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…
Musical theatre magic is captured by the MSO, conducted by Jessica Gethin, with two of the finest exponents of their craft, who have made it big in the West End. I speak of the vocal clarity, dexterity and brilliance of soprano Amy Manford and tenor Josh Piterman, who have starred in The Phantom of the…
What is the highest compliment you can pay a tribute band, in this case one that looks at the life and times of the most successful folk rock duo in history? Simon & Garfunkel sold more than 100 million records. The answer is simple: shut your eyes and they sound just like the real deal….
Magicians, comedians and crowd pleasers extraordinaire with the Midas touch … and they have been doing it for 50 years. Oh my! In a nutshell, the statuesque and demonstrative Penn Jillet with the sharp patter and the diminutive, usually silent Teller are magnificent entertainers. From humble beginnings in the 1970s to becoming the longest-running resident…
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…
Goosebumps! That is what I had while watching and listening to three of Australia’s preeminent musical theatre performers on stage with the Aussie Pops Orchestra. The occasion was one of three New Year’s Eve & The Night Before Gala Concerts at Hamer Hall (included amongst them was a matinee). Complete with a 60-piece orchestra, the mastery of their…
It is the 13th century and we are with German poet and singer Tannhäuser (Stefan Vinke). Having left the company of his fellow troubadours, he has given himself over to lust in another world inhabited by the goddess Venus (Anna-Louise Cole). But he longs for his old life and so he leaves, only to find himself…
With the 50th anniversary of the moon landing in our very recent past, why not stage a space themed circus? Why not, indeed? And the producers of the hit shows The Illusionists, Circus 1903 and Le Noir, have done just that. Several of the acts in the two-hour production, including interval, that is Cirque Stratosphere…
