2007

LA TRAVIATA - Saturday 3 February - Sydney Opera House

This was great, one of the better opera's I have seen, opulent staging, great music and acting. Totally enthralling.

DUNGEON BIG BAND - Sunday 18 February - Lake Macquarie Performing Arts Centre

The venue is incredibly ordinary, but I would not expect anything less from Council given their track record with architecture. It was the first time I had seen anything there, and the place has been open for a few years. The only good thing about it is that it is a 5 minute walk from my house. However, the Dungeon Big Band were fabulous, they had some singing but it was mostly great instrumentals, cannot remember actual songs but I recall they selected less popular ones, although most I did know. I would see the Band again in a flash, not so interested in going back to the Centre....although I did just last year and performed my singing exam in one of the back rooms.....a totally disasterous event....the less said the better.

ALCINA - Saturday 10 March - Sydney Opera House

This was not one of our better choices, who knew Handel did Opera? On paper it sounded quite amazing, a baroque opera, set on a magical island with amazing set design and dance interludes etc etc. I mean, who does not love the harpsichord...it is a beautiful instrument you just do not hear enough these days? Well, I now know why, an hour or so of harpsichord and indeed baroque is gorgeous, after that, fingernails down a chalk board and this Opera goes for over 3 hours!!!!!!! It was a looooooong afternoon.

The set was amazing, beautiful, a lot to look at, but the story was slow and dreary, the singing lovely but sleep inducing and the dance whimsical. At least in each of the breaks (there were 3!!!) we could go outside and look over the harbour and let the cool breeze wake us up. Look it was pretty and sweet, but just stretched out way too long and the music too repetitive and sleep inducing!

ULTRA SWING LOUNGE - Saturday 31 March - Civic Theatre

I have reported on Ultra Swing before and as always amazing, great music, set, singing, humour - the whole package, wish I lived in the 30s and 40s, life would have been grand!

MACBETH - Saturday 23 June - Civic Theatre

This was the worst ever Shakespeare I had seen, the few years prior to this Bell Shakespeare were irritating me, John Bell did not seem to have as much to do with the company, Anna Volska less roles and the great actors that seemed to act within the ranks were no longer in the plays. This year was always going to be a breaking point, it is just a shame it had to be Macbeth.

Macbeth is my favourite Shakespeare, it was the first play I was introduced to and I fell in love...I mean, how can you not, witches and mystery, trees that walked (So Lord of the Rings), Lady Macbeth (a truly delightfully evil character with OCD nonetheless!), gorgeous Macduff, plus murder and betrayal and all the things that make Shakespeare wonderful.

So the witches emptied their plasic shopping bags of bits and pieces into a pissy looking cauldron!!! Plastic shopping bags, I nearly fell over the balcony! Yeah, we had marvellous seats upstairs, front row middle. The staging left a LOT to be desired and the acting was shocking. The sound was not great and a lot of dialogue could not be heard and then there was Lady Macbeth!!!!

One of the strongest roles for a woman and she gave the weakest, patheticist (is that a word?) interpretation I have ever seen, I was appalled. I recall Mary texting during the performance and Keryl falling asleep.

LA LA LUNA - Friday 3 August - Civic Theatre

This was one of those plays you take a bet on and in this case it paid off immensely. A one man 'silent' play about what happens when the light globe that lights the moon goes out! The moons caretaker has to resolve this problem! It had slapstick, juggling, magic, and almost circus like sensibilities. One of the most amazing things I have seen, probably ever, and the guy doing the show was magnificient, a real throw back to classic vaudeville.

WILDE TALES - Friday 10 August - Civic Theatre

This was a range of Oscar Wilde plays aimed at Children and beautifully delivered.

KING LEAR - Sunday 19 August - Playhouse

This was a local production and pretty good, some of the acting left a little to be desired, but I believe I enjoyed it more than Bell's productions!

UNDERLAND - Saturday 1 September - Civic Theatre

This remarkable Sydney Dance Company Ballet was inspired by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and featured their music. It was truly amazing, and stunning and visceral; and at less than 60 minutes, not nearly long enough. Keryl and I were transfixed and I adored how they interwoved great songs with both modern and classical moves.

SHOUT - Saturday 8 September - Griffin Duncan Theatre

This was a lot of fun, we had been lucky at work to have a preview of some of the songs prior to the show opening, so knew to expect something special. Sure, it was an amateur production, but the talent and enthusiasm certainly made up for that. The songs and costumes were magnicifient, had us all rocking in our seats!

GONDALIERS - Saturday 13 October - Sydney Opera House

Another Opera Australia Gilbert and Sullivan production and whilst not as slick and fabulous as Pirates of Penzance, this was still a great afternoon of Opera.

DICKENS' WOMEN - Tuesday 23 October - Civic Theatre

My goodness - this was an evening to behold!!! Miriam Margolyes and her one woman show about the women in Dickens' novels. She was breathtaking, haunting, formidable, funny, clever and purely stunning. Miriam encompassed each and every character with love and humility, bravado and amusement. She was a force to be reckoned with and it was an achievement of brilliance and I love Dickens anyway.....so I was in heaven.

CROWDED HOUSE - Monday 5 November - Sydney Entertainment Centre

This was their reunion tour, although without Paul it seemed a little wrong I must be honest. After seeing them arrive - by chance - that afternoon, we were pumped and had fabulous seats also, so close you could almost touch Neil...sigh! It was a great night and they played all their hits but some new stuff, Amanda and I loved it, but I really missed Hessie....'tis the truth!