Author: Kara Bertoncini

MICF Review: Matt Okine: We Made You (Performances until April 2nd)

Triple J Breakfast just isn’t the same without the dream team Matt and Alex. I really miss listening to their friendly banter and views on certain issues that overwhelm our society, so it was a no-brainer to head along to Matt Okine‘s one-man show and have a good ol’ catch up. Okine’s style of comedy is really…

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Interview: finding our true north with Wanderlust 108 festival director Jonnie Halstead

Wanderlust 108 is the world’s largest yoga and lifestyle event in the world and, in returning for it’s third Australian and New Zealand tour, is set to bring an air of inspiration and exploration to Sydney, Auckland, Brisbane and Melbourne. We cannot wait to dive into the concept of Wanderlust even further when it comes…

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MICF Review: Why you HAVE to see Trainspotting Live (Performances in Melbourne until April 13)

This will be the best night out at the theatre you will ever experience. But be warned; no one is safe. If you’re not into audience participation then this show probably isn’t for you but I’m telling you now if you miss this show you will be sorry. Fresh from sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival…

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National Theatre Live has done it again, this time with Hedda Gabler (In Select Cinemas from 1st April)

I officially have a new hobby – seeing any National Theatre Live film that comes to Australia. This is a genius concept that has been going on for a number of years but this particular viewing was my first time. Imagine being able to see the best of British theatre at the cinemas?! Genius I tell…

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Dance Review: The Australian Ballet bring yet another triple bill masterpiece to audiences with Faster (performances commence in Sydney on April 7)

There is nothing quite like seeing a contemporary ballet reflect the world in which we live in. For such a traditional dance form where discipline is paramount in the execution of movement, to see such fluidity and freedom amidst the dancers is refreshing and forward-thinking. The Australian Ballet‘s Artistic Director David McAllister says this triple…

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Forget the “City of Churches”. Why Adelaide should be known as the “City of Festivals”

Last year when I visited South Australia I completely bypassed the city and went straight to coastal town Middleton. While Middleton was stunning and reminded me a lot of Perth, I was very eager this time around to unveil the mystery around the city of Adelaide itself. Mad March has become nationally recognised as the time…

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Top 5 Aussie and Top 5 International Acts to see at the 2017 Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Oh yes, people! It’s that time of year again where Melbourne becomes a haven for the utterly hilarious and outrageous. We thought we’d help you out with five Aussie and international acts to see at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The programme is a cracking one but here’s our input to help make your decision…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: Kevin Quantum: Illuminations is a whirl of entertaining magic. (10.3.17)

It’s not every day you get to see a magician live on stage who has been mentored by the best in the world, Penn and Teller. Kevin Quantum, AKA Kevin McMahon, was a regular guy once, a scientist in fact, but in the mid-2000s, a popular reality TV show called Faking It saw him chosen to be trained in a…

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Theatre Review: Ladies in Black will be spoken about for years to come (Performances at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne to March 19)

It’s so refreshing when an original piece of work is brought to a wider audience, especially one that shines a light on a snippet of Australian history. Ladies in Black had such a successful premiere season last year that they’ve come back to delight audiences once again, this time touring to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and ending in…

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A good old fashioned girlie chat with Broadway star Sierra Boggess

For those lucky enough to call Sierra Boggess their friend, sister, colleague, a former colleague, teacher or otherwise, they get to experience a ray of sunshine each and every day. The Broadway star is headed to our shores in a few months but we got to chat with her in the lead up to her…

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Asia TOPA Review: The Red Detachment of Women is visually spectacular, but politically controversial.

It’s not every night you go to the theatre to see a show and arrive at a protest. Well, that’s exactly what we encountered on the opening night of a very politically charged ballet work called The Red Detachment of Women. It’s important to understand why there is a backlash to such a show and perhaps…

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Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017 – What we know!

The MICF is set to take over Australia’s comedy capital from Wednesday, March 29th until Sunday, April 23rd. Here’s what we know so far! The Gala Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow will be hosted by none other than Wil Anderson. The 28th annual Great Debate takes over the Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday April 15, as six…

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We speak to Creative Director of Asia TOPA Stephen Armstrong in the lead up to the 2017 festival

In the lead up to one of Melbourne’s most distinguished cultural festivals Asia TOPA, we had an in-depth chat with Creative Director Stephen Armstrong about the significance of such a curation of work and one show in particular, The Red Detachment of Women. What is the idea behind Asia TOPA? There are so many amazing creators and…

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Review: The Book of Mormon is worthy of all the hype (Now playing at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne)

The Book of Mormon has been one of the most talked about musicals to ever make its way down under, and this weekend the Australian premiere was held in Melbourne to officially commence its long awaited run on our shores – some six years after it made box office history in New York City. The comedic…

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Shimmerlands delivers an incredible program of outdoor cinema, music and culinary culture to Melbourne

The Melbourne creatives behind Shimmerlands have stepped beyond the usual realm of arts and culture festivals with an outstanding collaborative program between Shadow Electric and the University of Melbourne. Now at the half way point, this two-month long festival has been wowing audiences with the stellar curation of films and live music acts night after night….

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Theatre Review: Dusty The Musical – Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne (until December 4)

The final show for The Production Company‘s 2016 season ended with a dazzling reincarnation of Dusty The Musical. The look, the legend and the music. Three attributes that describe this show in all its glory with an outstanding leading lady in Amy Lehpamer. Over the years we have seen Lehpamer grow into the performer she is…

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Talking all things fashion and music with Client Liaison

The Client Liaison boys Harvey and Monte are always ahead of the trends and are known for their on point #farshun choices. Honestly, how do we keep up? Thanks to a collaboration with Kirsty Barros, this luxury summer line brings us every bit of peach and lime goodness in stylish apparel and accessories. It’s hard to feel…

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Barry Conrad catches us up on Grease and his upcoming year in theatre

Chats with Barry Conrad always consist of many belly laughs, lots of talk about food and somehow getting off the phone with an extra pep in your step. The guy has been hard at work yet again having just been announced to play Kenickie in Grease – The Arena Experience. We couldn’t be happier for Barry….

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Getting to know the Lisa Wilkinson behind the camera

We all know Lisa Wilkinson as co-host of the Today show on Channel 9, but now we are about to see her work as she steps behind the camera. In her first photographic exhibition, Wilkinson celebrates Australian women with 10 powerful portraits of those who have both inspired her and influenced modern Australia. The series includes Asher Keddie, Deborah-Lee Furness, Dame…

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A quick chat with Bonnie Anderson as she makes her musical theatre debut in Godspell Reimagined

Back in 2007, a young 12-year-old blew us away with her powerhouse vocals on the reality TV show Australia’s Got Talent. Bonnie Anderson took out the title and has since carved a very successful recording career for herself. Ever challenging herself and growing in her artistry, Anderson is now venturing into the world of musical…

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Review: Kinky Boots is filled with colour and heart – Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne (Performances until January 15th)

11 years ago, Kinky Boots burst onto the big screen starring Hollywood A-listers Chiwetel Ejiofor (Love Actually, 12 Years A Slave) as Lola, and our very own Joel Edgerton (Felony, Animal Kingdom) as Charlie. Inspired by a true story, this heartwarming family film was nominated for various awards and rightfully so, caught the attention of one of…

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Banksy exhibition unveiled in Melbourne, but we still don’t know who Banksy is!

After a viral video caused the media to spiral into a frenzy about the alleged sighting of renowned street artist Banksy, we can confirm it was absolutely not him. So who is Banksy? Well, we still don’t know. It doesn’t really matter in a sense because the work speaks for itself. Today, an 80-piece exhibition…

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Chelsey Crisp offers a fresh perspective of “being in the biz”; talks In-Lawfully Yours & Fresh Off The Boat

After years of striving to reach her dream, Chelsey Crisp has finally found herself in a really good place – as the lead of the new movie In-Lawfully Yours while starring in ABC’s Fresh Off The Boat. This actress has been through it all and paved the way for a longstanding career. Crisp’s insider perspective into LA and…

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LANY (US) on their new EP kinda, touring Europe and more!

If you’ve never heard of LA based band LANY, well now you have. After surprising Paul Klein, Les Priest and Jake Goss with a fresh packet of double chocolate Tim Tams all the way from Oz – which by the way they loved, even describing them as starting off “real buttery but then finishes with…

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Choreographer Matthew Bourne stops in Melbourne to announce his latest venture. We got the inside scoop.

This man needs no introduction, but alas, we’ll give him one anyway! Matthew Bourne is a pioneer in the arts industry, taking dance to wider audiences. Next year, his latest venture Lord of the Flies will find a home exclusively in Melbourne. Based on the novel by William Golding comes an inventive show unlike any…

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Theatre Review: Aladdin – Capitol Theatre, Sydney (performances until November 20th)

And just like that, the biggest show to open in Australia this year has blown the socks off audiences. Ever since it was announced to make its Australian debut, the hype surrounding Disney’s classic Aladdin has been immense, with industry professionals and theatre lovers alike counting down the days until opening night. Every childhood memory…

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Dance Review: Jump First, Ask Later – Arts Centre, Melbourne (Performances until August 6th)

Here is a dance show that is so much more than just a dance show. What Jump First, Think Later brings to audiences is a poignant and raw tale of six young parkour and urban dancers who represent Australia’s wonderful multiculturalism. The narrative of this 50-minute show is really heartwarming as Joe Carbone, Johnny Do, Justin Kilic, Jimmy James…

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Dance Review: Nederlands Dans Theater – Arts Centre, Melbourne (22.06.16)

It’s not often you attend a show and leave feeling completely enamoured. Dance is such an expressive form of the human body and to see the physical and emotional commitment from every single dancer on the stage was spellbinding. We had a chat with Artistic Director Paul Lightfoot in the lead up to the Nederlands…

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Cabaret Review: I See Me & Meryl Streep – The Space Dance & Arts Centre, Melbourne (21.06.16)

If you could have any famous person play you in a film, who would you choose? For most it would be the Blake Lively type, or Megan Fox. Oh no. Not for young actress Alexandra Keddie.  The love affair – more like obsession – Keddie has with Ms Streep is so endearing. It actually says a lot about her…

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Barry Conrad lets us in on the inner workings of his beautiful mind

This interview was so much more than your standard interview, and Barry Conrad is so much more than meets the eye. Here is a guy who has worked on fulfilling every part of his being and genuinely wants to leave his mark on the world. Not only is he undeniably talented, but he has a good…

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