After several decades, with the release of the animated film The Addams Family, I can finally come clean. I had a crush on Carolyn Jones who played Morticia Addams in the original live action television series (1964-66). I also thought Christina Ricci was well cast as Morticia’s daughter, Wednesday, in the subsequent cinematic adaptations (The…
It’s a story as old as time – a rising star burns bright but is cut down before achieving greatness. But Gary Hart’s fall – at least as depicted in Jason Reitman’s compelling The Front Runner – is more spectacular than most. Reitman has always been an astute observer of human nature. From his exploration…
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.”: Bill Shankly. The one-time Liverpool manager’s quip plays out on a far more profound level in The Keeper. And while football plays a significant role in Marcus H. Rosenmüller’s drama, it’s certainly not its sole…
What distinguishes Dance X is creativity and excellence in diverse forms of movement and the emotion it generates. Make no mistake, feelings surface and explode – that is certainly true in my case. There is a primal connection to the art form. In a special fortnight of dance at Arts Centre Melbourne, I started with…
Between the Streetlight and the Moon is a new Australian play by, Melita Rowston. It was shortlisted for both the STC Patrick White Award and The Silver Gull Award. Zadie (Lucy Miller) is an art academic/curator and PHD candidate, the Phd concerning the Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) and her possible illicit relationship with her…
When the most advanced “toy” in history goes rogue, lives are at stake in Gerard Johnstone’s engaging horror sci-fi thriller M3gan. Nine-year-old Cady (Violet McGraw) is on a trip to the snow with her parents when she is in a car accident that leaves her bloodied and claims their lives. That leaves her in the…
Pre-show music and mingling sets the tone of The Neighbourhood, as the show’s performers (Cieavash Arean, Nima Doostkhah, Aurora Liddle-Christie, Dr Matt Hsu, Naavi Karan, Anisa Nandula and Amer Thabet) converse with the audience to prompt conversation around consideration of our neighbourhoods. Clearly, the concept of home is a complicated and abstract one and it…
It is a joy of gargantuan proportions to witness Handa Opera’s La Traviata in all its passionate glory on Sydney Harbour, with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House and Sydney skyline as a spectacular backdrop. A massive chandelier – frequently lit up in many a hue – hovers above the stage throughout, held fast by…
A sensational, largely musical tribute to Grey Gardens, House of Rot resonates … and how, from the first note. Grey Gardens was a derelict 14-room mansion in the wealthy neighbourhood of East Hampton in New York. It was populated by two reclusive, upper-class women – a mother and daughter. Their names were Edith Ewing Bouvier…
A journey through art, music, love and the finer things in life is now on at the Ensemble Theatre. Master Class is an illuminating look at the interesting life and career of Maria Callas, arguably the greatest soprano of the twentieth century. The scene is the Julliard School of the Arts in the 1970’s. Ageing…
