Inspired by one of the 20th century’s most powerful images, the photograph “Tank Man”, Chimerica tackles two decades of complex US-China relations alongside the personal stories that exist beyond the margins of history. We caught up with Matthew Backer during rehearsals to talk about this geopolitical thriller and what to expect from this latest production by Sydney…
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Legendary frontierswoman; notorious daredevil; profane storyteller; unwomanly radical – CALAMITY JANE is one of the most immediately recognizable figures of the old American West. And now, after a sell-out performance in August last year as part of Neglected Musicals, The Hayes Theatre is bringing the Wild West back in a “stripped-back, rough-and-ready reimagining” of the classic musical….
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King Roger, or Krol Roger, is a rarely performed Polish opera that takes you inside the conflicted mind of the King as he battles with the seduction of a hedonistic Shepard/God. And by “takes you inside” it means quite literally, for the main stage is a giant head- the hollowed back forming stairs and platforms…
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Opera Australia’s latest production of Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci is actually two operas performed back to back. Two quite distinct operas in their composition, and yet they lend themselves to the other so easily that it’s odd to try and think of them as distinct. This production, in particular, uses beautiful subtleties to link them even further….
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Ahead of the premiere of Institute at the Sydney Festival, the AU speaks with Amit Lahav, Artistic Director of the Gecko Theatre Company, who are bringing the show to Australia from the UK for an exclusive three night run. Can you talk about Institute and it’s meaning; how it came to life? It takes me…
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Kat chats with Dmitris Papaioannou ahead of the Australian premiere of his production, Still Life. Taking influence from the Greek myth of Sisyphus and Camus‘ essay on the same story, the performance takes a look at the human condition and the drive or ‘thirst’ for spirituality. Could you tell us a little about Still Life? About it’s meaning,…
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Opera Australia will present their latest production of the Szymanowski’s 20th-century masterpiece King Roger from the 20th January at the Sydney Opera House. The production is co-produced with the Royal Opera House and was first performed in Covent Garden. Playing the demanding role of the conflicted King Roger is Michael Honeyman. We caught up ahead of the production to…
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Bare is, in my opinion, one of the most underappreciated musicals. Ever since I first heard it it has been a favourite but I always knew the chance of seeing it live was going to be small. So when I read The Depot Theatre in Sydney were producing it I was extremely excited. I had some trepidation though,…
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Mack and Mabel is a musical that I hadn’t yet gotten around to listening or paying much attention to. When the Hayes announced that they were producing it however, I decided to take a nosy into what it was all about. From what I could garner the musical was a bit of a well-known, somewhat…
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Ahead of her new show Cathartic, Award-winning cabaret artist Catherine Alcorn toured around the US visiting some of the country’s most famous music sites. During the tour Catherine kept a travel diary so she could share the experience exclusively with the AU. Read about all of her exciting adventures below! Carthartic will be a one night only performance Wednesday…
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On Monday 21 November, stars of the Australian entertainment industry will come together at the Seymour Centre to perform in a ONE NIGHT ONLY concert – Out From Under 2016. The event is in response to the issue of mental health within the profession and aims at removing the stigma surrounding mental health by bringing…
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The very talented Linden Furnell (RENT, Violet, Kinky Boots) has been presented with the 2016 Rob Guest Endowment Award at the end of another fabulous Gala Concert full of the young talents of the musical theatre industry! The Rob Guest Endowment Award Gala Concert itself is always a wonderful night, spectacular for the six finalists who have the…
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Nijinsky is a ballet about the life of a ballet dancer- the eccentric Vaslav Nijinsky, whose popularity was such that girls even stole his underwear. But underneath his virtuosity and glittering characters was a man fighting with his mental instability- and all this is beautifully represented in this production by The Australian Ballet. The ballet…
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Speed The Plow is a somewhat calm and controlled satirical stab at the American movie business, at relationships and convenience, and at wanting to be a good person and yet always having to succumb in the end at the hands of money, money, money. As Bobby says in defeat: “I wanted to be good, but I became…
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The Eighth Wonder celebrates our glorious “cathedral”, the Sydney Opera House, and its history on its very own steps. As the audience take in the performance rising above it all in the most stunning of stage backdrops are the sails of the House itself- something truly spectacular. Entering the space you are given a small radio…
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The Rob Guest Endowment Award is presented annually to an emerging musical theatre performer selected by a panel of industry experts. This year’s recipient will be announced at a gala concert performance at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on the 14th November. We caught up with the six finalists in the week before to talk preparations, dream songs…
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There is a reoccurring joke in A Flea In Her Ear that plays out as such- one character will start “I saw this play…”, to which the other will interrupt to say “I’m sorry”. The initial character then waves away the sympathy, explaining, “it was short”. Having seen STC’s latest production of this play, my final…
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It’s the world’s first large-scale silent opera – staged by a cast of more than 100 performers on the grand staircase of the Sydney Opera House to a nightly audience of 3,000. The entire audience will be sitting on the forecourt under the stars wearing state of the art Audio Technica headphones, cocooned in a world…
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You can always rely on Hayes Theatre Co to bring the shows that you’ve always wanted to see but know in your heart that they’ll be a tough bring. Side Show is precisely one of these shows- with its big number “Who Will Love Me As I Am” and its notable conjoined twin role, it’s a rarely-performed…
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The most recent production of A Midsummer Nights Dream I had seen was The Australian Ballet’s interpretation last year, “The Dream”. The ballet was full of whimsical fairies and enchanted forests, the dancing light and airy as it retold Shakespeare’s fanciful story of love and folly. Here again in the Sydney Theatre Company’s latest adaption…
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Side Show is a stunning story of sisterhood based on the remarkable real-life story of Daisy and Violet Hilton- identical ‘Siamese twins’ who were joined at the hip. The sisters grew up touring America in a travelling ‘freak show’. But when their spectacular talent and charm was discovered, they became a national sensation and the highest-paid stars of…
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Fresh from covering the role of Jean Valjean in the recent national production of Les Misérables and previous international tours as a member of The Ten Tenors, Daniel Belle is now taking on the role of ex-vaudeville talent scout and agent Terry Connor in Hayes Theatre’s Side Show. We caught up to chat about this premiere production and his experience as a finalist…
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Rarely seen outside Europe and performed by The Australian Ballet for the first time, Nijinsky tells the story of a ballet icon Vaslav Nijinsky. We spoke with The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David McAllister about this masterpiece, that he calls “one of the most important ballets of our time”. Nijinsky is an acclaimed ballet about an…
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Sydney Theatre Company’s dark new interpretation of the beloved Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream opened at the Sydney Opera House this week. An interpretation that is anything but a fairytale. We caught up with Matt Backer during tech week to chat about this thrilling new production and about his character Puck, or who I shall henceforth refer…
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Personal sacrifice meets political thriller in Simon Boccanegra, an opera by a master of the genre- Giuseppe Verdi. We caught up with Opera Australia tenor Diego Torre, who played the Genoese gentleman and love-interest Gabriele Adorno in the opera, to discuss the twisting plot and the interesting challenges of Verdi operas. This is your debut in the role…
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After a very popular season in Melbourne, Songs For A New World has finally made its way to Sydney and we were ready! Well, sort of. Songs For A New World is one of those “musicals” that you kind of need to see in person, and its difficult to get a sense of really anything…
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Next month Sydney Theatre Company will be taking on Shakespeare’s whimsical tale of fairies and magic, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But it seems not all will be flittering wings and glittering sparkles in this latest adaption by the company’s interim artistic director Kip Williams. We caught up with STC favourite Josh McConville during rehearsals to discuss this…
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Having already amassed a large following for his piano covers on Youtube, all of which are arranged by ear alone, Samer Fanek has now released his debut album “Wishful Thinking”. The album features 13 original instrumental tracks- all of which Samer composed, performed and produced in his bedroom studio. It debuted at #12 on the US…
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Last Wednesday the Seymour Centre was alight with the exciting reveal of Squabbalogic’s 4th Mystery Musical- “Kiss Me Kate”! The evening is a brilliant fundraising event that helps bring much needed funds to the company to help support its future and give us more of it’s spectacular productions. It’s a night that has fast become…
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Everyone’s favourite splash hit musical is now in Sydney, singin’ and dancin’ on its way through its Australian tour. We caught up pre-show with Jack Chambers, who plays the blindingly bright ray of sunshine Cosmo Brown, to chat about the production, musical theatre, and jamming to 90s hits in your dressing room. You’ve been in…
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