Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, July 17, 2013 - Page 103
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Radio: Community radio leads way ................ Page 104 Veritas: Melbourne’s critic, without fear or favour . 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
SPRING AWAKENING Stephen Schwartz to visit Melbourne
By CHERYL THREADGOLD
● Ellen Akers, Mattie McLeod, Tess Walsh and Hannah Morrison in Altona City Theatre's production of Spring Awakening. ■ Altona City Theatre presents Spring Awakening: A New Musical, until July 20 at Altona Theatre, 115 Civic Pde, Altona. With book and lyrics by Steven Sater, and music by Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening is a daring depiction of teenage selfdiscovery, originally banned from the stage for nearly 100 years. This electrifying fusion of morality, rebellion, sexual awakening and rock 'n roll is directed by Patt Ryan, with musical direction by Dave Barclay and choreography by Stephanie Johns. Tickets: $30/$25 . Bookings: www.altonacitytheatre.com.au or 0425 705 550. Please note: This production contains coarse language, simulated sex scenes, partial nudity and mature themes. This show may not be suitable for children under 15 years of age.
Big party night at Theatre Works, St Kilda ● Stephen Schwartz ■ If you discovered music theatre in the 1970s, then chances are that you also fell in love with Stephen Schwartz. If the name doesn't immediately ring a bell, how about the shows Godspell, Pippin and Children Of Eden ? And the songs Day By Day and Corner Of The Sky , to name just a couple of Stephen Schwartz hits. Schwartz is the mastermind of these and many other shows - he is truly a Broadway legend and he is coming to Australia in September. The innovative Australian theatre company Magnormos is bringing Schwartz out here and producing a special Schwartz triptych of Godspell, Pippin and Children Of Eden. And while Schwartz was the composer of the 1970s for many of us, he's still a Broadway legend - today's generation of young theatergoers know him better as the creator of Wicked , which is returning to Melbourne for another season. The Stephen Schwartz Celebration will take the form of the three shows being presented in concert format at Elisabeth Murdoch Hall at Melbourne Recital Centre. Godspell is first cab off the rank, on Monday September 9, with Pippin following on Monday September 16 and Children Of Eden' finishing the season on Monday, September 23. Pippin ran for five years on Broadway with 1944 performances, while Godspell was recently revived on Broadway. In addition to the Triptych, those people who buy seats to all three shows will be able to secure a seat to the night of a lifetime - Stephen Schwartz In Conversation on Saturday, September 21. Given the popularity of Schwartz musicals in Melbourne, booking tickets earlier rather than later is probably a good idea. Icons like this don't visit every day, and having the chance to see three Schwartz shows is a precious one. www.melbournerecital.com.au or 9699 3333 - Julie Houghton
■ Theatre Works extends an invitation to all theatre supporters to attend Abundance - a fundraising party for Independent Theatre at 14 Acland St, St Kilda, on Saturday, July 27 from 7pm until midnight Join in celebrating the growing community that is Theatre Works, with live music, DJs, original performances, laughs, canapés, an auction and glass of bubbly on arrival. The MC will be Nicola Gunn, and artists who have already come forward to support this event include Laura Imbruglia, Beau Heartbreaker, Willow J, Present Tense Ensemble, Rosie Westbrook, David Woods and Stella J Young. Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au or call 9534 3388. Also visit the website if wishing to make tax deductable donations to support this fundraiser.
Circa returns
● Nathan Boyle, Alice Muntz, Daniel Crisp ■ After sell-out seasons across the world, Australia’s ground-breaking Circa returns to Melbourne with a breathless cocktail of new circus, cabaret and vaudeville Wunderkammer. Circa is world-renowned for creating startling new ways to experience circus. Combining seemingly impossible physical feats with a poetic sensibility, its creations move, amaze and astonish. In Wunderkammer, an exquisite cabaret of the senses, a diva melts into a rope, balloons and bubble wrap discover their artistic souls while bodies twist and fly. Seven performers of unbelievable ability bend the fabric of reality. Hailing from Brisbane, Circa is responsible for a bold new vision of contemporary circus. Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz and his talented company are a dynamic force in circus. Wunderkammer is a blending of bodies, light, sound and skills, a place where acrobatics and movement meld into a seamless whole, a celebration of the expressive possibilities of the human body at its extremes. Since 2006 Circa has toured to 24 countries across five continents and its work has been well-received by audiences, presenters and critics around the world. In 2012 Circa was honoured with a Helpmann Award for Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production, and has again been nominated for this year’s awards in the Best Regional Touring Production category. It recently won a Brighton Festival award in the UK for How Like An Angel and Circa’s newest production, Opus, had its premiere in Lyon, France in June. Circa also runs a training centre with an impressive workshop program in Brisbane at its professional studio, in schools and with partners throughout Queensland and beyond. Featuring fresh, contemporary soundscapes, a young and gifted ensemble, and produced under the artistic direction of Yaron Lifschitz, Circa provides a rare opportunity to see one of Australia’s most successful contemporary performance exports up close and personal. Performances: August 14 – September 1 Venue: Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt St, Southbank Bookings: malthousetheatre.com.au - Cheryl Threadgold
Open gathering at La Mama ■ Theatre-makers and supporters gathered in Carlton this week to celebrate La Mama Theatre’s Winter Season Launch and enjoy hospitality from the La Mama BBQ and Soup Kitchen. Details of La Mama’s exciting line-up of plays, creative teams and performers can be found on www.lamama.com.au La Mama founder Betty Burstall will be honoured at a gathering on Saturday, July 27 at 2pm in the La Mama Forecourt, to celebrate all that she so generously contributed to people’s lives. Artist, homemaker and teacher, Betty established La Mama Theatre in the elegant Victorian warehouse at 205 Faraday St, Carlton, in 1967, where it is still located today, 46 years later. The theatre’s survival is a tribute to the far sightedness of Betty’s creative vision, as her artistic policy remains one of the most enlightened and creative initiatives in our theatre history. In 1976, Betty relinquished the role of Artistic Director, but continued an active association with La Mama as inaugural Chair of the Committee of Management and as script advisor, a role she continued until 2004.
Sadly, Betty passed away on June 14, aged 87. If wishing to attend the open gathering at La Mama Theatre on July 27 at 2pm, please RSVP via rsvp@lamama.com.au - Cheryl Threadgold