John Stamos:
"contrary to the rumors, I am not replacing charlie sheen on two and a half men. however, martin sheen has asked me to be his son."
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Dr. Zhivago
When I heard that there was a production of Dr Zhivago as a musical, I was skeptical. Honestly, if it weren't for Anthony Warlow I wouldn't have gone. The concept didn't interest me, and with new musicals I'm dubious as to the quality of the music. However, if it's good enough for Anthony Warlow - who has the pick of any project he desires - then it's good enough for me. Mandy and I had seats front and centre in the grand circle. They were fabulous seats, and the best part is that we got them half-price through http://www.lasttixs.com.au/. So yes, we somehow had two of the best seats in the house, and paid half of what everybody else around us had. Lucky us!
The production had it's clunky moments, that is to be expected from any new show. I felt that the sets were a little too sparse, they could have made better use of the space with the overall design and really given a "wow" factor. The feel of the production is sparse and gloomy, similar to Fiddler on the Roof or Les Miserables, which is understandable given the subject matter. However I think that those productions do a better job of creating a world on the stage. Dr Zhivago tied the scenes together with a table and chair that remained on the stage throughout. It came across as an after-thought, as though they had consciously realised they were lacking something and thrown a table in for a bit of consistency. I wasn't loving it.
But the music! Superb! The themes repeated with beautiful consistency throughout the show, tying the story together artlessly. The music is fantastic, and the lyrics of several songs stuck in my head. The worst part? The soundtrack for the production is not yet finished, therefore no CDs are available. Because it's a brand new musical there are no videos on YouTube, no covers on iTunes, no way to relive the magic of the night by listening to the songs that are stuck in my head. I can't even find the lyrics anywhere! So I resort to watching the same promotional song over and over again.
A strong performance from Anthony Warlow, and his female leads kept up admirably. Fellow male lead Martin Crewe as Pasha was an absolute standout from an acting perspective (as well as having a great voice!) and I'll him to my list of performers to keep an eye on.
Just a warning about the sound effects - the gunfire is LOUD. I almost jumped out of my seat everytime. There are a few aspects such as that which they did very, very well. So while I wasn't loving the sets the special effects were well done and they created some very powerful scenes. From a staging perspective they often had multiple scenes happening at once, and that usually worked effectively, with the odd exception where the crossovers were confusing as people perhaps did not move quickly enough.
Grand circle was perfect for this show as they used the full depth of the stage, and we had a great view straight down the middle. Not a single audience member in sight for us, just like watching a movie at home. If I went again I would probably try the stalls just to get a little closer to the performers now that I've experienced the full production.
They say that it's hard to get Sydney on it's feet, but they sure were tempted this time around. From my perspective this is a raging success and will be doing the rounds for many years to come.
What: Dr Zhivago
Where: Lyric Theatre, StarCity Casino
Open until 2nd April, tickets through http://www.ticketmaster.com.au, and you can also buy tickets for the Melbourne season through Ticketek. Scheduled to be in Brisbane from July.
Hot:
The vocals, the music, the lyrics. Powerful and passionate characters brought to life.
Anthony Warlow!! :-)
Not:
It's a BIG story to fit into one show. You really feel that you're only getting a small tasting platter. There is no way around that, and overall the producers have done a great job of condensing the story into a workable version for stage.
The production had it's clunky moments, that is to be expected from any new show. I felt that the sets were a little too sparse, they could have made better use of the space with the overall design and really given a "wow" factor. The feel of the production is sparse and gloomy, similar to Fiddler on the Roof or Les Miserables, which is understandable given the subject matter. However I think that those productions do a better job of creating a world on the stage. Dr Zhivago tied the scenes together with a table and chair that remained on the stage throughout. It came across as an after-thought, as though they had consciously realised they were lacking something and thrown a table in for a bit of consistency. I wasn't loving it.
But the music! Superb! The themes repeated with beautiful consistency throughout the show, tying the story together artlessly. The music is fantastic, and the lyrics of several songs stuck in my head. The worst part? The soundtrack for the production is not yet finished, therefore no CDs are available. Because it's a brand new musical there are no videos on YouTube, no covers on iTunes, no way to relive the magic of the night by listening to the songs that are stuck in my head. I can't even find the lyrics anywhere! So I resort to watching the same promotional song over and over again.
A strong performance from Anthony Warlow, and his female leads kept up admirably. Fellow male lead Martin Crewe as Pasha was an absolute standout from an acting perspective (as well as having a great voice!) and I'll him to my list of performers to keep an eye on.
Just a warning about the sound effects - the gunfire is LOUD. I almost jumped out of my seat everytime. There are a few aspects such as that which they did very, very well. So while I wasn't loving the sets the special effects were well done and they created some very powerful scenes. From a staging perspective they often had multiple scenes happening at once, and that usually worked effectively, with the odd exception where the crossovers were confusing as people perhaps did not move quickly enough.
Grand circle was perfect for this show as they used the full depth of the stage, and we had a great view straight down the middle. Not a single audience member in sight for us, just like watching a movie at home. If I went again I would probably try the stalls just to get a little closer to the performers now that I've experienced the full production.
They say that it's hard to get Sydney on it's feet, but they sure were tempted this time around. From my perspective this is a raging success and will be doing the rounds for many years to come.
What: Dr Zhivago
Where: Lyric Theatre, StarCity Casino
Open until 2nd April, tickets through http://www.ticketmaster.com.au, and you can also buy tickets for the Melbourne season through Ticketek. Scheduled to be in Brisbane from July.
Hot:
The vocals, the music, the lyrics. Powerful and passionate characters brought to life.
Anthony Warlow!! :-)
Not:
It's a BIG story to fit into one show. You really feel that you're only getting a small tasting platter. There is no way around that, and overall the producers have done a great job of condensing the story into a workable version for stage.
Don't miss this one!!!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Don McLean
When approaching the bar for a drink, there are a number of things I might expect. If there's no queue, the person might smile as they see me walk up. Or they might be busy talking to a colleague, or cleaning the counter. What I don't expect is for them to call out to me: "Congratulations! You're the youngest person here!"
Yes, I was in a noticeably geriatric crowd at the Enmore on Tuesday for one of two Don McLean performances in Sydney. Ok, so some of the crowd were only in their 50-60 age bracket, but there were plenty who could easily have been on a night out from the nursing home, complete with walking sticks and a 50-something companion to lean upon the arm of. Interestingly enough, this made it a very pleasant and civilised crowd to be part of. I was writing some notes in between acts and must have dropped my pen when I thought I'd slipped it back into my bag. A lovely gentlemen from a few rows back picked it up for me and returned it with a friendly comment. For this I was grateful, as it is one of my favourite Parker pens and could easily have either been overlooked or pocketed. It was just that kind of crowd.
Don McLean is a truly talented songwriter. He is a true musician, through and through. As well as his own classics he performed a number of covers, treating us to what was clearly a "jam session" with his band. His rendition of the Beatles "In my Life" was beautiful. In betwen numbers he spoke passionately about his music, the inspiration for his songs, and topics that interest him. Don commented on the "one-chord wonders" that we hear on the radio today, and marvelled drily at how they can make music with just one chord. He's an old-school musician, mourning the talent and climate of yesteryear where his brand of music was more widely appreciated. At the same time, there is a passion in him to continue to play, to perform, to create. He is doing what he loves. The guys in his band have impressive skills - guitar, bass, drums and piano.
My favourite song by far is "Crossroads". It captures the poignancy that runs through much of McLean's songwriting. It's hard not to have a shiver run down your spine, sitting in the dark hearing those words. Other clear crowd favourites were "Vincent" and "Castles in the Air". Often, all it took was an opening chord for the audience to recognise what was coming and begin to cheer.
At the end he had the whole crowd sing along to "American Pie", and sing along we did. In case you don't remember, it's a very long song when you include all of the verses. I know most of them, thanks to the hours I spent listening to my Dad's Don McLean album as a little girl. That's what brought me here. When I first saw the show advertised I emailed my husband immediately to buy me a ticket (being tapped out at the time). Honestly, I had barely realised that Don McLean was still alive, let alone touring. He's a blast from the past.
When Don and the band departed the stage the audience continued clapping - there would have been a standing ovation, however unfortunately most of the audience struggle with standing at the best of times, and by now it was well after bedtime. Still, they clapped on, and were rewarded by the boys returning for one last number. They appeared to be extremely tired. But happy to be there.
All in all, a memorable night out, and I'm very glad to be able to say that I've seen Don McLean perform live.
Who: Don McLean
Where: Enmore Theatre
Did you know? Don McLean is the inspiration behind the song "Killing Me Softly", ultimately made famous by Roberta Flack. He is the musician whose performance inspired such feeling.
Yes, I was in a noticeably geriatric crowd at the Enmore on Tuesday for one of two Don McLean performances in Sydney. Ok, so some of the crowd were only in their 50-60 age bracket, but there were plenty who could easily have been on a night out from the nursing home, complete with walking sticks and a 50-something companion to lean upon the arm of. Interestingly enough, this made it a very pleasant and civilised crowd to be part of. I was writing some notes in between acts and must have dropped my pen when I thought I'd slipped it back into my bag. A lovely gentlemen from a few rows back picked it up for me and returned it with a friendly comment. For this I was grateful, as it is one of my favourite Parker pens and could easily have either been overlooked or pocketed. It was just that kind of crowd.
Don McLean is a truly talented songwriter. He is a true musician, through and through. As well as his own classics he performed a number of covers, treating us to what was clearly a "jam session" with his band. His rendition of the Beatles "In my Life" was beautiful. In betwen numbers he spoke passionately about his music, the inspiration for his songs, and topics that interest him. Don commented on the "one-chord wonders" that we hear on the radio today, and marvelled drily at how they can make music with just one chord. He's an old-school musician, mourning the talent and climate of yesteryear where his brand of music was more widely appreciated. At the same time, there is a passion in him to continue to play, to perform, to create. He is doing what he loves. The guys in his band have impressive skills - guitar, bass, drums and piano.
My favourite song by far is "Crossroads". It captures the poignancy that runs through much of McLean's songwriting. It's hard not to have a shiver run down your spine, sitting in the dark hearing those words. Other clear crowd favourites were "Vincent" and "Castles in the Air". Often, all it took was an opening chord for the audience to recognise what was coming and begin to cheer.
At the end he had the whole crowd sing along to "American Pie", and sing along we did. In case you don't remember, it's a very long song when you include all of the verses. I know most of them, thanks to the hours I spent listening to my Dad's Don McLean album as a little girl. That's what brought me here. When I first saw the show advertised I emailed my husband immediately to buy me a ticket (being tapped out at the time). Honestly, I had barely realised that Don McLean was still alive, let alone touring. He's a blast from the past.
When Don and the band departed the stage the audience continued clapping - there would have been a standing ovation, however unfortunately most of the audience struggle with standing at the best of times, and by now it was well after bedtime. Still, they clapped on, and were rewarded by the boys returning for one last number. They appeared to be extremely tired. But happy to be there.
All in all, a memorable night out, and I'm very glad to be able to say that I've seen Don McLean perform live.
Who: Don McLean
Where: Enmore Theatre
Did you know? Don McLean is the inspiration behind the song "Killing Me Softly", ultimately made famous by Roberta Flack. He is the musician whose performance inspired such feeling.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Cost of Life
"helping others is the rent we pay for living on this earth"
How awesome is that?
"Service is the rent we pay for living" Marian Wright Edelman / Shirley Chisholm
Sunday, February 6, 2011
For years now there has been an outcry against judging a person for their appearance.
It's pure hypocrisy though, because in reality we continue to idolize the beautiful
Appearances *do* matter. That is evident in our society and the way we behave.
And, IMHO, this isn't necessarily wrong. Why shouldn't appearances matter?
A beautiful garden, a beautiful building, a beautiful
Friday, February 4, 2011
STFU!!!!
I love reading http://www.stfucouples.com
Ok, so 90% of the time it's just mocking the revoltingly OTT sugar-coated nonsense of the sickeningly in love. And that annoys me, because even the most pathetic of us deserve to express ourselves, even if I personally disagree with the weird public way they choose to do so.
But every so often she writes a post that is just inspiring, a la: http://www.stfucouples.com/post/3087141970/stfu-for-gay-marriage
Good stuff. I love reading succinct, intelligent posts that highlight the lack of logic in homophobia. It takes all kinds to make up this world, and I'm willing to tolerate her intolerance of the sickeningly in love because I support her support for gay rights. That makes sense... doesn't it? Meh, we're all intolerant in our own ways, who am I to judge? I'm highly intolerant of poor spellers (pot, meet kettle) and they make me want to scream. But I restrain myself. Because my boss hates it when I attack my coworkers for using "apart of" instead of "part of" and generally mixing up words in an appalling abuse of the English language. So I hope that people can respect my weakness and acknowledge that I am very tolerant and supportive on other issues. Yay for freedom!
Ok, so 90% of the time it's just mocking the revoltingly OTT sugar-coated nonsense of the sickeningly in love. And that annoys me, because even the most pathetic of us deserve to express ourselves, even if I personally disagree with the weird public way they choose to do so.
But every so often she writes a post that is just inspiring, a la: http://www.stfucouples.com/post/3087141970/stfu-for-gay-marriage
Good stuff. I love reading succinct, intelligent posts that highlight the lack of logic in homophobia. It takes all kinds to make up this world, and I'm willing to tolerate her intolerance of the sickeningly in love because I support her support for gay rights. That makes sense... doesn't it? Meh, we're all intolerant in our own ways, who am I to judge? I'm highly intolerant of poor spellers (pot, meet kettle) and they make me want to scream. But I restrain myself. Because my boss hates it when I attack my coworkers for using "apart of" instead of "part of" and generally mixing up words in an appalling abuse of the English language. So I hope that people can respect my weakness and acknowledge that I am very tolerant and supportive on other issues. Yay for freedom!
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