Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, November 13, 2013 - Page 103
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Radio: Magic 1278 boss resigns ................... Page 104 Community: 96.5FM stages Radiothon .............. Page 105 The Spoiler: Advance plotlines for TV soapies .......... Page 105 Jim and Aaron: Top 10, best movies and DVDs ............ Page 106 Cheryl Threadgold: Local theatre shows, auditions ........... Page 107 PLUS THE LOVATT”S MEGA CROSSWORD
YARRA OPERA’S DOUBLE BILL Funny Money
● Audrey Farthing (Jean) in Funny Money at Strathmore until November 17. Photo: Jonne Finnemore ■ Ray Cooney’s Funny Money plays at the Strathmore Community Theatre until November 17, presented by the Strathmore Theatrical Arts Group (STAG). Mel de Bono stepped in when director Jonne Finnemore became ill early in rehearsals and as usual, his directorial experience shines through. The farcical romp tells of Henry (Donal Taylor) accidentally picking up the wrong briefcase on his way home from work and discovering it contains lots of money. One, then two policemen pay a visit, and Henry’s wife Jean (Audrey Farthing) and friends Betty (Michelle Tanner) and Vic (Christopher Dossor) assume various identities in a fun game of cat and mouse to help keep the money. This show maintains STAG’s traditional good standard of sets, with Henry and Jean’s Fulham home, complete with flying ducks on the wall, designed by Mel de Bono and realized by Tony Leatch. The special effects are impressive, too. The cast works commendably hard at delivering Cooney’s wordy dialogue, particularly Donal Taylor (Henry). I particularly enjoyed the two policemen’s performances – Peter Davey as the corrupt Davenport and Michael Bentley as Slater, and Kate Devin as Bill the taxi driver, is terrific. Michelle Tanner and Christopher Dossor bring wonderful energy to the performance from their first entrance, and Vladimir Grisinski (Passer-by) surprises with a dramatic appearance. Cooney’s script is humouress, but some dialogue is trite. De Bono and his cast do well to present an enjoyable night’s entertainment. More good news is that Jonne Finnemore has recovered to work as Production Co-ordinator for this show. Performance Season: Until November 16 Venue: Strathmore Community Centre, Cnr Loeman and Napier Sts, Strathmore. Tickets: $20/$15. Bookings: 9382 6284 or www.stagtheatre.org/reservations - Cheryl Threadgold
By JULIE HOUGHTON
● Camilla Gorman, Catriona de Vere and Christina Keightley ■ Sometimes the city is a long way to visit if you are keen to hear some fabulous singing and see a good show when you live to the far east of Melbourne. So there's some good news for Yarra Valley arts lovers who will have opera brought to their doorstep on Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 16 and 17) by Yarra Opera. The brainchild of Nigel McBain, Yarra Opera will be bringing its successful double bill of Purcell's Dido And Aeneas , followed by a rollicking contemporary opera about the bloke who took from the rich to give to the poor, in Robin Hood's Lament, written by McBain. Dido And Aeneas stars Catriona de Vere in the title role of Dido, with local soprano Cristina Keightley singing Belinda, Dido's confidante, and Jenny Wakefield as The Sorceress. In the second half of the evening we venture to Sherwood Forest, where we find that Marion, sung by Isabel Hertaeg, is having an affair (not her first) with Little John, while corrupt priest, Friar Tuck, is pursuing Will Scarlet. Robin is frequently off with the fairies, drinking hallucinogenic concoctions and suffering bouts of unbearable depression. Local tenor, Nick Seidenman leads a solid cast as Robin. I'm not sure that I ever saw this particular plot line in the famous childhood television series, which should make it all the more fun for being redeveloped to attract a more adult audience. The show itself is designed to give the audience a night at the to be remembered, and showcases a number of local performers in a range of roles, as well as featuring the Nicholas Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Nigel McBain, Yarra Opera mixes singing, acting and dancing to give its audience a high-quality, entertaining show. The company has big plans for the future, aiming to take this show and other theatrical masterpieces on tour around regional Victoria. Performances are Saturday (Nov. 16) at 7.30, and Sunday (Nov. 17) at 1.30pm at The Memo (The Memorial Hall) in Healesville. Tickets are $45 Adult and $35 Concession. www.yarraopera.com
● Richard Wilson
Getting Loud
● Hannah Dahlenburg ■ Celebrating major milestones is always fun, and when you have a year with two major composers who came into this world 200 years ago, music is going to be high on the celebration agenda. . Newly established Melbourne arts organization XL Arts is celebrating the birth bicentenary of Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi with a concert of their work - with a twist - on Saturday (Nov. 16) at 7.30 pm at St Stephen's Anglican Church, 360 Church St, Richmond. XL is a diverse co-operative of artists who aim for the sky in terms of giving the highest level of operatic performance. The idea is to provide performance opportunities for established artists to showcase their talents while also giving a platform for emerging artists to develop further, so there's a nice mix of high profile performers and the stars of the future. On November 16 music lovers can hear internationally famous contralto Liane Keegan, Australian piano legend Tony Gould, James Russo, Hannah Dahlenburg, Tiriki Onus and 2013 Herald Sun Aria finalist Stephanie Gibson among the performers. Top hits from ‘Dick and Joe' that you can hear on the night include Hannah singing Caro Nome from Verdi's Rigoletto, Tiriki taking on Wagner's famous Wotan from The Ring cycle, and Stephanie singing Sempre'Libera from Verdi's La Traviata. XL wants to push the boundaries of traditional performance formats and settings, to find new artistic collaborations and great performance experiences for both the performers and their audience. In a nutshell, XL wants to make opera and the arts accessible to everyone. XL is based at St Stephen's Anglican Church in Richmond, which is known for its support of the artistic community. Tickets are just $20 and $15 concession and are available at the door. This new company is inviting everyone to come to the best musical birthday party this year and experience the blank canvas where artists can 'XL'. Of course….. www.xlarts.org
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