‘Mamma Mia’ brings feel-good magic to The Q
What's what and who's who in the arts this week? Here's HELEN MUSA's weekly "Arts in the City" column.
April Fool’s Day prank falls flat
An ill-judged April Fool’s email has sent shock waves around the local musical theatre community, writes arts editor HELEN MUSA.
Carby wears the trousers in ‘La Clemenza’
Well-known for her "trouser roles", mezzo-soprano Catherine Carby will play Sesto in National Opera's “La Clemenza di Tito”.
‘Fangirls’ captures the teenage mindset with captivating precision
You don’t have to be 14 to enjoy “Fangirls”. Whether you've been 14, or are going to be 14, you shouldn’t miss this brilliant production, writes reviewer BILL STEPHENS.
‘Chill’ teens perform with enthusiasm and enjoyment
On a bare stage with minimal set pieces, director Glynis Stokes has produced a highly enjoyable show with a large, enthusiastic cast of young performers, writes reviewer LEN POWER.
Review / Musical quickly deflates into a mess
Sadly, the lack of anything of quality in the music department meant there was no rising in this show; it was but a soggy, deflated mess, writes reviewer IAN McLEAN about “Margaret Fulton the Musical”.
The ‘Fangirls’ up for a wild time flirting with fame
“It’s pure theatre, it’s wild and it’s super-charged with the idea that teenage girls can achieve anything if they put their minds to it,” says "Fangirls" director Paige Rattray.
Teens thrill to sensation that is ‘Be More Chill’
“Mention it to anyone over the age of 21 and they’ll give you a blank look, but mention it to any 15-year-old and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about.” Here comes "Be More Chill".
The Q was alive… with the ‘Sound of Music’
"The audience sensed that this production was going to be special. And indeed it was.," writes "Sound of Music" reviewer BILL STEPHENS.
Queanbeyan Players sing their ‘favourite things’
The Queanbeyan Players will be singing some of their favourite things with “The Sound of Music" coming up at The Q later this week, writes arts editor HELEN MUSA.
Skilful singing in a ‘tight, taut and terrific’ production
Central to the success of any production of “Jersey Boys” is the ability to reproduce the distinctive sounds of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and Philo has been able to achieve this, says reviewer BILL STEPHENS.
Cast gives a taste of ‘Be More Chill’
The enthusiastic young cast of “Be More Chill” gave Canberrans a taste of the show in Garema Place today, writes LEN POWER.
Love at all costs heralds opera’s grand return
When Opera Australia emerged recently from a year of closures and lockdown, it did so in a grand manner, writes arts editor HELEN MUSA.
Clingan takes theatre back to basics
In the midst of and lamentations over the cancellation of large-scale theatre events, composer Judith Clingan last week delivered a timely reminder that theatre is about people, not technology, writes arts editor HELEN MUSA.
Cancelled ‘Shrek’ won’t stop John Frost
THE Canberra Theatre's just cancelled staging of “Shrek”, was to have been the first Canberra gambit by Australia’s top producer of musicals, John Frost, since 1991.
Theatre centre postpones ‘Shrek The Musical’
The Canberra Theatre Centre has made the "difficult decision" to postpone the upcoming season of "Shrek The Musical".
‘Shrek’ announcement leaves theatre staff ‘ogre-joyed’
'Shrek the Musical' is coming to the Canberra Theatre Centre from February 14, it has been announced today (December 11), by its newish director Alex Budd.
Triumph for acrobatics, magic and dance
IN a singular triumph for acrobatics, magic and dance over acting, plot and emotional engagement, the Tony-award winning production of “Pippin“ opened at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney, writes arts editor HELEN MUSA.
‘Wharfians’ master the right amount of comedy in tragedy
Each performer mastered the necessary stretch to get on top of the delicate balance between the comic and the tragic, writes reviewer JOE WOODWARD of the "The Wharf Revue: Good Night and Gook Luck".
Dara shines at Wakakirri
Daramalan College has taken out the Secondary Story of the Year Award for its story-dance video in the 2020 Wakakirri Challenge.
PUZZLES
TOP STORIES
Sell-out play turns on the irony of denial and evil
ACTOR Robyn Nevin agreed that "Brunhilde" suggested an Amazonian kind of image, but the character she’s about to perform in Canberra was in fact small and quite forgettable in appearance.
