Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - Page 37
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Radio: Jane promotes book on Triple M, 3AW . Page 38 Theatre: Queen: it’s a kinda magic ............................... Page 39 Country Music: Rob Foenander’s column returns ..... Page 38 Jim and Aar on: Top 10 list. best DVDs, movies .............. Page 42 Aaron: Cheryl Threadgold: Local theatre shows, auditions ........... Page 43 PL US THE LLO OVATT”S MEGA CRO PLUS CROSS SWORD
BURLESQUE BEAUTY Barry meets Barry
Opera in Autumn
● Nicole Car as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin Photo: Lisa Tomasetti ■ Opera Australia's autumn season is about to take off at the State Theatre. One is a favourite Verdi opera, Rigoletto - the story of the cursed hunchback Jester trying to protect his innocent daughter Gilda from the lascivious Duke of Mantua. Directed by one of Australia's finest theatre directors, Roger Hodgman, it takes a different tack from most of the Rigolettos seen in recent years. "We decided to return to a very simple, stylised and fluid representation of the 16th century Mantua of the original libretto, with the aim of throwing the focus directly on the powerful story and characters of this most emotionally power of operas. I love it as a drama," enthuses Hodgman. It stars Warwick Fyffe in the title role. He wasa huge success as Alberich in last year's sold-out Ring Cycle for Opera Australia. Joining him is Gianluca Terranova as the Duke, Irina Dubrovskaya as Gilda, and the impressive Daniel Sumegi in the chilling role of Sparafucile, the assassin. It runs from April 12 to May 10, and is conducted by Renato Palumbo and Antony Legge. Then from Italy to Russia, with Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, which is likely be of great interest to Melbourne opera goers because it features one of the brightest young operatic stars, young Nicole Car in the leading role of Tatyana, before she makes her US debut later this year in Dallas. Eugene Onegin has a score described as beautiful, and is an exploration of what might have been, and follows what happens when Onegin thoughtlessly rejects a young admirer, and how life starts to unravel. The central role of Prince Gremin features Daniel Sumegi, with Paulo Szot in the title role and James Egglestone as Lensky. It is conducted by Guillaume Tourniaire and directed by Danish-born Kasper Holten from The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. It runs from April 16 to May 9. After two dramatic operas, it is time for some comedy, with the Rossini opera The Turk In Italy, featuring Australia's soprano of the moment, Emma Matthews, with John Longmuir, Andrew Moran and Shane Lowrencev in a typically silly and fun Rossini plot line with bikinis and seaside scenes galore, along with double entendres, and all set in the 1950s. This new production is directed by Simon Phillips and conducted by Andrea Molino with costumes by Gabriela Tylesova. Final offering in the autumn season is the very popular Carmen by Bizet. This production will see a stage full of people and horses, following the story of Carmen the cigarette girl with a warm heart and a brash manner. The title role will be shared by Serbian-born but now young Australian wife and mother, Milijana Nikolic, and Spain's Nancy Fabiola Herrera, with Carmen's lover Don Jose being shared by Jose Diego Torre and Bradley Daley, and the swashbuckling toreador role going to Michael Honeyman and Shane Lowrencev. It starts on May 14 and runs until May 25. Bookings: Opera Australia box office on 9685 3700 - Julie Houghton
● ‘Baby Bombshell’ Ginger Meadows will perform in the Australian Burlesque Festival. ■ The Australian Burlesque Festival will once again be touring nationwide June 5-28. Now in its fifth year, the Australian Burlesque Festival is the biggest celebration of tease in the Southern Hemisphere, bringing together the best of home-grown seasoned performers along with renowned international icons never before seen on Australian stages. Newbies, also known as ‘Baby Bombshells’, also make their debuts and there is even a bit of male performer ‘boylesque’ thrown in for equal measure. Burlesque literally means to “to mock” or “to parody” and was a form of entertainment popularised in the 1880s. From the 1840s to the 1940s, clubs and theatres often had “raunchy” variety shows. In the 1920s and 1930s golden age of Hollywood, filmmakers tried to recreate burlesque in film with elements of vaudeville, comedy, dance and the art of the tease. During the 1940s-1950s, striptease performers such as Gypsy Rose Lee, Jennie Lee and Dixie Evans embodied the true Burlesque starlet with their striptease acts (not to be confused with contemporary stripping). The art of striptease is an enticing removal of clothing with no full frontal nudity on the reveal. Fast forward to the 90s and a resurgence of Burlesque continues to be popular the world over. The Australian Burlesque Festival was founded in 2010 by Melbourne Burlesque icons Dolores Daiquiri and Rosy Rabbit. ABF Burlesque workshops will also be available throughout the tour for anyone wanting to learn how to strut their own stuff. Adult women and men of all ages welcome. Melbourne tour dates: June 5-8. www.australianburlesquefest.com - Cheryl Threadgold
● Barry Ryan with Barry Ryan ■ Do you remember the famous pop song of the 1960s, Eloise, sung by rock singer Barry Ryan? There is another musical Barry Ryan - Opera Australia baritone Barry Ryan, who has been seen at Melbourne's State Theatre for many years in some great performances, especially as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. A few years ago Opera Barry started receiving some nice royalty cheques in Euros from overseas, for the continued success of his song Eloise. It was the wrong Barry Ryan. Opera Barry just put the cheques in the drawer to deal with later, and eventually the AQustralian Taxation Office knocked on his door, asking why he hadn't paid tax on these unbanked cheques. So Rock Barry and Opera Barry got in touch and the cheques went to the right Barry. And the two Barrys became firm friends and came up with the idea of doing a duet of Rock Barry's hit song Eloise, combining the best of pop with the best of opera. The result is the newly released Eloise 2, which is doing great business on iTunes, and has been warmly received by both the pop and opera peers of the respective Barrys. Eloise 2 is available on iTunes for ($2.19) itunes.apple.com/au/album/eloise-2-single/ id834372411 - Julie Houghton
Showbiz Briefs ■ The Ten Network last week posted its lowest-ever ratings for So You Think You Can Dance with 278,000 metro viewers. ■ 89.9 Light FM has appointed Andy Wells to the newly created role of Production Manager. ■ Sian Gard has been appointed as the new breakfast host and Content Manager for ABC Gippsland. She replaces Jo Printz on breakfast, reports Jocks Journal. ■ Neil Pagett, Nova 100 Melbourne audio producer, is heading to Perth and joins Mix 94.5. ■ Ellen Fanning is to return to the ABC for a short stint to present Raqdio National Breakfast. Reporter James Carleton will take over from June 9. ■ David Letterman has announced his retirement in 2015 after 31 years of late-night television. ■ The Logie Awards will be staged at Crown Melbourne on Sunday, May 4. ■ Celtic Thunder has announced they will be dedicating their upcoming Mythology Australian tour in May-June to the late member George Donaldson.
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Page 38 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Observer Showbiz
Radio News from local stations
New job at 3CR
Country Crossroads info@country crossroads.com.au Big Breakfast Show. Southern FM 88.3. Tues. 6am-9am.
Comedy Festival Best of the Edinburgh Fest
Rob Foenander
Country music marathon ■ The Dandenong Club will play host to a 12-hour country music marathon on Saturday, May 3, commencing 11 am. The event is a special fundraiser for Dandenong Valley Special Olympics and will feature local artists Tim Farren, Nia Robertson, Chris Newman, Ian Bidge Boyd, Jan Dandridge, Evan Platschinda and others. Tickets: $30 and $25 Concession. More info: Dawn, 0412 161 419
Adam does it for autism ■ Victorian country music artist Adam Toms has lent his profile to help Autism Spectrum Australia. Since Adams’s son Mitchel was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder a few years ago he has been raising awareness of the condition that affects almost 230,000 Australians. For the next six months Adam will also be donating $10 from all physical Rich Man album sales to the cause. Albums can be purchased at www.adamtoms.com
Taste of Tamworth ■ The annual Taste Of Tamworth series of concerts hits the Hallam Hotel on Thursday, August 14.. This year’s artists will include Carter & Carter, Paul Costa and 2012 Toyota Star Maker winner Bob Corbett . Each act brings their own unique form of music and personality to the stage and then team up for a spectacular finale. This show has a respected reputation for providing a high quality taste of Australia's largest festival, Tamworth - a taste that keeps people coming back for more.
■ A ne job opportunity is available at 3CR, Melbourne’s original community radio station. Applications are being sought for the position of Current Affairs Co-Ordinator. The Co-Ordinator maintain and resource current affairs programming at the Fitzroybased station. This is a part-time, fixed term position until February 2016. Closing date for applications is Tuesday, April 22.
Radio Day ■ A Radio Remembrance Day was held on Saturday by The Radio Green Room page on Facebook. Remembered were radio broadcasters who have died in the past 12 months. Amongst those on the list were: Keith Mc Gowan , Dave Gosper, Frank Hyde, Owen Delaney, Vic Davies, Keith Ashton, Murray Nicoll, Sean Flannery, Ward Austin, John Miller, Binny Lum, Stan Zemanek, Clyde Simpson, Haydn Sargent, Arch McKirdy, Chris Costello, Paul Barber, Brenton Thompson, Paul Dix, Andrew Harwood, Ray McGregor and Jim Beam.
Mel on 774 ■ Smooth 91.5 weekend host Melissa Doyle was on 774 ABC last week, promoting her book Alphabet Soup. Mel appeared with Ali Moore, who was standing in for Jon Faine. Also promoting a book was Jane Kennedy, who also appeared on Triple M and 3AW (see photo below).
Left turn ■ Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke was a special guest on Margaret Throsby’s ABC Classic FM program last week. It was more like a fan club meeting than a radio show.
SYN move ■ Philanthropic support in the form of seed funding, along with a number of broadcast mentors, have helped launch a new community digital radio channel called SYN Nation for Australia’s youth. SYN is based in Melbourne, Radio stations assisting include Triple R, PBS FM, Joy 94.9, RRR, RTR and 3ZZZ.
Jane plugs new book
Wolfe Bros. at Hallam ■ Tasmanian country rockers, The Wolfe Brothers, return to the Hallam Hotel on Thursday, May 1. The band spent last year touring Australia on Lee Kernaghan's Beautiful Noise Tour playing to sell-out houses and winning over a legion of new fans wherever they went. Brothers Nick and Tom Wolfe and their childhood friends, Casey Kostiuk and Brodie Rainbird, burst into the national spotlight after they appeared on Channel 7's mega series Australia's Got Talent. - Rob Foenander
r Observbei z Show
‘Aust. Got Talent’ axed ● Jane Kennedy (centre) is promoting her new book, One Dish, Two Ways: Feeding The Whole Family, Without The Fuss. Jane was interviewed by pals Billy Brownless and James Brayshaw on Triple M. Jane also gave an interview to Denis Walter of 3AW.
On This Day Friday Wednesday Thursday April 10 April 11 April 9 ■ Black American singer Paul Robeson was born in 1898. He died aged 77 in 1976. Australian ballet star Sir Robert Helpmann was born in Mt Gambier, SA, in 1909. He died aged 77 in 1986. US actor Dennis Quaid was born in Texas in 1954 (60).
■ American actor Harry Morgan (Colonel Sherman Potter in MASH) was born as Harry Bratsburg in 1915. He died in 2011 aged 96. Omar Sharif (Mich-ael Shalhoub) was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1932 (82). Melbourne actress Jane Clifton (Prisoner) is 65 today.
● Tom Stade (left), Kai Humphries and Carl Donnelly in Best Of The Edinburgh Fest at the Capitol Theatre. ■ There were three comedians with but a single aim - to make people laugh, and so they did. A stand-up comedian’s job is a lonely one and drawing the short straw to start off a show to a packed house, must be intimidating for a young comedian still honing his craft. Although obviously nervous at first, Kai Humphries quickly and luckily involved a co-operative member of the audience - and he was away. His routine is coarse, laddish stuff more appealing to the younger generation and he needs some more varied material, but he was well received by the audience - even the few dinosaurs over 40. A firm Edinburgh Fringe favourite and established as one of the UK’s most exciting young comedians, Carl Donnelly’s self-deprecating humour is also aimed at a young audience. Going through a divorce and now living alone, he finds himself in silly if not dangerous situations through lack of maturity, laddish wanting-to-get-back-in-the-game or sheer loneliness and mocks his inability to choose his new friends more carefully. He presents himself in the ‘lad about town’ image with bleached-blonde quiff, tight jeans, cut-off jacket and Cuban heeled boots, adopting the so cool look and attitude. The audience loved it. Canadian Tom Stade moved to the UK 10 years ago and quickly established himself on the comedy circuit there. His mature on-stage presence and experience is evident. A well-written routine related in a laid-back delivery, is the story of a day in his life, pondering the imponderables – now that he is a tired 43. The mind is willing and encouraging him to keep fit and go jogging, but the body is saying ‘no’. He loves fruit but is so lazy, he even buys an indoor fruit-tree so that he doesn’t have to go out to the garden to pick the fruit - hilarious. Performances: Until April 20. Tuesday to Saturday 7.30pm, Sunday 6.30pm Running time: 70 minutes. Venue: RMIT Capitol Theatre Tickets: $26-$34. Bookings: 136 100 and Ticketmaster’s website www. Ticketmaster.com.au - Review by Rita Crispin
■ Australian orchestra leader Tommy Tycho was born in 1928. He died last year. Ethel Kennedy, widow of the late Senator Robert Kennedy, was born in 1928 (83). Joel Grey, star of Cabaret, is 82 (1932). Jeremy Clarkson, was born in Yorkshire in 1960.
■ The Nikne Network has axed Australia’s Got Talent after just one year on the network. Nine acquired the rights to the show, produced by FremantleMedia, in 2012, after Seven dropped the show due to ratings falling towards the end of its five-year run. Mumbrella says it is thought the high production costs of the competition are behind the decision to drop it. Melbourne
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■ Former Victorian Governor John Landy was born in 1930 (84). American singer Tiny Tim (Herbert Khaury) was born in New York in 1932. He died aged 64 in 1996. TV presenter Terry Willesee is 69. US host David Letterman was born in 1947 (67).
■ US actor Howard Keel was born in 1917. He died aged 87 in 2004. Ventriloquist Ron Blaskett was born in Brunswick in 1922 (92). Don Adams was born as Donald Yarmy in 1923. He died aged 82 in 2005.
■ Actor Rod Steiger was born in New York in 1925. He died aged 77 in 2002. The late Gerry Anderson, who created Thunderbirds, with wife Sylvia, was born in 1929. Loretta Lynn (Loretta Webb), American country singer, was born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky in 1934 (80).
■ Joyce Jacobs, Australian actress in A Country Practice, was born in England in 1922. Comedian Kym Gyngell was born in Melbourne in 1952 (62). Country singer Lee Kernaghan was born in Corryong in 1964 (50).
Thanks to GREG NEWMAN of Jocks Journal for assistance with birthday and anniversary dates. Jocks Journal is Australia’s longest running radio industry publication. Find out more at www.jocksjournal.com
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ShowBiz!
Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - Page 39
Observer Showbiz
Class Clowns
● Wodonga’s Gregor Tarrant was crowned funniest teen in the 2014 Class Clowns National Grand Final. ■ The iconic Capitol Theatre was the venue last week for 13 of the nation’s sharpest school-aged comic acts to go head to head in a battle for the most laughs at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Class Clowns National Grand Final . Winner for 2014 was 14-year-old Gregor Tarrant from Wodonga Middle Years’ College, who impressed the judges awith his physical, character style comedy and Jim Carrey-esque persona, bringing a snake charmer, a T-rex and an emu to life onstage. Gregor walks away with the Class Clowns trophy, a novelty human-sized cheque for $1500 plus another $1000 workshop package for his school. Equal runner-up was awarded to Mabita Makwaza from Sacred Heart College in South Australia, Jack Keenan from St Leonards College in Victoria, and Grace Bruxner from Darwin High School in the Northern Territory. Now in its 19th year, Class Clowns is the flagship event of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s education program. This mentoring program develops the art of comedy from Darwin to Hobart, Perth to Newcastle, in 13 locations across Australia. - Cheryl Threadgold
Shappi Khorsandi ■ This is not the first time British funny girl Shappi Khorsandi has brought her comedic talents to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. This time, though, she has brought her six-yearold son and her new baby daughter with her to Australia and they both provide the impetus for much of her new material. An author as well as a regular on British TV, Iranian-born Khorsandi is the daughter of satirist Hadi Khorsandi. The family became political refugees at the time of the revolution fleeing the Islamic Republic of Iran for Ealing, West London. The flight incurred a fatwa issued by the Ayatollah against her father. Death threats were a regular occurrence in the Khorsandi household. Khorsandi is great at gently working her audience and stretching random, eclectic thoughts into running gags. But she is at her best when she mines her unconventional childhood to dispense sharp, observational, culture shocked comedy. Even more so when she confronts racism head on including her own misdirected indignation when, outraged at a clerk’s automatically labelling her daughter’s religion (Khorsandi is an atheist) as Islam, she found out only after she had vented her spleen that Islam was the name of the obstetrician. From single-parent dating, Twitter-trolling, stag nights to being mistaken for a terrorist, Khorsandi covers a wealth of subjects in her ditsy, disarming style. The relaxed and comfortable delivery was perhaps, a little too relaxed. Khorsandi seemed under the weather - a combination of jet lag and ‘baby brain’. Nevertheless, she still managed to score some comedy hits with her wry and pointed observations. Performance Season: Until April 13 Times: Wed – Sat at 9.30pm, Sun 4.30pm Venue: Melbourne Town Hall Lower Tickets: $26-$35 Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au - Review by Kathryn Keeble
TV, Radio, Theatre Latest Melbourne show business news - without fear or favour
It’s a kinda magic ■ The much-loved theatrical creation and full concert experience Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic will tour with its new cast throughout Australia this Spring. The hearts of Queen fans have been caught around the world, and now three Victorian dates have been announced and tickets are now on sale: ■ Palais Theatre in St Kilda on October 3, ■ Frankston Arts Centre on October 11, and ■ The Playhouse Theatre at the Geelong Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) on October 12. The show recreates Queen’s 1986 World Tour concert, featuring more than 20 of the band’s greatest hits such as We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are the Champions and Fat-Bottomed Girls. Painstaking detail has been paid to all the music – the iconic voice of Mercury, the amazing guitar solos of May and the groundbreaking rock harmonies. With state-of-the-art sound and lighting and an explosive international cast, this is as close as you’ll ever get to the real thing. For this upcoming Australian tour the coveted and complex role of Freddie Mercury has been taken on by respected Canadian performer and multi-instrumentalist Giles Taylor. Taylor’s accomplished career has seen him travel the world over the past 13 years, performing with artists such as Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), Gabrielle, Rick Wakeman, The Moody Blues, Martin Taylor, Richard O'Brien, Sir Jimmy Tarbuck and Dennis Waterman. Despite this incredible roll call of colleagues, Taylor counts this performance as one of the toughest musical roles he has encountered to date. “Freddie was known for his powerful voice and vocal range, and had a very distinct character in general, so emulating him is quite a challenge but those details need to be just right for a show of this magnitude; true Queen fans will appreciate the attention to detail,” says Taylor. Taylor will be joined by Richie Baker as Brian May on guitar, James Childs as John Deacon on bass and Kyle Thompson as Roger Taylor on drums. itsakindamagic.com
Spiegelworld art
reports Cheryl Threadgold
● Giles Taylor portrays Freddie Mercury in Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic.
Sing-A-Long Sound Of Music ■ Chelsea Plumley will again host the Sing-A-Long Sound Of Music at Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall on Saturday May 24 for two shows only Sing-A-Long -A Sound of Music is an audience participation event where the host leads a vocal warm-up, gives a guide to the use of the interactive fun pack and accompanying actions and judges the Costume Parade - a highlight of the night that separates the die-hards from the dabblers. Sing-A-Long Sound of Music attracts an incredibly diverse audience ranging from young children to adults of all ages with hundreds of them dressing up to represent one of the many characters or song lyrics from the movie. Times: 1pm and 7.30pm - runs 4 hours approx. (including 20 Minute Interval) Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au Phone: 1300 182 183 Prices: Adults $55 / Group (8 or over) $49 / Concession $45 / Family (2 Adults 2 Children) $155 / Child (under 15) $35*transaction and booking fees may apply www.singalonga.net
● Mark Ogge creating The Art of Spiegelworld. ■ To coincide with the current Melbourne season of Empire By Spiegelworld on the rooftop at Crown, a never-before-seen art exhibition is being presented to celebrate The Art Of Spiegelworld by Mark Ogge, until April 16. Since its debut in New York City in 2006, Spiegelworld has commissioned the Melbourne artist to create paintings inspired by each of the company’s unique spiegeltent shows which have reinvented the traditions of circus and vaudeville for a 21st century audience. The first commission was to create a giant ceremonial entrance gate to Spiegelworld’s first site at Pier 17 near the Brooklyn Bridge. Ever since Degas and Renoir painted the performers at Cirque Fernando in 1879, Paris, and Toulouse-Lautrec captured life at the Moulin Rouge, the world of circus and vaudeville has attracted painters who have been captivated by this colourful and eccentric world. Picasso, Leger and Chagall were all infatuated by circus imagery. Mark Ogge is an accomplished painter known for his haunting, dreamlike paintings which evoke childhood memories and often use fairground or circus imagery. Represented by Flinders Lane Gallery he has been exhibited widely in Melbourne. Mark says: “One thing that has kept drawing me back is fairground imagery. Whenever I saw a circus pull up in town, or the Royal Melbourne Show, or Moomba, I was just really drawn to that as subject matter. “There was something visual about it that really appealed. It was the colours, the darkness, the lights, but there was also something in the subject matter ... it is full of psychological intensity, it’s a fascinating microcosm of life. “You know, you’ve got all sorts of different people and it’s kind of anonymous. I love it as subject matter. It’s so richly metaphoric and visually exciting.” The feature of this retrospective exhibition is a large three-dimensional, mechanically operated diorama built by Mark’s team which brings his Spiegelworld paintings to life; a vintage proscenium arch stage filled with moving acrobats, aerial artists and other curiosities. The piece was commissioned by Ross Mollison to celebrate the January opening of the show Vegas Nocturne at the new Spiegelworld venue Rose.Rabbit.Lie at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The work is reminiscent of Martin Engelbrecht’s 18th century miniature paper theatres and Daguerre’s popular diorama theatre in early 19th century Paris. It has been a huge technical challenge with more than 20 individual motors animating the characters. Artworks by Mark Ogge: Until April 16 Venue: Exhibition at Crown Melbourne, open to Empire ticket holders, Access via Level 3 (escalators opposite Village Cinemas) Empire is now playing in Melbourne until May 11. www.empireaustralia.com - Cheryl Threadgold
Night club speaker ■ Brian Goldsmith will speak at the original Marquee Luncheon Club will be interviewed by Gary Mac at a function to be held today (Wed.) at Marquee Lounge Bar, Toorak. Ron Fletcher, formerly of the Footlighters Club, will be MC.
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Page 40 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Online and onwards: it gets better for gay and lesbian media By MARCUS O'DONNELL Senior Lecturer, Journalism at University of Wollongong
www.theconversation.edu.au ■ Last week’s announcement that Australia’s oldest and most respected lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) weekly newspaper, Sydney Star Observer (SSO), will change to a monthly print format and a reinvigorated web presence does not come as a surprise given the global state of newspapers. I edited SSO from 1999 to 2006 and, to me, the shift makes sense. What’s more, the publication’s move online says just as much about the evolution of the LGBTI community as it does about the changing fortunes of print media. Gay and lesbian media have been one of the essential elements in the evolution of LGBTI communities and the success of the LGBTI rights movement. Even before highly visible LGBTI subcultures emerged, newsletters and magazines of early rights groups like the Mattachine Society played an important role in building solidarity among a disparate and oppressed group. As early as 1969, in one of the first studies of minority media, the doyen of American journalism studies, James Carey, wrote that these first publications turned “a locally based, decentralised, tenuously connected subculture into a highly identifiable group and, above all, into an audience”. In 1993, when journalism scholar Rodger Streitmatter wrote a history of the weekly gay news magazine The Advocate – kind of a LGBTI Time Magazine – he highlighted two elements that contributed to this galvanising function of the LGBTI media. First, The Advocate and other early gay and lesbian media played an important public-facing role: they were quick to develop a defiant unapologetic editorial voice that demanded a place at the table of public discussion. Second, within the emerging communities they helped articulate gay and lesbian values and norms by using a community vernacular and circulating positive gay and lesbian imagery. In other words, they played the same role that Benedict Anderson famously attributed to “print capitalism” in the evolution of national identities: they helped form “imagined communities”. The SSO launched in 1979 – the year after the 1978 protest march that would eventually turn into the Mardi Gras Parade. The first edition cover featured a shirtless man in Levi’s 501s with hairy chest and moustache – typical of the “clone” look popular at the time. He stood in front of the elaborate deco detail of Hyde Park’s Archibald Fountain making a striking statement about public visibility and the contrasting traditions of Sydney society and the emerging gay subculture. This affirmative gay posture was in contrast to the mainstream media at the time. The Sydney Morning Herald, for example, had the year before published the names and addresses of all those arrested at the first Mardi Gras protest. When HIV/AIDS appeared four years later the existence of a healthy, local and national LGBTI media was critical in dissemination of early information about the unknown disease and the first efforts at prevention education and community organisation. Gay journalists such as Adam Carr who wrote for SSO and national gay magazine OutRage played a critical role in educating gay men about HIV/AIDS and in the formulation of national HIV/AIDS policy. Again the response of the LGBTI media was in strong contrast to the early coverage of HIV/AIDS in the mainstream press. Jump ahead to 2010 and American gay activist and journalist Dan Savage was concerned about the stories of bullying and suicide among LGBTI teenagers. When 15-year-old Indiana gay teen Billy Lucas hanged himself after daily threats and bullying from fellow students, Savage decided he had to do something. When Savage wrote about Lucas’ suicide on his blog a commentator wrote: My heart breaks for the pain and torment you went through, Billy Lucas. I wish I could have told you that things get better. Turn To Page 41
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Media
What the f***? How much swearing is there on TV?
By MONIKA BEDNAREK
Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at University of Sydney
www. theconversation. edu.au
WARNING: this article contains copious swearing ■ Let me start with a confession: I swear. Not gratuitously, but once in a while it’s nice to let off steam with a well-placed “damnit” or two, when running against a door or crushing my fingers in a drawer. But I’ve noticed a trend to my swearing habits. After binge-watching Deadwood I have been known to intone “cocksuckers” with alarming frequency. And for a while The Wire’s “shiiiiiiiiiit” was a favourite. But I don’t just swear. It’s worse: I study swearing. Not just any swearing though. I’m interested in how TV characters swear. Recently I investigated some common American swear words in 38 TV episodes. I chose US TV series because they are so incredibly popular around the globe, meaning most of us are regularly exposed to American TV dialogue. For this study, I used a broad definition of “swearing” so included words like “God”, “Jesus”, “Christ” and “Lord” if they were used in expressions such as “for God’s sake” or “oh dear Lord”. I included taboo words such as “piss” or “prick”. And I included variations – for example I included “goddamn” under “damn”, “ass-hole” under “ass”, “pissed-off” under “piss”, “son-of-a-bitch” under “bitch”. The F-word included a range of well-known variations such as “fucking”, “fucked up”, “motherfucker”, “fuck it”. So what did I find? If we look at pure frequency, then “fuck”, “god”, “hell”, “ass”, “shit”, “damn”, “bitch”, “piss”, “crap”, and “screw” are the most frequent in my data. The 10 most frequent swear words in the survey. But no need to panic. The 170 examples of the Fword in my data only occur in 10 of 38 episodes. That’s less than a third. Actually, only four swear words occur across at least half of the episodes
analysed: “god”, “hell”, “damn”, and “ass”. Thematically, words with religious origin are most frequent, then those that make reference to bodily excretions, sexual activity and a taboo body part. Of course such expressions have often lost their original meaning. The origin of the most frequently-used swear words in the surveyed TV episodes. What TV series contain the most swear words or taboo expressions? For this we need to consider the length of an episode: an episode of 45 minutes contains more dialogue than one of 25 minutes. There is, then, a higher chance for viewers to encounter such expressions. Taking this into account, the top five episodes in my data are from The Wire, True Blood, Entourage, Dexter, and Breaking Bad. All contain between about 10 to 20 swear words for every 1000 words of dialogue. But not all of the in-
● “What? I called you a ditch, Mike, a ditch.” cluded swear words are Quaglio has shown that offensive. Most of us family-friendly shows would not have a problem such as Gilmore Girls or with the expression “oh Friends won’t contain my God” – although a “shit” and “fuck”. One reason the episode minority might consider it profane. So what does the from My Name Is Earl picture look like when ex- (NBC) makes it into the cluding all the words with top-ten is simply because one character repeats religious origin? The picture doesn’t “crap” three times for actually change much: in emphasis: “crap, crap, relation to the amount of crap”. One episode cannot dialogue, the worst offenders are the episodes stand for a whole TV sefrom The Wire, Entou- ries, so we need to include rage, True Blood, Dexter, more episodes per TV Southland, Breaking Bad, series, and the results The Shield, My Name Is might also change if difEarl, United States of Tara ferent expressions are counted. and In Treatment. In TV dialogue these Not surprisingly, many of these shows come to us expressions are one way from US cable channels in which scriptwriters can HBO, Showtime, AMC be creative. For instance, lots of difand FX. Those channels are not ferent words are comgoverned by the same bined with “ass” in my regulations in the US as data to create adjectives broadcast channels. They such as “big-ass”, “creepyhave much more freedom ass”, “dumb-ass”, “kicknot just with language but ass”, “lame-ass”, “shit-ass”, also with nudity and sex, “short-ass”, “stupid-ass”, and controversial subject mat- even “fiend-ass”. They are ter and graphic violence. also used to express a In contrast, my own re- character’s personality – search and that of Paulo as is the case in The Big
Bang Theory’s Sheldon’s “(oh) dear lord” and “(oh) good lord”. They express characters’ emotions, their relationships to other characters and create realism. In her 2005 book Writing The TV Drama Series, scriptwriter Pamela Douglas tells the story of how HBO produced alternate dialogue for syndication. In these “clean” episodes, tough criminals ended up swearing about the “freakin” snow. I see this as unrealistic and undesirable for intelligent television. I don’t believe swearing is inherently bad. It fulfils many important functions. But I’m not advocating swearing indiscriminately. When we, rather than TV characters, swear we need to know when such language is appropriate and when not, when it’s friendly and jocular and when it’s hurtful and abusive. After all, no-one likes a coc … well, you get the point
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Observer
Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - Page 41
Showbiz Latest
Sex, rape and role models – how women in comedy perform ■ Two performance artists in this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) – the UK’s Bryony Kimmings and American Adrienne Truscott – have a certain flavour of humour: it’s the knowing, self-deprecating humour of the culturally dispossessed, of survivors and victims. And yes, they’re both women. Asking For It: A OneLady Rape About Comedy Starring Her Pussy and Little Else! is Adrienne Truscott’s stand-up show about rape. In it, Truscott counters the stated prerogative of male comedians to tell rape jokes with a confronting routine in which she relentlessly does the same. Her wit spares neither them, nor hip-hop artists rapping about date rape, nor Republican politicians expounding on “legitimate rape”, nor men in the audience. Truscott also gets to explain why animal analogies are inadequate through progeny-eating gerbils. It is a bracing, uncomfortable, rewarding show. Is it funny, though? That depends on how you look at it. The topic of “women in comedy” is endlessly controversial. Where are the women? Are there enough of them? Are women even funny? The latter is apparently such a valid question that it has been regularly asked, with a straight face, by The Guardian, Huffington Post, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and possibly every other major media publication. British-American author Christopher Hitchens famously stated in Vanity Fair in 2007: they are not. Those that were funny, he conceded, were mostly “hefty or dykey or Jewish,” therefore practically men themselves. Coming to this question from a performance studies viewpoint – as opposed to being an expert in standup comedy like Hitchens – the question seems almost otherworldly. Let me explain. In the second half of the 20th century, artists' interest in real time, real space, real human bodies, real human presence and real human experience resulted in the development of what we call “performance art”: art inextricably linked to the artist physically producing it. The practice originated
By JANA PERKOVIC Sessional lecturer and researcher at University of Melbourne
www.theconversation.edu.au
The Spoiler ● From Page 34
For Those Who Have Lost The Plot
Home and Away ■ 7pm. Weeknights. Seven ■ Monday, April 14. Andy searches for answers about the missing baby photo and Sasha tells Matt to deal with his feelings about his sister, but he has other ideas. The diner's reputation is at stake when news spreads about Chris' risotto. ■ Tuesday, April 15. Zac and Hannah's strained relationship could be on the mend and Zac's parenting skills are put to the test when Evie plays up at school. Heath struggles to deal with Bianca's revelation. ■ Wednesday, April 16. Chris is determined to revive the Diner and pressure is building for Zac to shake old habits. Bianca struggles with Heath's double standard and Leah senses Nate is avoiding his own issues. ■ Thursday, April 17. Double Episode. Kyle struggles after he hires the waitress from hell - his girlfriend. Andy is back in Summer Bay with information on the Barrett/Braxton family tree. Maddy enjoys the attention of fawning Oscar as she recovers from boy troubles with Josh. ● From Page 40
Future of gay media ● The topic of “women in comedy” is endlessly controversial – as Adrienne Truscott seems to know. in the visual arts scene of Performance art al- MICF are performance the female body until it is 1950s and 1960s America. lowed feminist female artists, not career come- funny also appears in BryIn Europe, slightly artists to effectively chal- diennes – the impulse be- ony Kimmings' Sex Idiot later, it became known lenge that standard object hind these two forms is at MICF where she persimply as “performance”, of representation in art – similar, and so is their forms a long interpretive flavour of humour. dance sequence that while in the UK, once it the female body. As Bryony Kimmings mimics sexual interreached theatre artists in A living, breathing, talkthe 1980s and 1990s, it ing, reacting woman could said last year in the Lon- course. Sex Idiot is an autobiobecame known as “live subvert, challenge, don Evening Standard: “Women are funnier graphical journey through art” (from art historian deconstruct the idealised RoseLee Goldberg’s semi- notion of women as pas- because we suffer more. Kimmings' relationship Marina history while she is trying nal history of performance sive objects of beauty and Consider Abramovic’s video work, to inform previous par art). desire. in which she manically ners of her positive STI Performance art enShe could challenge the compasses a wide range audience with her real- brushes her hair for 50 test. It has that familiar of practices but the two ness, and raise such taboo minutes, repeating the titupeople that defined the issues as menstruation, lar phrase, “Art must be emotional tone of selfterm, almost to the point ageing, or sexual identity. beautiful. Artist must be deprecation, melancholy beautiful”. and wise acceptance – of cliche, are Japanese The history of female If you don’t hear the again, tone less akin to a artist Yoko Ono and art and the history of perSerbian-born artist Ma- formance art are inextri- sarcasm, you’re missing mating call than to cottonthe point of the work. picking songs of Ameririna Abramovic. intertwined. It is the same flavour can slaves. In the 1960s and 1970s, cably The vocabulary of per- of barbed sarcasm that It is also funny, outrathey let the presence of formance developed by Adrienne Truscott uses geously so. But it is an their own body make the artistic statement: Ono let- female artists emphasised when she opens her com- emotionally complex ting the spectators cut up solo performance, a strong edy show with a bone fide humour: as Kimmings her clothing in Cut Piece element of autobiography rape joke, and stands in creates ever more hilari(1965); Ono and Lennon or personal experience, front of us naked from the ous performance artworks to honour each one protesting the Vietnam veiled social critique, and waist down. The vulnerability of of her previous relationWar in a bed-in (1969); interaction with the auditheir bodies is an angry ships, we laugh at her disAbramovic letting gallery ence. Sort of like comedy, statement, but this angry appointments, her poor visitors use various sharp objects, knives and a gun you see, apart from not vulnerability is almost de- choices, her wasted opfining of women’s life. It portunities, her misapplied on her body in Rhythm 0 being funny. Except that it often is. does not preclude humour. bravado. It is a journey (1974); or leaning into a This strategy of esca- that ends rewardingly, in bow and arrow in Rest It is no wonder that many women in this year’s lating the sexualisation of rich introspection. Energy (1980).
Savage felt the same way and established a YouTube channel and urged his readers to post messages to LGBTI youth telling them that “It Get’s Better”. This has become a hugely successful campaign with contributions from more than 50,000 people, including celebrities from President Obama to Lady Gaga. The initial impetus and runaway success of the It Gets Better Project tells us something about the evolving space of LGBTI media. The project was born out of an online communication between Savage and one of his readers. It was launched as a participatory video project on YouTube and gained momentum both from the grass-roots organisation that grew up around it and from Savage’s ability to publicise it through mainstream media. It is a great example of the exciting hybrid possibilities that could characterise the next stage of LGBTI media’s evolution. So when SSO editor Elias Jahshan writes that the paper has made its recent changes because they are adapting to the ways their audience now consume news, he is right. As he put it: A news story now is the words, the pictures, YouTube clips, audio, and even embedded tweets. It is about related stories that can be clicked at a touch of a button so you can be properly informed. A newspaper cannot deliver this. It also means taking seriously opportunities for interaction and participation and this is the one area of online media that both mainstream and alternative media struggle with as they move primarily to multiple digital deliveries through web and mobile apps. Strangely, for LGBTI media, building these new opportunities for interaction and participation means a return to their roots when these weekly newspapers were an integral part of an activist community and a network of vocal agitators for change.
Page 42 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014
www.MelbourneObserver.com.au
Movies, DVDs With Jim Sherlock and Aaron Rourke
What’s Hot and What’s Not in Blu-Rays and DVDs
● The late great James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the delightful and quirky romantic comedy drama Enough Said. FILM: ENOUGH SAID: Genre: Romantic/Comedy/Drama. Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette. Year: 2013. Rating: PG. Running Time: 93 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: ***½ Verdict: The poignant, funny and delightfully entertaining character driven romantic-comedy-drama of a woman who befriends a woman and starts dating a man at the same time, only to find out that her two new acquaintances are former spouses, which leaves her in a dilemma about whether she should continue her relationship with her new romantic partner because of what she has learned about them from one another. Nicely paced, intelligent, respectful, finely balanced, never rushed and with no special effects, the key to this gem is the superb screenplay and direction by Nicole Holofcener, and the outstanding performances and delivery by the superlative cast, most notably Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini as you've never seen him before as a touching, witty, confused and simple loner in his second last screen role (the crime-drama Animal Rescue with Tom Hardy being his last). So get set for an abundance of tears and laughter as everything locks beautifully into place with perfect precision resulting in an emotional journey that is highly rewarding. FILM: PLANES: Genre: Animated/Adventure/Comedy. Voices: Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Teri Hatcher, John Cleese, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Year: 2013. Rating: TBC. Running Time: 119 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: **½ Verdict: Latest Walt Disney animated family offering of Dusty Crophopper, a cropdusting plane with a fear of heights who lives his dream of competing in an around-the-world aerial race. Filled with tail spinning schmalz and cliché moments, it also lacks the originality of wit, emotion, humour and edge that made many Disney animated predecessors hugely popular equally with children and adults alike, this time falling way short and will leave most, especially the mums and dads, feeling somewhat grounded by it all. Maybe this should have straight to DVD as originally planned. FILM: CARRIE: Genre: Drama/Horror. Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Ansel Elgort. Year: 2013. Rating: M. Running Time: 100 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: **½ Verdict: This is a reimagining of the 1976 horror classic of the same name which catapulted the careers of director Brian De Palma and then unknown star Sissy Spacek as Carrie. Based on the bestseller by Stephen King, and for those who have not read the book or seen the original, it is the tale of Carrie White, a shy outcast at school and sheltered by her deeply religious mother, and along the way she finds out she has telekinetic powers, which she eventually use's to unleashes terror on her small town after being pushed too far. Based more on the compelling book, it had moments difficult to transfer to the screen back in 1976. Kiss-Ass and Hugo co-star Chloe Grace Moretz is quite effective as the troubled Carrie, but not in the league of Sissy Spacek who was genuinely captivating and terrifying in the original, and Julianne Moore's performance as Carrie's obsessive Mother is also less effective as Piper Laurie in the original. Gone are Brian De Palma's brilliantly stylish and uniquely orchestrated moments of menace and nail-biting terror, replaced by CGI effects, making it an ultimately poor reflection of a chilling book and reboot of a chilling cinema classic. FILM: RED SUN: Genre: Western. Cast: Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Alain Delon, Capucine, Ursula Andress. Year: 1971. Rating: PG. Running Time: 109 Minutes. Format: DVD. Stars: ***½ Verdict: Cracking western adventure of a Japanese ambassador who is travelling through the Wild West by train when outlaws hold up the train for the gold shipment and also steal an ancient Japanese sword, a gift for the US president, the ambassador's bodyguard is despatched to go after them with the aid of one of the gang's leaders who was betrayed by them to retrieve the valuable sword, plenty of culture clash sparks between screen greats Bronson and Mifune along the way, as well as thrills and action, standout cast seem to be having a lot of fun, as will the viewer of this fun and lively western saga where east meets west. Part of the Charles Bronson Collection which also includes Death Hunt, Cold Sweat and Someone Behind the Door.
Gravity ★★★★✩
Top 10 Lists THE AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE TOP TEN: 1. NOAH. 2. MR. PEABODY AND SHERMAN. 3. THE MONUMENTS MEN. 4. RIDE ALONG. 5. NEED FOR SPEED. 6. 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE. 7. POMPEII. 8. NON-STOP. 9. CUBAN FURY. 10. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET. NEW RELEASES AND COMING SOON TO CINEMAS AROUND AUSTRALIA: APRIL 3: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, THE LEGO MOVIE. APRIL 10: ANY DAY NOW, DIVERGENT, JERUSALEM 3D, MUPPETS MOST WANTED, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL.
● On the set of the visually groundbreaking and Oscar-winning hit, Gravity. ■ 90 minutes. Now available on pened to Stone and Kowalski, the movie just wouldn't have worked. DVD, Blu-Ray, and Blu-Ray 3D. Technically, Gravity sets a new After its Oscar glory a few weeks ago, where it was only pipped at the standard in cinema, with work so perpost for Best Picture by the outstand- suasive it can be placed alongside ing 12 Years A Slave, the focus is again Stanley Kubrick's iconic and highly on this enthralling film, which de- influential 2001 : A Space Odyssey serves all the praise that has been (1968). Visual effects, wire-work, music heaped upon it. The set-up is simple. Three astronauts are in space do- score, sound design, and editing are ing repairs on a faulty satellite, when all work of the highest order (hence mission control informs them that its numerous Oscar wins), setting a Russia has destroyed one of their own. benchmark that will be hard to equal. Cinematographer Emmanuel Unfortunately the subsequent wreckage hits other satellites, creat- Lubezki (who lensed Cuaron's Chiling a large amount of debris that is dren Of Men, as well as Terrence Malick's The New World, Tree Of Life now heading their way. Medical engineer and rookie space and To The Wonder) deserves special walker Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), praise for what must have been a nearseasoned veteren Matt Kowalski impossible task, and he and Cuaron (George Clooney), and relative new- deliver a number of incredible long comer Shariff (Phaldut Sharma) takes, which seem even more astonbarely have time to react when the ishing given the complexity of the efdebris hits, causing chaos as well as fects that fill each sequence. What stops Gravity from soaring major damage to their shuttle. When the onslaught is over, only on the same level as Kubrick's masStone and Kowalski remain, drifting terpiece is a slight stumble in the third through space with a dwindling sup- act, when a jarring amount of sentiply of oxygen, trying to think of a way mental dialogue (especially during to make it to not-only safety, but also one particular scene) creeps into proceedings, somewhat diminishing the hopefully, home. From its opening image co-editor/ full impact of what is happening to co-writer/director Alfonso Cuaron Stone and Kowalski, and even the (Children Of Men / Y Tu Mama depth and worth of the characters Tambien / A Little Princess) takes our themselves. A better actor than Bullock might breath away, transporting us to a place most will never experience, and ef- have overcome the rather maudlin diafortlessly convinces us we are float- logue, but it's doubtful that any actor could. this eventually uneven script is ing above the Earth. Cuaron looks like he has done his a frustrating mis-step that will stop research (despite some very small er- Gravity from being called an outright rors), and has obviously seen the classic. Despite this, Gravity is still an outhighly acclaimed IMAX documentary Space Station (2002), which showed standing and unique experience, takastronauts working in space, and con- ing you on a journey that is breathtaking, terrifying, and exciting. tains some similar imagry. Gravity is a film that was meant to The fact that the CGI-created Gravity can stand next to the real-life be seen on the biggest screen possible Space Station is testament to (at IMAX in 3D is was jaw-dropping), Cuaron's ability to bring this world to but with the availability of both BluRay and 3D on the home-viewing eye-popping life. Under what must have been diffi- front, it is a film that just needs to be cult physical conditions, both Bullock seen and savoured. RATING - ****½ and Clooney are completely credible - Aaron Rourke as the stressed-out astronauts, and Cuaron and the actors make sure the DVDs and Blu-Rays kindly supplied two characters remain human and by Video Vision, 177-179 Carlisle St, Balaclava. For information or likeable throughout, a basic but crubookings on Gravity please call cial element that helps keep the audi9531 2544. The other films by ence on the edge of their seats. Alfonso Cuaron are also available With all the visual razzle-dazzle on DVD. on display, if you didn't care what hap-
THE DVD TOP RENTAL & SELLERS: 1. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE [Action/Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland]. 2. CARRIE [Horror/Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore]. 3. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS [Drama/ Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi]. 4. ENOUGH SAID [Comedy/ Drama/Julia Louis Dreyfuss, James Gandolfini]. 5. THOR: THE DARK WORLD [Action/Fantasy/Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman]. 6. JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA [Comedy/Johnny Knoxville, Jackson Nicholl]. 7. GRAVITY [Drama/Sandra Bullock, George Clooney]. 8. BLUE JASMINE [Drama/Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard]. 9. TURBO [Animated/Family/Paul Giamatti, Samuel L. Jackson, MichaelPena]. 10. ONE CHANCE [Comedy/ Drama/James Corden, Julie Walters]. Also: CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2, THE COUNSELOR, ENDER'S GAME, Irvine Welsh's FILTH, 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, THE BUTLER, PRISONERS, ESCAPE PLAN, RUSH, RIDDICK. NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON DVD THIS WEEK: ANCHORMAN 2: The Legend Continues [Comedy/Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd]. PLANES [Animated/Adventure/ Comedy/Dane Cook, Julia LouiseDreyfus, Stacy Keach]. NURSE [Thriller/Judd Nelson, Katrina Bowden]. DELIVERY MAN [Comedy/Vince Vaughn]. KHUMBA [Animated/Family/Adventure]. NEW & RE-RELEASE CLASSICS ON DVD HIGHLIGHTS: None Listed for This Week. NEW RELEASE TELEVISION, DOCUMENTARY AND MUSIC DVD HIGHLIGHTS: FAT TONY & Co. JACK IRISH: DEAD POINT [Guy Pearce]. Justin Bieber's BELIEVE. DORA THE EXPLORER: WORLD CUP. SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: WORLD CUP. Turn to Page 49
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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - Page 43
Observer Showbiz
Local Theatre With Cheryl Threadgold
‘This Year’s Ashes’ SHOWS ■ Red Stitch Theatre: This Year's Ashes (by Jane Bodie) Until April 19 at Red Stitch Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel St., St Kilda East. Director: Tim Roseman. Bookings: 9533 8083 or email boxoffice@redstitch.net ■ Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF): Until April 20 at various venues. For full show details and bookings, visit: www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/ ■ La Mama Theatre: The Travelling Medicine Show Until April13, Wed - Sun at 7.30pm in the La Mama Courtyard, 205 Faraday St., Carlton. Tickets: $25/$15. Bookings: 9347 6142 www.lamama.com.au ■ La Mama: Death in Bowengabbie (by Caleb Lewis) Until April13 at La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday St., Carlton. Wed, Fri 9.00pm, Thurs, Fri, Sun 6.00pm. Director: Matt Edgerton. Tickets: $25/$15. Bookings: 9347 6142 www.lamama.com.au ■ Wangaratta Players: Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (by Ray Lawler) Until April 12. Directors: Kellie Grant and Wendy White. Bookings: Wangaratta_players_inc@hotmail.com ■ Hartwell Players: A Comedy of Errors (by William Shakespeare) Until April 12 at the Ashwood College Performing Arts Centre, Vannam Drive, Ashwood. Director: Carl Whiteside. Tickets: $18/$12. Bookings: 9513 9581. ■ La Mama and Sausage Dog Productions: A Pocketful of Joy (a brand new musical for children to go on a quest) Until April 13 at La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St., Carlton. Tickets: $15. Bookings: www.lamama.com.au or 9347 8142. ■ Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria: The Grand Duke Until April12 at the Alexander Theatre, Monash University, Clayton. Director: Richard Burman; Musical Director: John Ferguson; Chorus Director: Pam Christie. Tickets: $37 - $19.50. Bookings: Monash University Academy of Performing Arts 9905 1111 (9.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) or www.monash.edu/mapa ■ Adelphi Players Theatre Company: Dead Certain (a thriller by Marcus Lloyd) April 12, 13 at 2.00pm, April 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 at 8.00pm at Labassa, 2 manor Grove, North Caulfield. Tickets: $18/$15. Bookings Essential: 9690 1593. Warning to patrons: There is simulated gun-fire and some adult themes. ■ La Mama: The Legend of King O'Malley (by Bob Ellis and Michael Boddy) April 9 - 20, Wed, Sun 6.30pm, Thurs - Sat 7.30pm at La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St., Carlton. Director: Phil Rouse. Tickets: $25/$15. Bookings: 9347 6142 www.lamama.com.au ■ Catchment Junior Players: Avenue Q (School Edition) April 11 - 13 at the Banyule Theatre, Buckingham Drive, Heidelberg. Tickets: $32/$25. Bookings: www.trybooking.com/DZNI ■ Monash Centre for Theatre and Performance: Yarn (Written and performed by Lily Fish) April 16 at 1.00pm at the Alexander Theatre, Monash University, Clayton. Director: Andrew Gray. Free admission. No bookings required. ■ Peridot Theatre Inc: Social Play Reading: House Guest April 16 at 7.30pm at the Unicorn Theatre, Mt Waverley Secondary College, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Contact Alison Knight a8knight@bigpond.net.au ■ Present Tense Ensemble: The Major Bruce Sessions: Volume 1: Bat Out of Hell by Meatloaf Wednesday, April 16 at 6.30pm at Ruby's Music Room, 132 Little Lonsdale St., Melbourne. Curated and arranged by Nate Gilkes and Bryce Ives. Tickets: $25 on door, $20 online. www.rubysmusicroom. com ■ La Mama: The Return of the Eric (performed by Scott Gooding), April 16 - 20 at La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday St., Carlton. Director: Scott Brennan. Tickets: $25/$15. Bookings: 9347 6142 www.lamama.com.au ■ Williamstown Little Theatre: Proof (by David Auburn) April 24 - May 10 at 2 Albert St., Williamstown. Director: Jeff Saliba. Tickets: $25/$22. Bookings: 9885 9678. ■ Mordialloc Theatre Company: Talking Heads (by Alan Bennett) April 25 - May 10 at the Shirley Burke Theatre, 64 Parkers rd., Parkdale. Director: Judy Corderoy. Bookings: 9587 5141 or www.mordialloctheatre.com ■ Peridot Theatre: Heroes (adapted from Gérald Sibleyras's La Vent des Peupliers by Sir Tom Stoppard) April 25 - May 10 at 8.00pm, 2.15pm matinees on April 27 and May 3, 4.00pm twilight performance on May 4. Director: Geoff Hickey. Bookings: 9898 9090 or peridotboxoffice@yahoo.com.au ■ Geelong Repertory Theatre Company: Amadeus (by Peter Shaffer) April 25 - May 4 at the Woodbin Theatre, Coronation St., Geelong West. Director: Jacqui Connor. Tickets: $25 Bookings: 52251200 http://www.geelongrep.com.au ■ Malvern Theatre Company: Wicked Sisters (by Alma De Groen), April 25 - May 10 at 29 Burke Rd., East Malvern. Director: Lesley Batten. Tickets: $20 (no concession) Bookings: 1300 131 552 www.malverntheatre.com.au
Melbourne
Observer DEATH IN BOWENGABBIE
The White Prince
● Marc Cassidy, Stephen Agisilaou (artistic director) and Damien Welch present The White Prince. Photo: Pru Wilson ■ Vertical Shadows Dance Company presents the premiere of their new work, The White Prince, from May 16-24 at the Arts House Meat Market, North Melbourne. Created by artistic director Stephen Agisilaou, The White Prince stars two of Australia’s best and most loved dancers, former senior artist of The Australian Ballet, Marc Cassidy and former principal dancer of the Australian Ballet, Damien Welch, who will be joined by Teagan Lowe and newcomers Riley Fitzgerald and Joshua Hunt. The White Prince centres on a young boy, whose irreversible actions question our sense of reality and moral pathways, and aims to defy genre and the typical contemporary dance, creating heightened views of reality meeting the imagination. Performance season: May 16-24 Venue: Arts House Meat Market, 5 Blackwood St, North Melbourne. Tickets: $40 full, $32 students, $28 concession Bookings: www.verticalshadows.com
DOCKLANDS STUDIO MELBOURNE ■ Docklands Studios Melbourne will celebrate its 10th anniversary this month as the major international film The Moon And The Sun, starring Pierce Brosnan and acclaimed Chinese star, Fan Bing Bing, begins shooting in its sound stages. With a site comprising five purpose-built, world-class sound stages, production offices and a large workshop, the Studio plays a critical role in attracting domestic and international productions to Victoria and has accumulated a list of enviable credits in its first 10 years of operation. Major productions have included: I, Frankenstein, The Pacific, Ghost Rider, Knowin,; Where The Wild Things Are, Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark, Killer Elite, Patrick, Kath And Kimderella, Crawlspace and the soon-to-be-released Predestination, starring Ethan Hawke. Demonstrating its versatility, 120 hours of television drama and more than 650 hours of audience-based television programming have been shot on site which include: Winners And Losers; Satisfaction; As The Bell Rings; Millionaire Hot Seat; Australia’s Got Talent; Slide Show; Talkin’ Bout Your Generation and The Footy Show. Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business, Louise Asher said of the Studio’s anniversary, “The Studio is a state-ofthe-art facility that helps bolster Melbourne’s position as the screen and arts capital of Australia and equips Victorian screen professionals with globally competitive skills. Winning a film client like The Moon And The Sun reinforces the Studio’s position as one of only three major studio complexes in Australia with the capacity and facilities to cater for large-scale international projects.”
AUDITIONS ■ Wendy Samantha Productions: The Sound of Music April 24, 26, 27 at the Templestowe 1st Lower Scout Hall, 1/284 Thompsons Rd., Lower Templestowe. Director: Wendy Chang. Enquiries: 0403 802 952. ■ Peridot Theatre: House Guest (by Francis Durbridge) April 28 at 7.00pm at the Unicorn Theatre, Waverley Secondary College, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Director: Cameron South. Details: www.peridot.com.au ■ Cardinia Performing Arts Company (CPAC): The Wedding Singer April 29, 30 6.30-8.30pm (Singing Auditions) at the CPAC Rooms, Henry St., Pakenham; May 3 (Dance Audition) at Pakenham Dance Studio, 2/907 Princes Hwy, Pakenham; Callbacks May 3. 0407 090 354 or email rrene70@hotmail.com
● Bryce Youngman in Death In Bowengabbie at La Mama. ■ The exciting smorgasbord of shows on offer in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival includes Australian writer Caleb Lewis’s wonderful poetic monologue Death At Bowengabbie, presented by La Mama Theatre, Shaman Productions and Poetry In Action until April 13. Starring Bryce Youngman as narrator and multi-role player, this insightful, lyrical storytelling of mixed emotions starts with Aunt Jeannie choking on a melon ball, followed by death, suitcases, flowers and love. Lewis notes in the program that Death At Bowengabbie is not only a love story, but also a love letter to the small towns we leave and return to. Similar to other Australian small towns, Bowengabbie has grown old, with young people lured away by the ‘Pied Piper of Progress’, returning only for funerals. Rather than mourn, these funerals celebrate lives in themed party fashion, even using the former ice-cream van as the hearse. Soon-to-be-married city architect Oscar returns home after a 15-year absence to attend five family funerals over a short period of time, but his world changes when falling in love with childhood friend Abbey. Beautifully directed by Matt Edgerton, the show’s lighting design by Joe Lui and sound design and original music by James Collins, operated by Aaron Cananzi, are meticulously timed with dialogue to convey and enhance mood and scene changes Bryce Youngman’s versatility ranges from engaging in relaxed style with the audience as narrator, to embodying the various colourful characters of his home town with such believability they are there before our eyes, skilfully brought to life by one very talented actor. Special mention should be made of Youngman’s clear enunciation of Lewis’s work - down-to-earth, easy to understand, and most enjoyable. For an hour of memorable, funny, sad and thought-provoking theatre, this show is a must-see. The friendly, warm hospitality at La Mama Theatre is extra special, too. Performance season: Until April 13 Times: 9pm Wed and Fri, 6pm Thurs, Sat and Sun. Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday St, Carlton Duration: 60 minutes Tickets: $25/$15 Bookings: lamama.com.au or 9347 6142
AUDITIONS ■ SPX Waterdale Players: Little Shop of Horrors April 13, 14. Director: Rachel Collins; Choreographer: Emma Kiely; Musical Director: Sophie Antoniou. Audition bookings: waterdale.org.au/LSOH Enquiries: 0400 837 739. ■ Heidelberg Theatre Company: Little Murders April 13, 14 at 7.30pm at 36 Turnham Avenue, Rosanna. Director: Paul King. Audition enquiries: htc@htc.org.au ■ Malvern Theatre Company: The Vortex (by Noel Coward) April 13 at 1.30pm at Malvern Theatre, 29a Burke Road, Malvern East. Director: Horrie Leek. Audition bookings: 0412 474 255. ■ Frankston Theatre Group: Our Man in Havana (by Graham Greene) April 13 at 1.00pm, April 14 at 7.00pm at the Mechanics Hall, Nepean Highway, Frankston. Director: Keith Gledhill. Audition bookings: 9708 8498. ■ Sherbrooke Theatre Company: My Three Angels April 23 at 7.30pm at The Shed, 4/22 Jesmond Rd., Doncaster. Director: Sue Moon. Audition bookings: 0407 827 578.
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K & J WOOLLEY MASTER PLUMBERS. More than 50 years experience. ARC No 33651. Plumbing Licence No 35847. Phone 0432 380 886. Head Office: 9499 8222.
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RADIO GOLDEN DAYS RADIO 95.7FM. The great music of the 30s to 60s. Streaming through the web: www. goldendaysradio.com Phone: 9572 1466
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RARE DVDs PLAY MUSIC. Shop 4/ 50 Bourke St, Melbourne. Phone: 9650 0652. Mon-Sat 10am-9pm. Sun. 11am-6.30pm. Contact: Rex.
TILCO. Wholesalers to farmers and contractors. 29 Thackeray St, Toowoomba, Qld 4359. Phone: (07) 4633 0624. Mobile: 0422 399 544. Contact: Barry.
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MICHAEL’S TRAILERS. 28 Hunter Rd, SCOOTERS Healesville. Phone: S C O O T E R S M A R T. 0418 883 335. -YY14★ Servicing Melbourne --------------------------------------------------metro and regional TRAVEL: NSW Victoria. Obligation MERIMBULA free demonstration. Phone: 1800 420 BEACH ST APART971. scootersmart. MENTS. Set beside com.au the sparkling waters of -YY14★ --------------------------------------------------Merimbula Lake. 1 Beach St, Merimbula. SHOES Phone: (02) 6495 2205. www.beach GILMOUR’S COM- streetapartments.net. FORT SHOES. 48 The au E-Mail: info@ Mall, Heidelberg West. beachstreetapartments. 1187 Glenhuntly Rd, net.au -YY14★ Glen Huntly. 547 Whitehorse Rd, --------------------------------------------------Mitcham. 1800 819 TRAVEL: NT 936. DARWIN -YY14★ ---------------------------------------------------
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PLACES TO GO
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MAROONDAH SPORTS CLUB. Cnr Mt Dandenong & Dublin Rds, Ringwood East, Vic 3135. Phone: 9879 2922. Fax: 9879 7280. maroondahclub.com.au
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GROSVENOR IN CAIRNS HOLIDAY APARTMENTS. Fully self-contained, 1 and 2 BR apartments. www.grosvenorcairns. com.au E-mail: info@ grosvenorcairns.com. au Phone 1800 629 179.
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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - Page 47
Melbourne Observer Classifieds
Phone: (03) 9439 9927. Fax: (03) 9431 6247. E-Mail: editor@melbourneobserver.com.au BUSINESSES TRAVEL: QLD COOLUM BCH COOLUM BAYWATCH RESORT. Stay with the stars. Sunshine Coast. Close to some of Australia’s most famous attractions. PO Box 34, Coolum Beach, Qld 4573. Phone: (07) 5446 5500. Contact: Elaine and Peter. Web: www. coolumbaywatch.com E-Mail: info@coolum baywatch.com
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SEA CHANGE, SAFETY COVE. Amazing Tasmanian Holiday Experiences. 425 Safety Cove Rd, Port Arthur. Phone: (03) 6250 2719. www.sea changesafetycove.com. au E-Mail: safetycove @bigpond.com -YY14★ ---------------------------------------------------
TRAVEL: 4x4 CAMPERS ECHO 4x4 CAMPERS. Find out why everyone is talking. Tried, tested and trusted for 30 years. Phone: 1300 324 649. www. echo4x4.com.au -YY14★ ---------------------------------------------------
WINES ROBINVALE WINES. Certified bio-dynamic and organic wines. Free wine tasting. Cellar door sales. 243 Sea Lake Rd, Robinvale. Phone: 5026 3955. Mobile: 0408 663 695. Door to door delivery Australia wide. www.organicwines.com. au
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YOURSELF www.aboutmyself. com.au Get cash and have fun. Find out about making spare cash. Contact: Dr Juergen Ude. Web: www.aboutmyself.com. au -YY14★ ---------------------------------------------------
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AUSTRALIAN GREYHOUND MUZZLES. 4 Park Vista, Drouin, Vic 3818. Phone: 0413 676 989. Contact: kellie. Wed: www.australiangrey houndmuzzles.com M-P★ ---------------------------------------------------
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CHARLA-J ANTIQUES. Phone: 0408 578 687. Contact; Kerry. Web: www.charlaj antiques.com.au EMail: info@charlaj antiques.com.au
YOGAPLEX. 48 Main St, Upwey, Vic 3158. Phone: 9752 5838. Contact: George. EMail: gneo@ yogaplex.com.au
ELM COTTAGE TUMUT. Little River Rd, Tumut, NSW 2720. Phone: (02) 6947 5818. Contact: David and Deborah Sheldon. www.elmcottage.com. au E-Mail: david sheldon@bigpond.com
KILKIVAN BUSH CAMPING. Rossmore Park, Rossmore Rd, Kilkivan, Qld 4600. Phone: (07) 5484 1340. Contact: Ralph and Antonija. www. bushcamping.com.au E-Mail: kilkivan@ bushcamping.com.au
TED RYAN. Looking for a professional to run teh show? Compere/ host, auctioneer, promotions, A-grade journalist, voice-over commercials, race caller, all sports, race nights, TV-radiopress, respected member of the media. Phone: 9876 1652. Mobile: 0412 682 927. ted. ryan@optusnet.com. au
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COMBINED HEALTHCARE. Contact: Anne. Phone: 9879 5892, 0417 932 555.
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YERING MEADOWS GOLF CLUB LTD. 178180 Victoria Rd, Yering, Vic 370. Phone: 9738 9000. Contact: Kim. E-Mail: reception@yering meadows.com.au
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PET FRIENDLY ACCOMM. AZALEA COTTAGE. 84 Warwiba Rd, Old Var, NSW 2430. Phone: ()2) 6553 6636. Contact: Jeanette. Web: www.azaleacottage. com.au E-Mail: azalea cottage1@ bigpond.com.au M-P★ ---------------------------------------------------
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FORSTER HOLIDAYS. Phone: (02) 6555 2462, 0421 646 163. Contact: Andrea Keen. E-Mail: forster holidays@westnet. com.au
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Melbourne
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CONVERT YOUR UNWANTED GOODS INTO CASH
Take a free Classified ad in the Melbourne Observer, and sell your unwanted goods. Simply complete the form on the facing page, and mail to PO Box 1278, Research, 3095.
Octet launches ■ Australia’s newest chamber ensemble, Australian Octet, will launch its debut season with chamber masterworks by Brahms, Enescu, Shostakovich and Mills on May 25 and 30. Australian Octet comprises eight exciting and acclaimed string players: Violin: William Hennessy, Anne-Marie Johnson, Helen Ayres, Robin Wilson. Viola: Caleb Wright and Merewyn Bramble. Cello: Michelle Wood and Michael Dahlenburg
New stage musical ■ Two Australian creators of The Mapmaker’s Opera have secured a spot as an Official Selection of the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival’s Next Link Project. Composer and Musical Director, Kevin Purcell, 54, and bookwriter/lyricist, Victor Kazan, 66, both based in Melbourne, are the creative partnership behind this new stage musical, which is a moving love story set against the backdrop of the Mexican revolution.
Yooralla Tee quest ■ The YoorallaTEE competition is open until April, 24. Participants can enter and view submitted entries at the website. The top 10 finalists will have their designs printed and sold in Dangerfield stores, and will also receive a share of $7000 in cash and prizes. 99 designs.com
It’s astounding ■ The Rocky Horror Show will open at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre on Saturday, April 26. The 40th Australian Anniversary tour stars Craig McLachlan, together with Christie Whelan Browne and Tim Maddren, with Kristian Lavercombe and Erika Heynatz as Magenta.
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SKENES CREEK BEACHFRONT CARAVAN PARK. No 2 Great Ocean Rd, Skenes Creek, Apollo Bay, Vic 3233. Phone: 5237 6132, 0418 78 156. Contact: Charlie. w w w. s k e n e s c r e e k . com E-Mail: info@ skenescreek.com
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WHAT’S PUBLICON NOTICES AUTOSOL is available at all Super Cheap auto stores. See the display ad in this edition. Free sample offer: send self-addressed envelope to PO Box 309, Freshwater, NSW 2096. Shine and preserve metal forever. Power to treat dull, corroded metal -YY14★ ---------------------------------------------------
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WHAT’S ON FOR SALE
WHAT’S ON FOR SALE
WHAT’S ON FOR SALE
FOOD PROCESSOR. ‘Morphy Richards’. Metallic silver. Model No 48950. Still in box. Never been opened. Cost $399. Sell $350 ONO. Bentleigh East. 9579 1857.
VACUUM CLEANER. Upright. ‘Electrolux’. Never been opened. Still in box. Present. $150 ONO. Bentleigh East. 9579 1857.
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JUICE EXTRACTER. ‘Panasonic’. High quality, super eficient, wide feeder tube, circuit breaker to prevent motor burn out. Used once. Still in box. Size 25 x 25cm. $150 ONO. Bentleigh East. 9579 1857.
M-P★ BBQ. Slate green. --------------------------------------------------Size 1m x 1m. New. $15 ONO. Bentleigh L AMP. Ceiling, East. 9579 1857. leadlight, hand made, M-P★ timber, size 33cm --------------------------------------------------high. 32 cm diam. BIKES. Mountain. Cost $400. Sell ‘Repco’. Max tracks. $300 ONO. Bent10DS. Size: 26”. leigh East. 9579 With basket and hel- 1857. met. EC. $130 ONO. M-P★ Bentleigh East. 9579 --------------------------------------------------1857. OUTDOOR SETTING. M-P★ --------------------------------------------------Round table, size DRAWINGS, 3. Tractor. 81cm x 81cm. 6 Pen and ink, original. fold-up chairs. UmSiz 20 x 26cm. Frame brella blue, grey steel black. $75 ONO. base. Used once. EC. Bentleigh East. 9579 $150 ONO Bentleigh East. 9579 1857. 1857. M-P★ ---------------------------------------------------
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WHAT’S ON
SATURDAY COMMUNITY MARKET WHITTLESEA. Saturday, April 19. 8am1pm. 3rd Saturday of each month. Whittlesea Secondary College, Laurel St. Mel 246 G10. Single site from $20. Enquiries: 0419 357 395. Arts, crafts, plants, clothes, food and more. The market raises some of the funds required so the college and the primary school can have chap-lains. All of the money from the site fees and the sausage stall is used for this purpose.
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Page 48 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014
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Melbourne
Observer Victorian Sport
Free kicks: do you mind umpire? ■ There was a nwespaper article titled ‘Dump the Bump’ written by exHawk and GCSuns player, Campbell Brown, one of the toughest, roughest players of all time. His father Mal, who was tougher must have shuddered when he read this. But what absolute rubbish. Fyfe is a ball player and is the victim of administrators' passion to technically tinker with the rules which have stood the test of time since Day One. This was the perfect bump executed in motion which jarred both Fyfe and Michael Rischitelli bodies from the shoulders down which in turn forced their heads to involuntarily move forward and sideways to cause the clash. Football cannot afford to have its champions (Fyfe was a Brownlow favourite) outed on a freak accident. What was needed in adjudicating this case was a sprinkling of common sense.
Praise for umps ■ There was another article praising the umpires for reducing the number of free-kicks. The perfect game of AFL would be achieved if ALL the players on the ground NEVER made a mistake with the Laws and consequently NO freekicks were whistled! It will never happen. Reducing frees is good provided the players Melbourne
Observer
by 2017. Well done! ■ The AFL was quick to rectify an incorrect item stating 'old diggers' would be banned from free entry to ANZAC Day matches. (Great! HB) ■ The Greater Western Sydney Giants have been the first AFL club to launch on China social media. Ni Hao China. (GWS keep pushing your message. HB)
Free kicks
Harry Beitzel www.squidoo.com/harrybeitzel honour the Laws and play to them. In this frenzy for umpires to ‘swallow’ their whistles they have a paramount duty to pay, among other infringements, deliberate throws which includes 'handing the ball' to a teammate, in the back and illegal blocking.
Footy Briefs ■ Hawthorn has passed last year's record membership - now at 63,595, and on the way to the 80,000 target
■ Umpires are taught to pay the major free-kicks which are 'holding the man', 'holding the ball', incorrect disposal, in the back, illegally shepherding or blocking. Packs form because the player who wins the ball is grabbed in a fierce ‘wrap around’ tackle which pins the ball and his arms to his body so he cannot dispose of it. The majority of these tackles are propelled by the tackler forcing the player with the ball to go face down into the ground with the tackler on top of his opponent. Then it is open slather as teammates rush in, a pack forms, the ball is locked in and the average umpire whistles for a throw-up. From this throw-up the ruckmen wrestle, another pack forms and it is ditto repeato. The umpire should pay the first free which is either 'holding the ball' if the player had prior opportunity or 'in the back' if the ball winner is driven into
This Week ROUND4 Friday, April 11 Richmond vs. Collingwood (MCG) (N) Saturday, April 12 Carlton vs. Melbourne (MCG) Port Adelaide vs. Brisbane Lions (AO) GWS Giants vs. Western Bulldogs (SO) (T) Gold Coast Suns vs. Hawthorn (MS) (N) Geelong Cats vs. West Coast Eagles (SS) (N) Sunday, April 13 Sydney Swans vs. North Melbourne (SCG) St Kilda vs. Adelaide Crows (ES) Fremantle vs. Essendon (PS) (T) the ground. The ball winner should always be protected because he is trying to make the play and keep the ball moving. Another observation - first the interpretation of the interference in going for a mark to protect the player who has won the best position and therefore is entitled to 'hold his ground' is good and is commended. But the umpires have gone overboard and are allowing wrestling, strongest man wins, have thrown out the protective 5 metre rule not only in the goal area but even in the open field play. In the frenzy to reduce the number of ‘frees’ too many glaring breaches are going unrewarded.
Sport Extra
Gold Rush excites Bendigo ■ A huge amount of exciting racing will highlight the tenth Gold Rush Carnival at Bendigo during April. The club will race on April 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19 and 20 with the Easter Sunday program on April 20 the culmination of a big fortnight of racing. Major event over the carnival is the Bendigo Cup, carrying a first prize of $43,750. Heats will be staged on Wednesday, April 16 with the Final on Sunday, April 20. The Gold Rush Maiden event carries a $10,000 winners purse, while the Belle of Bendigo, Beau of Bendigo, Easter Cup, Super Gobis Grade 5 Series and Bendigo Stayers Cup are other feature events, all being decided at the April 20 program. The club also has excellent prizes on offer in its Gold Rush Raffle, with tickets currently on sale.
Bool’s big week ■ Warrnambool is also building towards its big week of racing in a few weeks which features not only the famous jumps racing carnival but also top quality greyhound events. An extra meeting will be staged at Warrnambool next Tuesday night (Mar. 15) as well as the normal Wednesday night program to cater for heats of the traditional Warrnambool Classic series, for greyhounds whelped between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012, which have been paid up for the event. Won by some of the best chasers since its inception in the early 1990s, the Classic Final carries a first prize of $75,000 and will be run on Wednes-
Greyhounds
with Kyle Galley day night, April 30, alongside the Warrnambool Cup which is worth $43,750 to the winner. This event attracts a big crowd who are in town for the three day gallops carnival.
Go the Pink Dog ■ Victoria's annual Go The Pink Dog campaign began in earnest on April 1. Each time a greyhound sporting the pink rug (number eight) wins in Victoria during April, $500 will be donated to the McGrath Foundation. So far, $280,000 has been raised and officials are confident that another $55,000 can be raised during April. The money goes directly to the McGrath Foundation to help them achieve their objective of increasing the number of McGrath Breast Care Nurses based nationwide, and raising the awareness of breast cancer in the community. Donations can also be made at all greyhound tracks during April.
Quick times ■ Sprinter Cee Ronaldo scored an exceptionally quick win at Traralgon last Thursday afternoon (Apr. 3). At his first race on the track, Cee Ronaldo went within 0.8 seconds of the track record in winning by seven lengths. Meanwhile, there must be something special in the new load of sand placed on the Cranbourne greyhound track. After the long-standing 520 metre track record was lowered, stayer Whodat Knockin’ last week claimed the 699 metre mark set by Yaroun Express well over a decade ago, clocking 41.00 seconds. Times have been particularly quick at Cranbourne since the track was resurfaced. Even moderately performed dogs are recording quick times – perhaps once the surface settles in this might correct itself.
Chas. retires ■ Long standing Melbourne Greyhound Racing Association Director Charles Bates has retired from his role, and has been replaced by Peita Elkhorne. Charles has had a lengthy involvement in racing, principally through his company Top Cat Video, established in the early 1980s and which now provides video recording services of nearly all races in Victoria, as seen on Sky Channel. Charles was awarded Life Membership of the Association earlier this year.
Peita brings a wealth of business knowledge to the MGRA, mainly through a role with Minter Ellison Lawyers. She is a greyhound racing fan and is looking forward to increasing her involvement at the Association’s track, The Meadows.
Flashback ■ Hurdle racing thrilled the big crowds at greyhound tracks for decades during the halcyon days of the sport. Although flat racing dominated most racing cards, those dogs who proved a little too slow on the flat were often turned to the jumps caper with great success. And for many years there were trainers who particularly concentrated on hurdling dogs, racing and breeding specifically for jumping events. One such trainer was Alan Shine, who was based in Gippsland and produced many top dogs in hurdling events. While much of the hurdling racing was concentrated on the city tracks, particularly at Sandown Park and Olympic Park in the more modern era, country venues such as Geelong, Warragul, Cranbourne and later, Warrnambool ran regular jumps events. Interstate hurdling events were also staged, particularly in Tasmania and South Australia, with exhibition events in Sydney also thrilling spectators. By the 1980s, hurdle events were still common on the Victorian circuits. Some races also incorporated handi-
cap starts, where the best quality runners would be handicapped behind the other starters according to their hurdle form. One such dog in the early 1980s was the aptly named Weinberg, who even ran a place after starting from the scratch mark at Olympic Park one night. Each June, the Hurdle Title would be conducted at Olympic Park, with Heats and Final for rich prizemoney over successive weeks. A dog I recall from my childhood was Ashburner, who was a brilliant hurdler, but could also hold his own against the good flat sprinters. Ashburner was dominant at Olympic Park, and he raced for so long that he actually competed against his own progeny towards the end of his career. Sadly, as the sport improved its image in the 1990s, hurdling was ceased.
Upcoming race meetings ■ Wednesday: The Meadows (Day), Shepparton (Twilight), Cranbourne (Night), Ballarat (N); Thursday: Warragul (D), Bendigo (T), Sandown Park (N), Warrnambool (N); Friday: Bendigo (T), Geelong (N); Saturday: Ballarat (T), The Meadows (N); Sunday: Sandown Park (D), Healesville (D), Bendigo (T), Sale (T); Monday: Ballarat (D), Warragul (T), Bendigo (N); Tuesday: Horsham (T), Warrnambool (N). - Kyle Galley
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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - Page 49
Melbourne
Observer Victorian Sport
Messene firms for Doncaster ■ The Hawkes teamtrained Messene has firmed even further for the Doncaster this Saturday after good work on the track and is in sparkling form He has taken all before him, and is now under $ 4 for the big mile. The New Zealander, El Roca, is racing consistently, and if another wet track comes up again this Saturday he will be right in it. Of the others you can't leave the International galloper, Gordon Lord Byron, out after his great win first up in Australia in the George Ryder at Rosehill.
Going fast ■ The Pakenham Racing Club, eagerly keen to move into their state of the art new track at Tynong next year, is over the moon with the sale of a number of their trainer allotments. Referred to as ‘Knights Court’, Pakenham's hard working CEO, Michael Hodge, told me that there were only 10 remaining prime lots, which enjoy closest access to the track. ■ Range of sizes. ■ Provision for stabling and residence on each lot. ■ Within one hour of all metropolitan racetracks. ■ Ownership not restricted to trainers. All prices are GST exclusive requiring a 10 per cent deposit, with settlement late 2014/ early 2015. Following the recent tender process, the Club will now offer the remaining nine lots for private sale. These lots range in size from 5000 square metres to one hectare and each lot has provision for stables and a residence. Michael Hodge said: “The Club is delighted with the result and will shortly commence construction of the trainer allotments subdivision.” Trainers and other investors can purchase one of the nine remaining properties for between $230,000 and $ 300,000. As ownership isn't restricted to trainers the Club is fielding
The venue is scheduled to open for training in June this year, with the Club's first race meeting on turf scheduled on March 24, 2015. The Club will race 40 times a year and the first race meeting on the synthetic track is scheduled for May 26 next year. Potential buyers are encouraged to visit w w w. p a k e n h a m racing.com.au or contact Paul Scanlon on 5940-6603, or via pscanlon@pakenham racing.com.au to discuss lots and available and arrange a site tour. To top it all off the first sod for their new track at Tynong, was recently laid, with the straight to be completed within a week, and continued until 9.5 hectares is laid.
Top day ■ A group of racing people from all three
■ From Page 42
Top 10 Lists
LOVE CHILD: Season One. THE SPIRIT OF '45. WATERLOO (Abba) Deluxe Edition CD + DVD. SOPHIA THE FIRST: The Floating Palace. TOP BLU-RAY RENTAL & SELLERS: 1. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE [Action/Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland]. 2. CARRIE [Horror/Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore]. 3. THOR: THE DARK WORLD 3D + Blu-Ray [Action/Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman]. 4. ENOUGH SAID [Comedy/Drama/Julia Louis Dreyfuss, James Gandolfini]. 5. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS [Drama/Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi]. 6. GRAVITY 3D + Blu-Ray [Drama/Sandra Bullock, George Clooney]. 7. JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA [Comedy/Johnny Knoxville, Jackson Nicholl]. 8. TURBO 3D + DVD + Blu-Ray [Animated/ Family/Paul Giamatti, Samuel L. Jackson]. 9. BLUE JASMINE [Drama/Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard]. 10. ONE CHANCE [Comedy/Drama/James Corden, Julie Walters]. Also: The Counselor, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Irvine Welsh's Filth, Ender's Game, The Butler, Prisoners, 20 Feet From Stardom, Rush, Escape Plan, Riddick.
Ted Ryan
strong interest from a diverse group of racing industry participants. Mr. Hodge said that the blocks were in high demand because of the favourable location, the price and range of land sizes. The Stage 1 'Knights Court' land release enjoys the closest access to the training facilities and the Club expects the remaining lots to be snapped up quickly. The new Pakenham Racing and Training Complex has been master planned to provide a world class racing and training facility, supported by a 150-acre residential subdivision and a retail and commercial precinct. The facility will also be a major development precinct. The $70 million first stage of the development of the racing and training precinct is well underway and includes. ■ A state of the art 2,400 metre racetrack; ■ 2,000 metre world class synthetic track; ■ Two high quality sand training tracks ; ■ $ 11 million modern grandstand event centre and customer facilities. ■ High quality infrastructure incorporating OHA&S best practice. ■ A 30 acre residential subdivision featuring 18 trainer allotments; ■ Integrated water harvesting, treatment and recycling system; ■ Dedicated wetlands to protect the habitat of local species.
Showbiz Extra
codes gathered, yours truly included, and enjoyed a great day at St Leonards Catholic Church in Glen Waverley. The meeting is to bring together members of all racing codes to discuss the latest happenings in the Church and there are plenty of those at the moment. Guest speaker was Father Kevin Dillon, brother of Racing Chaplain Father Brenan Dillon. Father Kevin Dillon spoke of the complications facing
● Darren Gauci Photo by SLICKPIX, phone 9354 5754
● Craig Williams Photo by SLICKPIX, phone 9354 5754 Eric Tymms passed the Catholic Church at length, spelling out on our condolences to the some of the families of former wrongs over the years. members who had After the meeting passed away includwe enjoyed a lunch ing, well-known milliwith many bookies, ner Paris Kyne, harand other racing ness racing's Bruce people, 44 in all, en- Skeggs, 3AW's Keith Mc Gowan, VRC's joying the day. Leading jockey Eric Jeffrey, New Darren Gauci, along South Wales top jourwith his father Bill, nalist Keith Robbins, were there with and Greyhound men, Melbourne Cup win- Ralph Schofield, ning jockey, Bob Kevin Ward and Skelton, former top Arthur Bell. Sympathy was exbookie Eric Tymms, and current bookmak- tended to the families ers including Graeme of recently deceased great jockey, Roy Samperi. Others who at- Higgins, and former tended were former great racing man AnMarketing Manager of drew Ramsden and the VRC, Clarrie Mick Sampieri, father Bennetts, and Gavin of leading bookie, Bourke representing Graeme Sampieri. It was the 57th year the Bourke family from Pakenham, Peter that the Day of ReflecJames, Neil Thomas, tions was conducted and leading book- and all and sundry had maker Bruno Mus- a great day. - Ted Ryan ilino.
● The late Roy Higgins
NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK: ANCHORMAN 2: The Legend Continues [Comedy/Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd]. PLANES [Animated/Adventure/Comedy/Dane Cook, Julia Louise-Dreyfus, Stacy Keach]. PLANES 3D [Animated/Adventure/Comedy/ Dane Cook, Julia Louise-Dreyfus, Stacy Keach]. NURSE 3D [Thriller/Judd Nelson, Katrina Bowden]. KHUMBA [Animated/Family/Adventure]. KHUMBA 3D [Animated/Family/Adventure]. FAT TONY & Co. Justin Bieber's BELIEVE. - James Sherlock
Sulky Snippets ■ Friday at Tabcorp Park Melton was good for the Macedon Ranges with Bolinda based trainers Vince Vallelonga and Brent Lilley both providing winners. Art Major/Aratusa Lass gelding Major Crocker snared the $25,505 Caduceus Club Cup for Three Year Olds (C1 to C5) over 2240 metres for Vince Vallelonga and Greg Sugars, leading throughout from gate five, accounting for Hectorjayjay and McNiven in 1-58.5, while Brent Lilley and Rod Petroff combined to land the Sky Racing Pace for M0 class over 1720 metres with 4-Y-0 Courage Under Fire/Rigaleto Franco mare Courageousnquick, also leading all of the way from the pole, defeating Jewel Castle which trailed and Tara Toplady in 1-57. ■ Daylesford father and daughter Bob and Anne-Maree Conroy scored a belated victory with five-year-old Life Sign/Dalmont Vivienne mare Argyle Melody in the SEWEurodrive Trotters Mobile for TR0 & TR1 class over 2240 metres at Tabcorp Park. Settling on the back of the pole line leader Angry Little Wagon from inside the second row, Argyle Melody was going to enjoy the run of the race until the pacemaker handed over to Solar Flash which had been slow to begin, before being sent forward to assume control at the judge on the first occasion. Now three back the markers, Argyle Melody was shuffled back to last when Angry Little Wagon gave ground sharply in the last lap, allowing Solar Flash to kick away with a handy lead on the home turn. Giving chase out wide approaching the final bend, Argyle Melody in a punishing finish prevailed by a head over Caledonian Breeze off a three wide trail last lap, with Solar Flash weakening to be 2.7 metres away in third place when having his first start since October. The mile rate 2-04.3. It was Argyle Melody's fourth success in 46 outings. More on Page 50
Page 50 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 9, 2014
www.MelbourneObserver.com.au
Melbourne
Observer Victorian Sport Racing Briefs
Night of nights at GV ■ On what was a ‘night of nights’ for the Goulburn Valley, Kialla's Steve Boyington led throughout aboard 4-Y-0 Lombo Pocketwatch/Lady Julie Lombo mare Magic Moment Lombo in the Fairhaven Equine Services Pace for C1 class over 2190 metres, easily accounting for Chain Of Gold which trailed and Balcony (one/one) in a rate of 201.1.
2 wins in succession ■ Kyabram's Mick Blackmore brought up two wins in a row at the track with 4-Y-0 Great Success/Senita gelding Senitas Success by taking the Quest Shepparton Trotters Handicap for T1 or better class over 2190 metres. Taking a concession for Bolinda based Josh Duggan, Senitas Success began fast from 10 metres to trail His Bluffen, before moving around him shortly after and lead for the remainder of the trip, defeating Im Demimondaine (one/two - three wide last lap) and a death-seating Dabbsey in a rate of 2-05..2
Dashed to the front ■ Bolinda trainer Brent Lilley was successful with high priced former Kiwi 5-Y-0 Sundon/Rite Effort gelding Like It Chilled in the United Petroleum Trotters Handicap for T0 & T2 class over 2150 metres at Yarra Valley on Monday March 31. Driven by neighbour Chris Alford who wasted no time in sending him forward from 10 metres to park outside the pacemaker Conchs Critter also starting from 10 metres, Like It Chilled travelled nicely all through the race, dashing to the front on the final bend. Holding a margin to the wire, Like It Chilled had two metres to spare at the finish over Fiftyshadesofbrown which trailed Conchs Critter who held down third. The mile rate 2-06.4. Raced by Bendigo's Bruce Dalton, proprietor of the Worlds Best Hoof Oil, Like It Chilled recorded his third victory in 17 outings.
Handed on platter ■ Riddell trainer Adam Kelly and stable reinsman Gavin Lang were also winners at ‘The Valley’, when Modern Art/Discordia filly Fon Design scored in the St Thomas's Retirement Village 3-Y-0 Pace over 2150 metres. Handed the lead on a platter from gate two by Hargrave inside him, Fon Design bowled around at her leisure to score by 6.1 metres in advance of Hargrave which made no impression, with High Classmate third after following the pair.
Led throughout ■ At Bendigo on Tuesday, Gisborne South trainer Shannon McLean landed the CV Batteries Pace for C2 & C3 class over 2150 metres with 6-Y-0 Village Jasper/Ive Got Rhythm gelding Broadway Classic. Driven by Gavin Lang, Broadway Classic led throughout from gate two, accounting for Cullen Regent (three back the markers) and Ardlussa Express from a mile back in a rate of 1-58.6.
Four back in running ■ Monegeetta trainer/driver David Miles' team have been going great guns of late and ex-Tasmanian 4Y-0 gelding Tango Terrific was victorious in the Fairhaven Equine Services Pace for C1 class over 2190 metres at Shepparton on Wednesday. Settling four back in the running line from gate three on the second line, Tango Terrific was set alight three wide racing for the bell and showing a great turn of speed, was able to cross the pacemaker and favourite On Fire Within to lead for the remainder of the journey to score by 2.8 metres from On Fire Within which used the sprint lane to no avail, with Border Patrol (three wide last lap from last) third. Bred and raced by Fred and Pauline Barker, Tango Terrific returned a mile rate of 2-00.3.
Boss Man streets rivals ■ Highly talented home bred 4-Y-0 Bacardi Lindy/ Oh Yes Indeed gelding The Boss Man streeted his rivals in the 2nd Heat of the VSTATrotters Cup for T0 to T4 class over 2150 metres at Lord's Raceway Bendigo on Tuesday, April 1. A trifle slow to begin from a 30 metre equal backmark, The Boss Man settled at the tail of the field, with the roughie The Dutchman leading from 10 metres. With the action hotting up at the bell, trainer/driver Scott Dyer moved The Boss Man forward and his quality prevailed, coasting to the wire 12.2 metres in advance of the second elect Rumbustious who ran extremely well but was no match for the winner in a rate of 2-02.5, with The Dutchman holding down third.
In a row ■ Junortoun's Gary Donaldson brought up two wins in succession with another home bred product, 4-Y-0 Falcon Seelster/ Cute Persuader gelding Gian in the Bendigo Bank Pace for C0 class over 2150 metres at Bendigo. Driven once again by Ian McMahon, Gian (gate three) spent most of the race mid-field in the running line, with the heavily supported pole marker Oliver Jack at the head of affairs. Following I Am Louie ahead of him three wide in the last lap, Gian finished full of running to gain the day by 3.9 metres over I Am Louie and Life Long Voyage in a mile rate of 200.1.
Blitzed ■ On a great night for those who train on the Bendigo track, Garry Graham's short course specialist Endorsement a 6-Y-0 gelded son of Life Sign and Bonton Lady blitzed his rivals in the Bet On Track Pace for C1 class over 1650 metres, recording his seventh victory in 62 race appearances. Bred and raced by Garry and wife Melva, Endorsement taking a concession for Haydon Gray flew away from gate five to lead easily, dictating terms to suit before leaving his rivals standing from the home turn to win by 25.3 metres in a rate of 1-56.8 over Satisfied Grin and Gracenator which was badly held up in the final circuit.
Very fast ■ Tatura trainer David
Baker’s Delight
Harness Racing
This Week’s Meetings ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Melbourne
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with Len Baker
Abrahams snared the Staffordshire Park 3-Y-0 Trotters Mobile over 2150 metres at Bendigo with Lawman/Rainbow Billie gelding Guiltless in a rate of 2-01.4. Bred by Bendigonians Terry Forster and Heather Lyttleton, Guiltless raced by Veritas Holdings Pty Ltd began very fast from outside the front row with Daryl Douglas in the sulky to lead, before being challenged strongly by Tiavons Dream (gate four on the second line) who eventually assumed control. Moving to be outside the leader approaching the home turn, Guiltless after a two-horse war all the way up the running prevailed by a head, with Im Havinaball 19.2 metres away in third place after a cosy mid-field passage.
Exciting ■ The feature event at Shepparton on Wednesday was the $25,505 George Croxford Tribute Final for Three Year Olds over 2190 metres which had been re-scheduled from the abandoned Cobram meeting a week earlier. In an exciting contest, victory went the way of local Bunbartha trainer/ driver John Newberry with Extreme Three/Diamond Cove gelding Diamond Ace in a slick mile rate of 1-57.6. Beginning with a wing on every foot from gate six to lead running into the first turn, Diamond Ace bred and raced by John and wife Maree was allowed to run along making sure that the favourite Bryce Cooper couldn't get on terms after moving to race in the open approaching the bell. Kicking away on the final bend, Diamond Ace recorded a brilliant 4.5 metre margin in advance of the Gawler Derby winner Big Bang Leonard (three back the markers last lap - one/one home turn) in a mile rate of 1-
Wednesday - Cobram/Ballarat, Thursday - Bendigo/Mildura, Friday - Melton, Saturday - Mildura (Cup), Sunday - Warrnambool @ Melton, Monday - Yarra Valley, Tuesday - Shepparton.
Horses To Follow ■ Artistic Angel, Valens, Baranduda, Sketchman, Blisstar, Strawberry Heart, WhatAFine Fella, Soho Chicago, Gracenator.
Unbackable fave 57.6, with Tezz Khora coming from last to finish third after switching down to the sprint lane in the straight. Diamond Ace then had to survive a protest from the runner up which was quickly dismissed. John had been very patient with the horse he has a huge opinion of, electing to bypass the Victoria Derby in February after giving the race serious consideration.
Cosy trip ■ In what was a great night for the Newberrys at Shepparton, John and son Matthew combined to land the Victorian Equine Group Pace for C3 & C4 class over 2190 metres with Falcon's Icon/ Sandra's Soky 7-Y-0 gelding Classic Icon. Leading out from gate three, Matt allowed Fergus MacTavish to cross him giving Classic Icon a cosy trip, leaving the favourite Brother Rabbit without cover. Gaining a split halfway up the running, Classic Icon finished best to score from Fergus MacCool (three back the markers) and Fergus MacTavish in a rate of 1-59.8.
Quinella ■ Nathalia's Noel Tyndall snared the quinella in the Hicks Stable & Steel Construction Pace for C2 class over 1690 metres at Shepparton with Die Tryin defeating Earls Reign in a rate of 1-58. Showing a great turn of speed at the start to lead from gate four, Die Tryin driven by Noel was crossed by Earls Reign (Donna Castles) with a lap to travel. Using the sprint lane, Die Tryin a home bred 4Y-0 gelded son of Live Or Die and Crystal Reign came again to score by 1.2 metres, with Thunder Fee (three back the markers last lap) third. - Len Baker
■ Avenel trainer David Aiken was successful with Modern Art/Espeshlimade Lombo colt Bespoke Artist in the BHRC Members 3-Y-0 Pace over 2150 metres at Lord's Raceway Bendigo on Tuesday April 1. First up since July last year, Bespoke Artist an unbackable $1.04 favourite, led throughout from gate two with Chris Alford in the bike to score by 6.5 metres from Sketch Me (one/one) and Gunbalunya which trailed the winner in a mile rate of 1-59.3.
Local winner ■ Another Avenel winner in the week was 4-Y-0 Four Starzzz Shark/Faded Love mare Onetolove for Wayne Potter and Mark Pitt in the Saddleworld Shepparton Pace for C0 class over 1690 metres at Shepparton on Wednesday. Raced by former Kilmore resident Jack Knight, Onetolove led throughout from the pole to easily account for the favourite Bromac Del Mar off a three wide trail last lap in a rate of 2-02, with Sheza Wild Card (one/one) third for Juanita Breen.
Long way from home ■ Two Melton-trained old timers snared the quinella in the Lilydale Instant Lawn Claiming Pace over 2150 metres at Yarra Yalley on Monday March 31, with 12-Y-0 Dartmoor defeating the 14-Y-0 Mister Douglas in a mile rate of 1-58.5. Raced by Anna Mullan, trained by husband Danny and driven by ChrisAlford, Dartmoor settled at the tail of the field from a solo second line draw, appreciating the slick tempo as the leaders Jetshawjoe, Wipem Dry and Caesar Surprme were at it a long way from home. Swooping on the front runners at the straight entrance, Dartmoor raced away to score by 9.8 metres in a rate of 1-56 over Mister Douglas which trailed him home, with Cowboy Cadillac a further 3.3 metres away in third place. A gelded son of Dream Away and Janet Quill who has been in numerous stables over the eastern seaboard since he first graced the tracks, Dartmoor recorded his 34th victory in 217 outings.
Success at ‘Valley’ ■ Long Forest father and daughter Peter Thompson and Kate Gath were successful at ‘The Valley’ with 6-Y-0 Jet Laag/Whatabee gelding Graybuck in the Heatherdale Bowling Club Pace for C4 & C5 class over 2150 metres in a rate of 1-56.7, leading throughout for the greater portion of the journey to defeat Classy Western off a three wide trail last lap to give the Melton District the quinella. Houhora Delight finished third after racing in the open.
Greeted the judge ■ Korweinguboora trainer John Watt was also a winner at the Bacchus Marsh program, when 4-Y0 Live Or Die/Van Goddess mare Cee Goddess greeted the judge in the Gillespie Earthmoving Pace for R0 class over 2240 metres. Backed as if there was no settling, Cee Goddess driven by Mick Stanley led throughout from gate two, recording an easy 15.9 metre victory from Lost Forever from last and Goodlooking Prince (one/ one at bell) in a mile rate of 2-01.1.