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,…
I can’t speak highly enough of the comic might of Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (with libretto by Cesare Sterbini), as performed so adroitly by Opera Australia. If you have not seen this hilarious opera, let me draw a comparison to the cleverness inherent in arguably the finest popular British TV comedy Fawlty Towers….
What a great talent this man is. Reuben Kaye headlines a bawdy show to remember, introducing three Australian Opera headliners in the camped-up Opera Up Late. Making its first appearance in Melbourne, it has been a staple in Sydney since it was conceived by Kaye and award-winning director Shaun Rennie for WorldPride in 2023. It…
What a glorious production of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s choreographed Manon, which showcases all that is great about ballet. Featuring artists of The Australian Ballet with Orchestra Victoria, under the baton of Charles Barker, the staging is inspired, the costuming magnificent and the dancing sublime. Based on Abbé Prévost’s 1731 novel, love is pitted against money,…
Creative excellence and supreme artistry are the hallmarks of three short works that constitute The Australian Ballet’s new production, Prism. The trio is decidedly modern, starting with Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces. It starts with urgency, as people wearing striking pops of colour criss-cross one another, as they walk purposefully across the stage. Interspersed with that…
So much fun. Eddie is just perfect (bad pun for lead Eddie Perfect) as the smelly old demon Beetlejuice, in the riotous musical of the same name. Beetlejuice is bemoaning the fact that he is invisible and ignored by all unless he can get a living person to say his name three consecutive times. He…
Dark and dramatic comes this contemporary adaptation of Georges Bizet’s 19th-century opera. What choreographer John Inger has done in recreating Carmen is visionary – bold and breathtaking – retelling the tale captured in Prosper Mérimée’s 1845 novella. Inger has reimagined the classic opera, with its electric score, as realised by Orchestra Victoria, under the baton…
Spectacular. Creative (in short, it is visionary). Compelling. Nijinksy showcases the very best of The Australian Ballet. As the title suggests, it charts the rise and fall of acclaimed Russian dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky (12th March, 1889 – 8th April, 1950). Considered to be the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century, he…
From the opening words “oh, crap”, uttered by Sister Mary Lazarus, as played by the indomitable Rhonda Burchmore, we know Sister Act will be deliciously irreverent. In fact, it is a buoyant hoot, with some extraordinary musical performances and no shortage of colour and glitter. The show looks and sounds fabulous. What makes it so…
The prequel to The Wizard of Oz is back to delight anew and delight it most certainly does in a dazzling display at Melbourne’s finest theatre – the grand Regent. This is top shelf entertainment in every way. I speak of the talent, the choreography, the staging, the lighting and the sound. We are in the…
