. Steven Levenson (who received the gong for Best Book) has injected warmth and humour into the slice of life drama that makes for an enthralling narrative. Powerful and resounding music…
As the countdown to Christmas fast approaches, Queensland Ballet’s stunning presentation of The Nutcracker has arrived to unwrap the festive season in style. Queensland Ballet has been dazzling audiences with this iconic festive staple by Ben Stevenson OBE since 2013, featuring all the beloved characters alongside Tchaikovsky’s timeless score. Set on Christmas Eve, The Nutcracker…
The Nest Ensemble’s Wanderings is immediately reassuring. The intimacy of Queensland Theatre’s Diane Cilento Studio is elevated by the staging of its initial cozy home setting of throw rugs, garden greenery in which to enjoy a cup of tea and a whole heap of post-it note reminders. The stationery, we soon learn is for the…
Whether it has become an annual pilgrimage or if you are seeing it for the first time, The Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol is an outstanding, heartfelt production. Each year, the starring role goes to a different actor. Now it is Erik Thompson who plays Ebenezer Scrooge with distinction. In the first Australian showing two…
Just how far has society moved forward in 2024? We say we embrace the LGBTQIA+ community and yet not one AFL footballer has yet come out as openly gay. Why, one should reasonably ask? And the obvious answer remains: due the potential consequences, both on and off the field. Oh, the shame of that ……
