Story Act 1, 2015
Published by Queensland Performing Arts Centre
QPAC.COM.AU
EXCLUSIVE
The evolution of QPAC
INTERVIEW
Steven Wolff on the role of arts centres
MILESTONES
QPAC milestones over 30 years
SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE
Leading through art
SHOWCASE The Sixteen 8 March
PICTURED QPAC Opening Day celebrations, 20 April 1985 PHOTOGRAPHY Richard Stringer
The creative opportunity to provide such a home is a rare and onerous task of immense proportions to the architect.” – QPAC ARCHITECT, ROBIN GIBSON
CREDITS CHAIR
Chris Freeman AM DEPUTY CHAIR
Rhonda White AO TRUSTEES
Kylie Blucher, Simon Gallaher, Sophie Mitchell, Mick Power AM EXECUTIVE STAFF
John Kotzas, Chief Executive; Ross Cunningham, Director, Presenter Services; Roxanne Hopkins, Director, Marketing; Kieron Roost, Director, Corporate Services; Jackie Branch, Director, Patron Services ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The Queensland Performing Arts Trust is a statutory body of the State of Queensland and is partially funded by the Queensland Government: The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier and Minister for the Arts; Director-General Sue Rickerby, Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts.
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BELLA ESPAĂ‘A
Story is published by QPAC in collaboration with map creative. Printed in Brisbane, Australia. THE STORY TEAM
QPAC Editor Jennifer Cahill map creative Editor Wendy Schipper Contributors Prof. Judith McLean, Rebecca Lamoin, Mikki Brammer, Eleanor Price Photographers Kathryn Stevens Designer Tia Queen CONTACT
PO Box 3567, South Bank, Qld 4101 (07) 3840 7444 / qpac.com.au ABN: 13 967 571 1218 Contents of Story are subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publication of editorial does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of views or opinions expressed. The publisher does not accept responsibility for statements made by advertisers. Story welcomes editorial contributions or comments. They should be sent by email to jennifer.cahill@qpac.com.au. Printed February 2015.
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MILESTONES
CONTENTS
STORY > ACT 1, 2015
FEATURES
12
The evolution of QPAC QPAC proudly celebrates 30 years of delivering world-class performing arts and cultural programs to Brisbane.
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Steven Wolff Steven shares his passion for engaging the community with performing arts centres. 22
Clare Morehen Andrea Moor 26 Rebecca Lamoin 24
QPAC PRESENTS
06 08 10
18 28 36 40
Welcome Arts News Vox Pop Milestones Community News Flavours Guest Vox Pop
BEHIND THE SCENES
30
Scholar in Residence Interview: Pamela McDowall 33 Interview: Shona Webster 34 Backstage ... 32
SHOWCASE
42
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QPAC 30TH ANNIVERSARY
Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo™ Giggle and Hoot & Friends 46 The Illusionists 1903 48 Horrible Histories Barmy Britain 50 Ludovico Einaudi – In a Time Lapse 52 Wicked 54 Bella España 56 The Sixteen – The Queen of Heaven 58 La Sylphide 60 QSO with Fritzsch & Shlomo Mintz 61 Brisbane 62 La traviata 63 Count Basie Orchestra 64 Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage 66 Event Calendar 44
GET SOCIAL WITH QPAC
atQPAC
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FLAVOURS
20
INTERVIEW WITH STEVEN WOLFF
@QPAC
QPACTV
@atQPAC
atQPAC
+QPACAU
COVER Fireworks over QPAC, Photography by Rob Maccoll
WELCOME
QPAC at 30
MESSAGE FROM THE QPAC CHAIR AND BOARD
This year, QPAC celebrates 30 years of creating and sharing performing arts experiences. Around 20 million visitors have attended performances here over 30 years. Perhaps even more importantly than those numbers is how QPAC has evolved and grown over that time to become a destination; a centre known for creativity and where art is made; a community hub that encourages people to engage with arts and culture, express themselves artistically and take part in discussions about our society. QPAC stands as a beacon of culture along Brisbane’s South Bank precinct. The prominence of this destination is a statement as to how our society values arts and culture. The way culture impacts and influences society takes many forms; at QPAC we actively work to have a positive impact on Brisbane’s reputation as a cultural destination and exciting place to live. Our vision is to create a world where the performing arts matter to everyone – our activity and business drives this key concept whether we are creating a festival for children or presenting the world’s best orchestra on the Concert Hall stage. As the Chair of QPAC’s Board, it is enriching and rewarding to see the effect that the arts has on people. It can be through a personal connection with an artist, as part of an audience enjoying a performance or even a sense of civic pride that QPAC is part of the larger tapestry of art and creativity playing out across our state. As we celebrate our 30th anniversary we are laying the foundation for the coming decade. We will continue to engage people through live performance, to create memorable experiences in and outside the theatre that bring us together as a community. In particular, as the role of arts centres continues to evolve, we are focused on meaningful dialogue with Queenslanders and the rapid pace of change in the digital sphere. Thank you for engaging with our art and what we do, I hope to see you at QPAC throughout our 30th anniversary year.
CHRIS FREEMAN AM CHAIR
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WELCOME
The story so far ... 30 years ago QPAC opened to great fanfare and ceremony. The idea of a performing arts centre nestled amongst the other cultural institutions at South Bank was novel, but even in those early years QPAC was establishing its identity as a place where people gathered to take part in the performing arts be it as audience member or performer. There are many aspects of the building that we can point to on our 30th anniversary and reflect on who we are and how we’ve come to be a centre that welcomes more than one million people annually. One of our most important achievements over that time has been to create many partnerships with our audiences, with our local artists and arts companies, with our national counterparts and with international centres, companies and people. In our 30th year we have chosen to highlight those partnerships and welcome new partners to QPAC. A modern performing arts centre should be agile and flexible, responding to new demands and investigating ways of becoming more connected with and entangled in our community. No longer is a performing arts centre a place where experiences go one way ‌ from performer to audience member. We encourage active participation in the arts and the flow of dialogue from stage to auditorium and back again. We know there is something unique in every performance that is never again able to be recreated. And we embrace this fact. This year I hope you are able to create your own memorable experiences and moments. To come to QPAC and feel you are part of our community as much as we feel a part of yours.
JOHN KOTZAS CHIEF EXECUTIVE
QPAC.COM.AU
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ARTS NEWS
Rise of digital FUTURE
Australia’s cultural and heritage offerings have been noted as one of the highest drivers of demand within Australia’s visitor economy, valued at $110 billion per year. At the Tourism and Transport Forum Cultural Tourism Roundtable in July, it was revealed that 2.9 million international visitors and more than 20 million domestic visitors undertook cultural activities – underpinning the viability of cultural institutions in Australia.
The Digital Culture 2014 survey, completed by 947 UK arts organisations, indicated that the adoption of interactive digital technology is a growing trend among arts organisations. According to the survey conducted by Arts Council England, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Nesta, galleries, in particular, have embraced digital activities connected to a specific exhibition or artwork. Performing arts venues, on the other hand, tend to use digital technology for marketing, operations and business models, according to the survey findings. Venues, however, are seeking new ways to use digital technology, with educational interactive experiences and crowd-funding among the fastest growing areas for them in 2014. In Australia, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney demonstrated the use of digital technology well with the recent launch of a new in-gallery app Articulate. It invites visitors to express how they feel towards artworks by sharing their thoughts and emotions through words, photos, songs or sketches using iPads situated throughout its spaces.
T T F.O R G.AU
A RT SDIG ITALRND.ORG.UK
Tourism boosts arts INSIGHTS
Performance industry looks strong GROWTH
Live Performance Australia (LPA), a key creative industry body, has reported that the performance industry is in a strong position having made major gains in ticket sales since its last reporting period. Live performances registered a 10.2 percent increase in 2013 ticket sales from the previous year in categories such as Contemporary Music, Circus and Physical Theatre, Multi-Category Festivals and Special Events. Queensland recorded stable results with growth in several sectors. LIVE PE R F O R M A N C E.CO M.AU
John Bell to step down THEATRE
Acclaimed actor, director and producer, John Bell, has announced that he will be stepping down as artistic director of Bell Shakespeare at the end of 2015. Bell founded the company in 1990 and has helped stage hundreds of productions over its two-and-a-half decade span. Leadership of Bell Shakespeare will be passed to co-artistic director, Peter Evans, who has been with the company since 1996. BE LLSHAKE SPE ARE.COM.AU
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PHOTOGRAPHY Darren Thomas
ARTS NEWS
Arts and culture impact measured Vale Wayne Goss ARTS ADVOCACY
Queensland recently lost an arts champion with the passing of former Queensland Premier, Wayne Goss. Among his achievements, Wayne Goss will be remembered for his role in building Queensland’s arts reputation within Australia and internationally. As Premier and Arts Minister from 1989 to 1992, he was instrumental in attracting to Brisbane the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT), Queensland Art Gallery’s flagship contemporary arts event and one of the region’s most respected exhibitions. APT attracted 50,000 visitors in 1993 and by 2013 this had increased ten-fold to more than 565,000 visitors. He was involved in QPAC’s first Out of the Box festival for children eight years and under in 1992, and his wife Roisen was patron of the early festivals. After retiring from politics, Wayne Goss was Chair of the Queensland Art Gallery’s Board of Trustees from 1992 to 2008. He was a driving force behind the planning, design and building of the now internationally renowned Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Wayne certainly was instrumental in changing Brisbane’s cultural and artistic landscape to that of an international standing under his tenure. QPAC remembers Wayne Goss for his contribution to the arts and passion for Brisbane and extends its heartfelt thoughts to the Goss family for their loss.
We need this information to help people think of arts and culture for what they are: a strategic national resource…” –S IR PETER BAZALGETTE, CHAIR, ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND ON THE VALUE OF ARTS AND CULTURE TO PEOPLE AND SOCIETY – AN EVIDENCE REVIEW
RESEARCH
An evidence review of the value of arts and culture has been published by Arts Council England, measuring the impact arts and culture has on economy, health and wellbeing, education and society at large. The value of arts and culture to people and society – an evidence review, indicates that arts-based and cultural events have a widespread impact in each of the four areas. The review’s statistics state that half of total tourist visits to the UK involved an engagement with some form of arts and culture, while 60 percent of individuals were more likely to report good health if they attended a cultural event in the past 12 months thanks to an overall impact on subjective wellbeing. Researchers also found that attending or participating in arts and culture had a strong effect on young people, increasing youth civic engagement and reducing social class differences. The study claims that taking part in drama and library activities improved literacy, while taking part in structured music activities helped to improve attainment in maths and early language acquisition. Arts and culture were also found to have a significant impact on community engagement and cohesion, reducing social isolation and exclusion as well as making communities feel safer and stronger. ARTSCOUNCIL.ORG.UK
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VOX POP
Liza McLean
Felicity Kendal CBE
Jenny Hodgson
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN LIVE PERFORMANCE? 25 years! The
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN LIVE PERFORMANCE? Almost since I was
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN LIVE PERFORMANCE? Realistically, all my life
PRODUCER, KAY + MCLEAN PRODUCTIONS
SENIOR PRODUCER, QPAC
first productions I worked on were Carols by Candlelight, ARIA Awards and TV Week Logie Awards, all were broadcasts with a live performance component.
born! My parents toured India as a travelling classical-theatre troupe. I first appeared on stage as a baby and grew up doing backstage chores and filling in with minor stage roles.
– there was no option but to be involved in this amazing industry.
WHAT WAS YOUR BREAK INTO THE INDUSTRY? My first break into theatre was
WHAT WAS YOUR BREAK INTO THE INDUSTRY? A film called Shakespeare Wallah
Arts in music and drama at uni, I decided that I didn’t want to perform or teach. I figured that someone must work behind the scenes in arts companies, so I knocked on doors until someone employed me.
working as an ASM and then company manager for Jim McPherson and Andrew Kay at International Concert Attractions on the first production of Certified Male. WHAT WAS THE FIRST SHOW YOU REMEMBER AS A CHILD? My father took me
and my sisters to West Side Story. I’d never been to the theatre before and I sat bolt up on the edge of my seat watching everything, the singing, the dancing. I even remember the sets. WHY ARE PERFORMING ARTS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY? The arts provoke
thought, provide inspiration and contribute to a vibrant culture. I can’t imagine any world without the arts.
“The longer you work in the arts the more you have to learn. Each day is a lesson, enjoy it!” 10
INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS
STORY > ACT 1, 2015
that was made in India in 1965.
WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN OVER THE YEARS? A loss of repertory companies. WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL IN THE INDUSTRY AND WHY? Paul Scofield. I worked
with him in three plays. He was a great teacher and a very private person, although a huge star of stage and screen. WHY ARE PERFORMING ARTS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY? Every form of art is
important to the community. It teaches us we are all the same as human beings and it’s not about wealth, possessions or fame, it’s about sharing emotions and that is something that we need as human beings.
“The theatre is about experiencing life through art.”
WHAT WAS YOUR BREAK INTO THE INDUSTRY? After I finished a Bachelor of
WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL IN THE INDUSTRY? There are so many extraordinary
people. The ones who inspire me most are those who learn from every show they work on and who can motivate an often disparate group of people to create great art together. WHY ARE PERFORMING ARTS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY? A performance will
invoke different things in different people – it can be emotional, uplifting, thought-provoking, but (hopefully) always engaging.
“The arts have the power to change people’s perceptions.”
VOX POP
Jemma Rix
Ben Hughes
Natalie Weir
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN LIVE PERFORMANCE? I have been performing
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN LIVE PERFORMANCE? I have been active
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN LIVE PERFORMANCE? I began dancing
PERFORMER
AFFILIATE ARTIST & LIGHTING DESIGNER, QUEENSLAND THEATRE COMPANY
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, EXPRESSIONS DANCE COMPANY
since I could walk and talk, but professionally I started when I was 21 years old, so eight years now. I absolutely love it.
professionally since 1999.
WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL IN THE INDUSTRY? I have lots of people that I look up
2006 QTC tour of Away. From recreating the lighting on that tour I was offered lighting design work at QTC.
first choreographic commission by Maggi Sietsma at Expressions Dance Company.
WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU? QTC’s production of The Crucible
WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL IN THE INDUSTRY? I am a champion for contemporary
to and admire. Idina Menzel is the ultimate for me, she has accomplished so much in her career not just in theatre but also film and TV. She has also toured her own show around the world. ANY ADVICE TO THOSE JUST STARTING OUT? It’s a tough industry and you will
hear lots of nos. That doesn’t mean to give up. Work hard on your craft and be super prepared for auditions. WHY ARE PERFORMING ARTS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY? Theatre is a beautiful
escape where you get taken away on a journey for two hours. It’s very important for the community to experience that live magic.
“I love being able to sing every day, that makes me so happy.”
WHAT WAS YOUR BREAK INTO THE INDUSTRY? As a lighting designer it was the
at the age of five, and have been involved in the arts since.
WHAT WAS YOUR BREAK INTO THE INDUSTRY? At the age of 18 I was offered my
in 2009. It was a classic play, 19 of the most amazing actors on stage. It was my first major design in the Playhouse.
dance – I believe in the art form and love being part of the evolution of the art form with Expressions Dance Company.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST SHOW YOU REMEMBER AS A CHILD? I think it was called
WHAT WAS THE FIRST SHOW YOU REMEMBER AS A CHILD? The Nutcracker by
Television. It was a show in Melbourne by a group called The Found Objects, who went on to become Lano and Woodley. WHY ARE PERFORMING ARTS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY? It provides an
environment for society to question its values and morals, its future and its past.
“You can learn by just being around. Even if you are doing a boring job, learn from everything that is going on.”
the Queensland Ballet in Townsville at the Civic Theatre.
WHY ARE PERFORMING ARTS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY? Performing arts bring
inspiration and hope, escapism and beauty to people’s lives.
“Brisbane City has changed dramatically, contemporary dance has become part of the culture of this city.” QPAC.COM.AU
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EXCLUSIVE
PICTURED QPAC Opening Day celebrations, 20 April 1985 PHOTOGRAPHY Richard Stringer
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EXCLUSIVE
The evolution of QPAC
40 years ago Queenslanders asked for a dedicated place to come together, to express our creativity, to tell our stories and experience those of others. A decade later QPAC was the response. In 30 years, QPAC has had only three Chief Executives – founding Director Tony Gould, former Chief Executive Craig McGovern and current Chief Executive John Kotzas – here they reflect on the centre’s evolution. WORDS Rebecca Lamoin
T
he opening of QPAC was a major milestone for Brisbane and the entire state. The official opening celebrations for QPAC began on 20 April 1985, and continued until 11 May. It was a grand affair – the Duke and Duchess of Kent presided over the official opening and there was a vibrant street parade snaking its way through the city. Eleven marching bands spread throughout the parade, led by the iconic Her Majesty’s Grenadier Guards from the United Kingdom. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the spectacular event. Members of the community were proud of their new performing arts centre and turned out to demonstrate their delight. Over the past 30 years QPAC has grown into itself – it’s confident, connected and a place where its audiences take its existence for granted, as they should in a sophisticated ‘world city’. Today, 30 years on, performing arts centres can sometimes seem slightly schizophrenic – buildings and programs; a strange blend of
old and new; avant-garde and mainstream; friendly and aloof. Clever executives find ways to accommodate these contradictions with performances ranging from controversial new works from previously unheard of young playwrights to popular Broadway musicals and the latest offerings from local companies. Like all public spaces, performing arts centres belong to their communities and yet these communities and the purpose and tastes for which arts centres were originally built have changed enormously. Performing arts centres of the 21st century need to simultaneously be many things. Around the world they function as houses of traditional high art, meeting places, community centres, national icons and vibrant sites of civic and cultural expression. QPAC is no exception and since its opening, it too has served many of these functions and has flourished with the economic and social success that has underpinned Brisbane’s evolution into a modern world city.
Over 30 years, QPAC has grown through rapidly cultivating programs, expanding the building, reaching broader audiences and building a reputation in an international arena. During that time, QPAC has become part of the fabric of Brisbane and a touchstone in the lives of many – the place where thousands saw their first live performance, celebrated a university graduation, or experienced an incredible night of theatre. QPAC’s current Chief Executive, John Kotzas, took on the role in 2009 after 20 years working in various roles in the organisation, from Education Officer to Artistic Director. Before joining QPAC he taught just down the road at Brisbane State High School. “I remember my first glimpse of it. A group of three or four local teachers were invited to tour the building. It wasn’t complete, only the foundations were in place. I walked through the Concert Hall and Lyric Theatre in a hard hat when they had no roof.” QPAC.COM.AU
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EXCLUSIVE
continued from previous Kotzas believes QPAC’s growth and success is paralleled by that of the city itself and an increasing appetite to create and consume culture – in art galleries, libraries, and museums. “I think the organisation has grown with the public and the public has grown with the organisation. We present about 1400 performances a year – that’s between three and four performances every day for around 1.1 million visitors each year. I believe the engagement of our audiences points to our relevance and our ability to connect with the Queensland public.” In considering QPAC’s development, former Chief Executive Craig McGovern agrees with Kotzas. “QPAC is one of our hallmark arts organisations. It is a central part of our cultural life. Its richness and success is a real reflection of our community.” Recalling his time as Chief Executive from 2002 to 2008, he acknowledges that changes to QPAC’s physical structure – most significantly addition of the 850 seat Playhouse in 1997 - matched a responsiveness to audience expectations. “They [audiences] wanted their whole theatre visit to be an experience, not just when the curtain went up. We also had to compete like never before to get audiences to step away from their big new flat-screen TVs, luxury cinemas and this new thing called ‘the internet’,” recalls McGovern.
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It’s this responsiveness to audiences, a sense of entanglement with community, combined with artistic leadership that has been QPAC’s most abiding quality. When construction of the centre began in 1979, it was one of the largest projects ever undertaken by the Queensland Government’s Department of Public Works. In that same year, Tony Gould AM was appointed as the inaugural Director, overseeing the
“I think the organisation has grown with the public and the public with the organisaton.” construction of the centre and helping to influence many of the key decisions that shaped its future direction. From the beginning, QPAC positioned the needs of its community at the centre of its decision making. “Central to all aspects of the planning was the conviction that the
centre needed to engage and interact with its community,” he reflects. Importantly, the development of QPAC was a vital link in the establishment of a national touring network. With the Sydney Opera House and Adelaide’s Festival Centre already established and the Victorian Arts Centre commencing development in Melbourne, Queensland needed a state-of-the art performing arts centre and a long-term approach to the performing arts to better align it with the rest of the country. “Australia as a whole was attracting increasing numbers of fine overseas artists and producers and had the potential to attract many more if only a network of large theatres, concert halls and performance spaces could be extended throughout Australia’s major capital cities,” recalls Gould. QPAC has fulfilled the ambition to house the world’s best performing artists along with national and local artists. In its first few years QPAC attracted visits from The Australian Ballet, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Australian productions such as The Wizard of Oz, as well as a plethora of international artists and companies including violin virtuoso Nigel Kennedy, music legends Leonard Cohen, Wynton Marsalis and David Helfgott, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and hundreds more.
EXCLUSIVE
The new organisation, with a shiny new home on what would become Brisbane’s South Bank was creating its own formula to meet the perennial challenges faced by arts centres around the world – how to curate a quality program of live performance while making sure theatres are constantly filled with productions and audiences and returning successful financial outcomes. As Director, Gould oversaw a number of initiatives that continue to influence QPAC today, particularly establishing very early the organisation’s commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander thread continues today. In 2013, QPAC curated and presented the first Clancestry – a celebration of country, which has become an annual festival focused on the arts and cultural practices of the world’s first nations people. Clancestry is one of QPAC’s three signature events, along with the Out of the Box festival for children and the QPAC International Series. The Out of the Box festival has been produced by QPAC biennially since 1992. It is in fact a touch point for and close to the heart of all three of the centre’s leaders. Kotzas was its first Artistic Director under Gould’s directorship. Kotzas names it as one of the outstanding achievements of his career. ABOVE
Top left clockwise: Craig McGovern, photography by Kathryn Lindgren; Sigrid Thornton and Marcus Graham in The Blue Room (2004), photography by Jeff Busby; MAMMA MIA! Australian Touring Company (2005), photography by David Wilson. LEFT
Left to right: Tony Gould, photography by Kathryn Lindgren; QPAC under construction (1984), photography by Richard Stringer; June Bronhill and Simon Gallaher in The Pirates of Penzance (1985).
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EXCLUSIVE
continued from previous McGovern was also involved in the first Out of the Box in 1992, managing sponsorship and commercial relationships. “Back in 1992, the then Deputy Director gave me a reference that said QPAC would be happy to employ me again in the future … I presented that original reference at my final interview for the role of CEO a decade later!” Kotzas acknowledges a large part of his ability to bring about the QPAC International Series is the fine international reputation the organisation has built steadily over 30 years. “This series is about the best in the world. It’s about every year bringing companies that are legendary, at the height of their game, here to Brisbane to perform, to interact with audiences, for exchange with our local companies.” Since the presentation of the Paris Opera Ballet in 2009, some of the finest and most distinguished ballet companies in the world have performed under the banner of the QPAC International Series. Alicia Alonso’s Ballet Nacional de Cuba, John Neumeier and The Hamburg Ballet, the rich diversity of the American Ballet Theatre and a company truly deserving of a much overused term, the iconic Bolshoi Ballet. The International Series also gave rise to QPAC’s live simulcast program. Given the heavy touring schedules of international
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companies and their elaborate staging requirements, these companies are unable to build in travel to regional centres during Australian visits, despite heavy demand from regional audiences. So, since 2011, QPAC has partnered with local performing
“Central to all aspects of the planning was the conviction that the centre needed to engage and interact with its community.” arts centres across the state from Cairns in the north, Mt Isa in the west and all along the coast, to simulcast International Series performances live. The outcome is a moment in time where people dotted around Queensland share the same experience as
those sitting in QPAC’s Lyric Theatre. In addition to signature events, the most popular works presented at QPAC are musicals. Broadway is big business and these days in any given year audiences for musicals account for about 40% of QPAC’s total attendance. It’s not surprising that Disney blockbusters and major touring productions like WICKED draw hundreds of thousands of people, but increasingly Brisbane companies such as Harvest Rain Theatre Company and Oscar Theatre Company are building their reputations, capacity and audiences. Thirty years on from the opening of QPAC, performing arts centres are about much more than just what happens inside the theatre. The concept of an ‘experience economy’ is now well understood and used in fields as diverse as tourism and nursing. Arts centres too have changed the way they think about interactions with audiences and visitors. According to Kotzas, QPAC constantly frames experience in a broad sense. “We all talk about the idea that an experience begins with the first thought of buying a ticket or visiting a centre and carries through until long after a performance ends.” Increasingly staff at QPAC – a public institution – have questioned themselves about how they can best describe such experiences and measure their impact and value. What kind of public value does QPAC offer its communities? How will they know if
EXCLUSIVE
the experiences they’re offering are satisfying their communities and government funders? Ticket sales and occupancy are one solid measure – inevitably audiences always vote with their feet. But as QPAC’s three Directors Tony Gould, Craig McGovern and John Kotzas know only too well; when an audience stands, cheers and claps at the end of a performance, or even sits quietly in reflection, something much deeper has happened. “It is when our humanness comes together with others and brings together our physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual selves. These connections are the ones that change lives; they teach us more about who we are and who others are. They transcend our individuality and make us a community ever so briefly,” Kotzas reflects. “When this happens the arts experience impacts us. It can’t always be proven but equally such experiences can’t be denied.” It’s something that each of the men who have been at the helm of the organisation since it first opened its doors intimately understands. If you believe that art changes people, and people change communities, then Queensland is certainly richer for having a thriving, effervescent home of live performance.
ABOVE
Top left clockwise: Swan Lake, American Ballet Theatre, photography by Darren Thomas; Nijinsky, Hamburg Ballet, photography by Holger Badekow; The Bright Stream, Bolshoi Ballet, photography by Damir Yusupov. LEFT
Left to right: Launch of the first Out of the Box festival by festival patron, Roisen Goss; Clancestry (2014), photography by Mick Richards; John Kotzas, photography by Brisbane Marketing.
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MILESTONES
Milestones … REFLECTING ON THE KEY MILESTONES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS AT QPAC
1984: CONSTRUCTION OF QPAC
1985: STAFF PRESENT THEIR NEW UNIFORMS FOR LAUNCH
1989: MAN OF LA MANCHA – QPAC’S FIRST INVESTMENT IN A MAJOR MUSICAL
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1986: FIRST PRODUCTION OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, THE ONLY EVENT FEATURED EVERY YEAR SINCE
1997: CONSTRUCTION OF PLAYHOUSE
PHOTOGRAPHY David McCarthy
PHOTOGRAPHY Richard Stringer
1985: BOX OFFICE AT QPAC RUN MANUALLY
PHOTOGRAPHY Christabelle Baranay
MILESTONES
2011: WICKED OPENS AT QPAC AFTER BEING DELAYED BY FLOODS
2001: MONOPOLY PROJECTION DURING GOODWILL GAMES
ARTISTS The Electric Canvas
1998: OPENING PERFORMANCE AT QPAC PLAYHOUSE – LEAH PURCELL, GEOFFREY RUSH AND DAVID STAFFORD IN THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, ENERGEX BRISBANE FESTIVAL DRAMA PROGRAM
PHOTOGRAPHY Jeff Busby
PHOTOGRAPHY Reina Irmer
2004: ZEN ZEN ZO BECOMES QPAC’S FIRST COMPANY IN RESIDENCE
2011: BRISBANE FLOODS REACH QPAC
2013: FIRST CLANCESTRY
PHOTOGRAPHY Mick Richards
2009: REFURBISHMENT OF QPAC CONCERT HALL AND LYRIC THEATRE
PHOTOGRAPHY Christian Leiber
PHOTOGRAPHY Christopher Frederick Jones
2009: THE FIRST QPAC INTERNATIONAL SERIES EVENT – LA BAYADERE, THE PARIS OPERA BALLET
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FEATURE
Steven Wolff
When a performing arts centre becomes a beloved part of a community, it doesn’t just happen by accident. Instead, it’s a complex balance of strategy, programming and engagement with people – something Steven Wolff has dedicated a good portion of his life to.
A
fter completing an undergraduate degree in economics and theatre, and a master’s degree at the Yale School of Drama where he trained as a theatre administrator, Wolff always thought he would become a Broadway producer. But fate gently nudged him in the direction of a less trodden path in the theatrical world, leading him to found his international management consultancy, AMS Planning & Research, in the late eighties. “The idea of performing arts centres really only dates back to the late fifties,” Wolff explains of the impetus for his company’s founding. “So there seemed to be a niche for somebody from the business side – as opposed to the design side – to engage in the planning of the process with both candour and information.” For the past 26 years, Wolff has shared his wealth of knowledge with leading arts, culture, and entertainment enterprises – including QPAC – helping them to develop strategies on how to best engage with their communities. “We have what I think is the world’s most significant database on the economics of operations of performing 20
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arts centres,” he says. “And we know a tremendous amount about audiences, and about the organisations themselves – how they’re structured and how they’re run, both from the professional side and the governance side.” The way people engage with performing arts centres has changed dramatically over the years. This shift led Wolff and his team to develop a concept known as ‘The Evolution of the Performing Arts Centre’, which has seen the definition of success for such centres redefined. “It’s not so much about enabling performances to take place,” he says. “It’s about creating public value and making communities a better place.” According to Wolff’s theory, the performing arts centre began as a ‘home’ for an elite group of artists. It then became a ‘place’ that aimed to bring energy and identity to a part of the community (like Brisbane’s Cultural Precinct). Next came the ‘community phase,’ which was about recognising that the centres needed to gain local identity, both in terms of who used the building, as well as what kind of programs were available. The
fourth stage focused on creativity and reengaging the venue and the artist, which has led to the current phase. “The evolution that we’re seeing now is really interesting,” Wolff says. “One of those we are calling the ‘engaged performing arts centre,’ which isn’t bound by its literal walls,” says Wolff. “It’s about recognising the forces that are at work today such as changing economic conditions, communities and customer expectations. Those things are driving arts centres to think about how they create value in a different way.” Since he started working with QPAC in late 2011, Wolff has seen immense positive change. “When I first visited QPAC, it became clear that it was already on the path to being much more,” he says. “What keeps me coming back to Brisbane is the quality of the conversation and the depth of thought about everything from the diversity and breadth of program, to the care around the guest experience. What I love about Australians is that you’re comfortable with what’s important to you, and you measure yourself by your own standards. So while the rest of the world informs Brisbane, it doesn’t define it.”
WORDS
Mikki Brammer PHOTOGRAPHY
Kathryn Stevens
FEATURE
So while the rest of the world informs Brisbane, it doesn’t define it.”
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FEATURE
Clare Morehen
Queensland Ballet principal Clare Morehen is the perfect example of how passion and determination are the stuff of dreams.
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y parents always used to joke that I would be the first balletdancing vet,” Morehen says when recalling her childhood dream. “But when I realised what it took to become a vet, I decided to go more in the direction of ballet.” Originally from Sunbury, near Melbourne, Morehan was accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts at age 12, and immediately began her training to be a professional dancer. At 15, she was among an elite group selected to attend the Royal Ballet School in London, and, as soon as she graduated in 2004, she headed straight to Brisbane to take up a position with Queensland Ballet. Morehan credits her mother’s support, strength and encouragement as part of what got her to where she is today. “She always taught my brother and I to do the best that we could do and to always be focused on whatever we were doing. And she always supported my decision on what I wanted to do with my life.” One of the greatest misconceptions about ballet, Morehan says, is that it comes naturally. “The question I’m
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most asked when people find out that I’m a ballet dancer is ‘What else do you do?’ like we have another job and just dance in the evenings. But dancers are full-time athletes, actors and actresses as well. We train six days a week, maintaining our bodies like athletes and also working on the sensitive nature of acting on top of that, and making what we do look easy.” Of her most memorable performances on the QPAC stage, Morehan singles out her time playing the female lead in Romeo & Juliet. “Juliet was my first principal role that I performed at the Playhouse, and it was always a role I wanted to play in my career. And then last year to have done the Kenneth MacMillan version at the Lyric Theatre – and be standing out on Juliet’s balcony looking out at the audience and down at my Romeo – was such a special moment.” Despite her decade-long career, Morehan has a few more roles to tick of her bucket list, including Manon. “Those kinds of character-driven roles are my favourite,” she says. “They really go through a journey and you get to play that.” She readily admits that she wasn’t
always the most talented in the room, which makes her appreciate her success all the more. “I wasn’t naturally flexible or the best in the class in anything that I did – I couldn’t even do the splits as a child,” she says. “But I realised that with passion, perseverance and determination you can become a prima ballerina. I always started at the bottom, but I had the desire to push and excel and that’s gotten me to where I am today.” But even at the heights of success, as Queensland Ballet gains renown both nationally and internationally, there are still hurdles to overcome. “Self-doubt is one of the greatest challenges,” Morehan says. “Learning to live in the moment and that you’ve done everything you can do to prepare yourself for each performance is something that has really matured me as a dancer. There are so many things that are out of our control – costumes get stuck, or you slip on the floor – so you really need to know that you’ve done your best. The feeling of dance is like nothing else, but you need to always dance from the heart and dance for yourself.”
WORDS
Mikki Brammer PHOTOGRAPHY
Kathryn Stevens
FEATURE
I realised that with passion, perseverance and determination you can become a prima ballerina.�
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FEATURE
Andrea Moor
After seeing several shows at Queensland Theatre Company (QTC) as a youngster, Andrea Moor fell in love with acting. Years later, she now finds herself treading the very same boards as the company’s director in residence.
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hough she’s seen countless shows since, there are two performances in particular from Moor’s formative years that remain benchmarks. “One of the things that completely blew my mind was when Geoffrey Rush came back from working with Le Coq in Paris and he and a group of actors did this thing called Clownaroonies,” she says. “It was hysterically funny and wonderfully joyful. I also saw Geoffrey play The Fool in King Lear and it was those two shows that made me realise there was magic in theatre.” There was no denying Moor’s love for the theatre and acting, but it took a while before she truly believed that she could turn it into a longterm profession. After completing a performing arts course at what is now QUT, and a year at a drama school in London, she was accepted into NIDA and it was then that she finally began to craft a successful career on stage. After living in Sydney for 26 years. Moor moved back to Brisbane in 2003 for family reasons. But reflecting now, she says it was the best thing she could have done for her career, as it allowed her to pursue her love of directing
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while still working as an actor. “I’d always wanted to direct and there’s such incredible support up here. I got an Arts Queensland fellowship, which allowed me the income to be able to really learn my stuff as a director.” Moor directed her first show for QTC in 2011, and became director in residence last year, but she experienced what she calls the pinnacle of her directing career with her 2013 Matilda Award-winning production of David Ives’ Venus in Fur. She recalls her surprise at the instant standing ovation that came from the crowd on the play’s first night. “I don’t think I’ve ever been at an opening night where, as soon as the last moment happened, the audience spontaneously leapt to their feet,” she says. “That was the most amazing feeling. I was just blown away.” Her fondest memory of performing at QPAC was when she took on the plumb role of Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ?. “That really was the peak of my acting career,” she says. “It’s pretty hard to get a role as good as that. And doing it in the Cremorne Theatre was pretty amazing too—it’s such an intimate space.”
While directing is her focus now, she’s quick to point out that it’s not her only vocation. “What I love about Brisbane is that everyone wears different hats. An actor will also write or direct or teach, and that’s embraced as a positive thing. I’ve become a much better actor because of my directing and a much better director because of my acting. I also always like to remind people that I haven’t stopped acting!” She is especially grateful to QTC’s artistic director Wesley Enoch. “Wesley has been an incredible support and he’s such an extraordinary mentor,” she says. “He’s the sort of person who puts his complete faith in you. And when you’re trusted like that, it gives you the ability to really excel.” Her most recent work is a production of David Mamet’s comedy Boston Marriage at the Playhouse. “David Mamet is the master of text— he’s a beautiful, skilful writer,” Moor says. “It’s a very elegant show that packs a comic punch. I’ve wanted to do this play for many years – although I never thought I’d be directing it – so I’m thrilled that we have had it in our season.”
WORDS
Mikki Brammer PHOTOGRAPHY
Kathryn Stevens
FEATURE
What I love about Brisbane is that everyone wears different hats.�
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FEATURE
Rebecca Lamoin
Rebecca Lamoin, like many arts managers, began her career as a volunteer; in her case at the Brisbane Writers Festival (1996). Today she’s Associate Director of Strategy at QPAC.
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ogether with a small executive team, Lamoin supports the Chief Executive John Kotzas to drive the future direction of an arts business that in 2014 welcomed over 1 million visitors and presented 1,400 performances. When Lamoin finished at the Brisbane Writer’s Festival, she weighed up whether to go back to university or continue to ‘learn on the job’. She chose the latter (although she completed a Masters in Cultural and Media Policy in 2006) and during the intervening years was fortunate enough to work across the Queensland Cultural Precinct in Special Projects, Marketing and Communications at QAGOMA and Events Manager, Public Programs at SLQ. Fast forward 16 years and Lamoin’s opportunity to formally study arts management came from an unexpected opportunity. An Australian first, Lamoin was awarded a three-year fellowship to study at the De Vos Institute, part of the prestigious John F. Kennedy Centre in Washington. Lamoin spent 12 weeks over three years steeped in arts management talk with distinguished peers from all over the world.
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The De Vos Institute is the brainchild of Michael Kaiser, President of the Kennedy Centre (2001–2014). Prior to heading up the Kennedy Centre, Kaiser’s reputation was as a fixer of companies in dire financial and reputational circumstances, earning him the title of the ‘turn-around king’. It was his arts management knowledge and skills – strategic planning, organisational alignment, negotiating, people management and fundraising that were critical to his success and he set about teaching others. Lamoin explains how the commonalties of the international group came from the similarities of experience rather than practice. ‘The thing that surprised me was the commonalties of experience, regardless of where we came from – socially, culturally or politically, or what kind of government or national difficulties, whether from big companies or small companies – there was a commonality of the challenges we faced. How to make people care about the arts, how to make people acknowledge what matters was a challenge for everyone’.
Spending time with those who live with governments and nations who are ‘less arts friendly’ afforded Lamoin time to reflect on the privileges and limitations of being an arts manager in an affluent country. Her experiences were foregrounded against peers who spoke of extreme hardship including having to negotiate with an army to hold a festival or to shut down venues because of bombings. Lamoin’s epiphany was that ‘fearlessness is the biggest thing learned from those people’. On each trip to Washington, Lamoin made time to pay homage to her heroes Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, visiting their home at Springwood, Hyde Park. In You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life, Eleanor writes, ‘The kind of life we have depends on the quality of our participation, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves’. Lamoin’s final reflections echo her hero. ‘The arts are not enough by themselves; everyone needs to tell their stories better because it is not just arts expertise but the energy and excitement of the stories that changes lives’.
WORDS
Judith McLean PHOTOGRAPHY
Yassine El Mansouri Rebecca Lamoin Top left clockwise: Rebecca Lamoin with Eleanor Roosevelt statue; with Michael Kaiser; DeVos Institute of Arts Management Summer International Fellows 2014.
FEATURE
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PICTURED Toby Hill, Grace Choi, Lee Kokkoris, Quiana Morgan PHOTOGRAPHY Dylan Evans
COMMUNITY NEWS
Performance simulcasts REGIONAL
Prodigy Collective LIFE-LONG LEARNING
December 2014 saw QPAC present The Prodigy Collective – A Celebration of Youth Orchestras, a showcase of hundreds of exceptionally talented young musicians from across Australia and New Zealand. Three days of rehearsals, workshops and collaboration culminated in a finale performance in the QPAC Concert Hall, under the guidance of guest conductor, Johannes Fritzch. This event demonstrated QPAC’s commitment to supporting musical education and developing the next generation of musicians.
PHOTOGRAPHY © Disney
PHOTOGRAPHY Sophie Baker
QPAC regularly simulcasts major productions to regional Queensland, widening the audience for performance art across the state. Simulcasts, such as American Ballet Theatre’s production of Swan Lake, reach regional centres including Ayr, Bundaberg, Charters Towers, Gladstone, Mackay, Maryborough, Mount Isa, Rockhampton and Toowoomba. Around 20,000 Queenslanders have been able to enjoy simulcasts since 2011, and will continue to do so in 2015 with future International Series.
Emerging artist gains recognition INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
Local musician, David Baker, recently caught the attention of several high-profile industry figures, earning a support slot for international music legend, Joan Armatrading, when she performed at the QPAC Concert Hall recently. A student of The Con’s Bachelor of Popular Music, David has made creative strides after performing as part of QPAC’s The Seed Project. His musical style caught the attention of QPAC producers, who contracted David and his band Creature Kind to perform as Joan Armatrading’s opening act. The Seed Project is a free live-music event held at QPAC during the winter months. Open only to students at The Con, the project provides young student musicians with recording and performance opportunities, helping to further their professional aspirations. FAC E B O O K.CO M/C R EAT U REKIND 28
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Autism-friendly performance INCLUSIVENESS
Disney’s The Lion King recently worked closely with Autism Awareness Australia to create a specially adapted performance at QPAC. The performance featured modified sound and lighting effects, pre-theatre preparatory activities and dedicated quiet areas. QPAC was pleased to donate $4,378 from the proceeds of the performance in support of Autism Awareness Australia.
COMMUNITY NEWS
OOTB QUT award ENGAGEMENT
PHOTOGRAPHY Darren Thomas
PICTURED The Orchard PHOTOGRAPHY Alisha Musil
PHOTOGRAPHY Darren Thomas
QUT Pop-up Playspaces has been awarded a QUT Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. Designed by QUT Early Childhood Education students especially for the 2014 Out of the Box festival, the collaboration incorporated a range of creative disciplines to spark children’s curiosity with spontaneous art activities located around the festival site. The project was overseen by QUT’s Dr Linda Knight, the Out of the Box Pop-Up Playspaces team and QPAC Scholar in Residence Professor Judith McLean.
Backstage tours INSIGHTS
QPAC offers a glimpse behind the scenes of its operation when it opens its stage doors for backstage tours. Visitors are shown rehearsal spaces, theatres and backstage areas, witnessing how a production is staged as well as learning interesting and little known facts about QPAC and those who have graced its stage. The tours can be tailored for students and particular interest groups. Tours can be arranged year round for groups numbering between 15 to 35 people by visiting the website for more information including booking details. QPAC.COM.AU/E X PLO R E_A ND_LEA RN/QPAC/B ACKSTAG E_TOURS
New Manager – Development ANNOUNCEMENT
QPAC is pleased to announce the appointment of Meagan Miller to the position of Manager – Development. Meagan has several years of experience working in sponsorships, communication and marketing, having worked with the Brisbane Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival in the role of Media Manager as well as working as Communications and Marketing Manager for the Brisbane International Film Festival and Screen Queensland.
SEED project wins award AWARDS
The Seed Project has won the Best Creative Engagement Strategy at the 2014 Knowledge Commercialisation Awards. It was born from a collaboration between QCGU, Griffith Enterprise, the Griffith Film and Design Schools and QPAC. The public face of The Seed Project is a free weekly performance at QPAC, showcasing musicians within The Con’s Bachelor of Popular Music, which has launched the careers of graduates such as The Kite String Tangle, The Delta Riggs, The John Steele Singers, Nine Sons of Dan and Wolfmother. The Seed Project has delivered a number of benefits including enhanced awareness and reputation for the university, future student attraction and current student engagement, as well as providing an innovative platform for industry collaboration and cross-fertilisation of ideas and marketing opportunities. Q PAC.COM.AU/THE_SE E D_PROJ E CT
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SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE
Leading through art
One of QPAC’s major promises to its audiences in its 30th year is to make arts literacy more accessible and hands on through experiences at the centre as well as digitally through its website.
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eing arts literate implies audiences having the ability to access, engage and use the language of art – music, theatre, dance, and film – meaningfully in their daily lives. When someone buys a ticket or makes a decision to attend one of the free events at QPAC it’s usually for a variety of reasons: an outing with friends; to marvel at the sheer beauty and grandeur of virtuosic performances and performers; to be challenged and provoked; and/or for pure entertainment to relax and escape life’s pressures. None of these is mutually exclusive or better than another, and often occur simultaneously. At a deeper level attending an arts event signals something more than a business transaction. From the audience’s point of view the transaction might be seen as an investment, a particularly personal investment to benefit the self. A kind of investment that’s not necessarily about having more, but as the late great arts educator Maxine Greene says, it’s about ‘being more’, having
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lives filled with more joy, happiness and meaning. The commitment to engage in the arts is part of the life work of transformation, to reach our potential, to be our best selves. For the most part transforming ourselves is not usually found in the ordinary, ‘dutiful’ work of every day. It is more likely to be found in imaginative and visionary work of ourselves and others – particularly artists. In a landmark study at the Getty Centre in the early nineties, researchers Csikszentmihalyi and Robinson found that audiences gain deeper understanding of works of art/performances when they are helped to see and interpret the compositional and subtextual aspects of performances. Access points can be simply reading the program before attending the performance, joining an online discussion, attending a lecture or course, or reading about the content being explored and/or the context in which a performance takes place. Any, or all of these suggestions take time and energy but, as with anything in
life, the cliché stands: the more you put in the more you take out. In late 2014, QPAC with its partner QUT ran its first Women In Leadership Series entitled Learn By Living. The QPAC/QUT series is part of the arts literacy strategy referred to above and in this instance links women, leadership and the arts. What distinguishes the Learn By Living Series is its emphasis on the role arts and creativity play in re-shaping and building a creative life to lead ourselves and others. Feedback from the day: “It was one of the most enjoyable and ‘real’ courses I have completed in my 20 years in government and it was a privilege to attend with so many other talented women.” Learn By Living commences again in March and is open to anyone interested in how to lead themselves and others through the arts. Its promise is to explore ways into and understandings of the life work of transformation.
WORDS
Judith McLean PHOTOGRAPHY
Sean Young Top left clockwise: Judith McLean; scenes from the workshop: Gene Moyle and Georgia Seffrin with workshop participants.
For enquiries contact Professor Judith McLean: judith.mclean@qpac.com.au
SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE
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INTERVIEW
Pamela McDowall There are few people in the world who, at 80 years of age, still look forward to going to work. But for Pamela McDowall, working at QPAC is like spending time with family.
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rior to starting at QPAC in 1985, McDowall had already accrued an eclectic resume, which included a six-year stint in the air force. Her first role at QPAC was the frontof-house rostering typist, and she recalls the electricity strikes that plagued QPAC at the time of its opening – and the stifling heat that came with having no air conditioning. “It was during the run of The Pirates of Penzance in the Lyric Theatre and I have no idea how those performers could do it in that dreadful heat!” When asked to list how many different jobs she has done during her career at QPAC, McDowall can name at least 11 off the top of her head in both front of house and venue hire, where she worked as venue-hire manager for six years. “I was one of the many people responsible for getting the first The Phantom of the Opera into QPAC,” she says of the most memorable show she has worked on. “I’ve seen a lot of shows, including the original The King and I and South Pacific, but The Lion King is the only show that has come since that has surpassed it.” After being full-time at QPAC for 15 years, she has spent the last 15 years working as a casual. Having worked in everything from duty
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managing to merchandise selling, her years of knowledge often come in handy – these days she spends most of her time as part of the visitor services team as a kind of ‘jill of all trades’. “Basically when it comes to front of house, if you can name it, I’ve probably done it,” she laughs. The thing that keeps McDowall coming back to work is that, for her, it’s more than just a job. “QPAC has seen me through thick and thin. It’s been my home and they’re basically my second family. I love the interaction with the people who I work with – they range from 17 up to people who are almost my age. I just love the young people of today. They’re wonderful to talk to because they have so much information to give forth.” And what advice would she give to those young people on living a life as full as she has? “When you’re having a tough time, believe in yourself because things always get better.”
INTERVIEW
Shona Webster
Though we might marvel at the intricate costumes that often adorn actors on stage, we give little thought to the people behind them like Shona Webster.
W
hile some people wander aimlessly for years in search of their calling, Webster was fortunate to discover it early in life – thanks to her mother, who was a seamstress for Queensland Ballet and Queensland Theatre Company. “My mother began working as a dresser at Brisbane’s Her Majesty’s Theatre, which was located where the Hilton now stands,” she explains. “During the run of an Australian Opera show, the theatre was desperate for another dresser and so she came home and asked if I wanted to do the job. The very first time I worked, I absolutely loved it. I couldn’t believe you got paid to do it.” When Her Majesty’s Theatre was eventually knocked down, Webster and her mother applied for jobs at the newly opened QPAC – and began
as dressers on the very first show, The Pirates of Penzance. Except for a few years’ interlude, she has been at QPAC ever since, where she works in all areas of the wardrobe department. “Sometimes I’m doing day maintenance, which is caring for all the costumes – washing, mending, repairing jewellery, fixing hats, painting shoes, and things like that. And with every show, there’s different kinds of costumes, so you’re always tackling something new.” The other aspect of Webster’s job is dressing the actors before they make their entrances on stage. “It’s a really personal job because you’re dealing with the actor in quite a vulnerable position, since they’re practically naked,” she laughs. “So you end up having a pretty strong rapport with the actors that you’re looking after.”
Some costume changes are so complicated, and have to occur within a limited period of time, that they have to be choreographed. “It’s just like doing a dance really,” Webster says. “Left hand, right hand, left foot, right foot – it’s all a particular sequence to get them on stage. It’s about timing and not getting flustered. And it’s amazing how much you can fit into a few seconds!” When she’s not immersed in the world of costumes, simply being at QPAC brings Webster joy. “I love walking through the corridors and hearing the orchestra playing,” she says. “What a beautiful place to work when you get to experience some of the best musicians and performers in the world. And it feels like they’re performing just for me.” QPAC.COM.AU
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BACKSTAGE
Backstage … WITH THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE PHOTOGRAPHY Darren Thomas
COMPANY CLASS
COMPANY CLASS
BUMP IN
BUMP IN
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COMPANY CLASS
COMPANY CLASS
BACKSTAGE TOUR
BACKSTAGE
BACKSTAGE
UNPACKING COSTUMES
BUMP IN
IN THE WINGS
COSTUMES READY
DRESSING ROOMS
IN THE WINGS
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PICTURED Aydin Ibik, Dominique Caviggia and Jonathan Simpson
FLAVOURS
Artist at work
New faces in the team
Sally McRae, artist and project officer with QPAC Programming, has been hard at work on the chalkboard designs for The Café’s rear wall. Drawing inspiration from the free Green Jam concert series on the Melbourne Street Green, Sally recently created a laidback summer masterpiece that complements the indoor/outdoor setting of The Café. Taking more than 20 hours to complete, this artwork will only grace the wall temporarily before Sally starts on a new illustration.
The expertise of the QPAC food and beverage team has recently been enhanced with the addition of several new members. Aydin Ibik, Chef de Cuisine, who will be heading up the Lyrebird’s kitchen, spent his formative years as a chef at two Michelin-star restaurants, Le Gavroche and The Square in London. From there he refined his skills at Changa Restaurant, located in one of the most exciting culinary and cultural cities of the world, Istanbul. Dominique Caviggia, Lyrebird restaurant manager, has more than 16 years’ experience in the hospitality industry and has worked in the role of maitre de and manager at renowned venues such as Il Centro Restaurant and Bar, George’s Paragon Seafood Restaurant and Horizons Restaurant, Sheraton Mirage Resort. Jonathan Simpson, Manager – Food and Beverage, has more than 25 years of hospitality experience. He most recently held the position of food and beverage manager of retail operations with Delaware North Companies Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium.
CREATIVITY
PEOPLE
New look Lyrebird INTERIORS
PHOTOGRAPHY Jonathan Baginski
Recently, QPAC engaged Alexa Nice Interior Design (ANID) to breathe new life into the Lyrebird Restaurant. One of Australia’s bestknown young designers, Alexa Nice previously worked on the award-winning design of Cloudland, Fortitude Valley and Canvas Bar in Woolloongabba, and was eager to reimagine the new look for QPAC’s hallmark restaurant. The Lyrebird first opened in 1985 and its classic elegance, exceptional cuisine and intimate environment has made it a popular dining venue in Brisbane for decades. When Alexa was approached by QPAC, she was honoured to be entrusted to enhance the space originally designed by architect Robin Gibson. The beautiful aggregate walls were reinstated and complemented with a simple palette of dark and light timber, heavily veined Carrara marble, hints of metallic copper tones and rich textural finishes. Contrasting Italian-made solid-woak timber chairs and tabletops subtly sweep through the space, however the new open kitchen is the jewel in this resplendent dining room, ensuring the Lyrebird will continue to be home to firstclass culinary performances every day.
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FLAVOURS
Passion for the finest produce PRODUCE
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hen serving more than 326,000 meals every year across its restaurants and bars, it’s easy to understand why QPAC is upping the ante on provenance. Just like the high calibre of the performances presented on stage, it wouldn’t settle for anything less than exceptional when it comes to produce. The culinary team takes great care when selecting new producers and suppliers and in particular, looks for strong ethical standards when it comes to growing and farming production. It’s not just about big brand names however; artisan producers and local growers ensure a unique offering on all menus and reflect QPAC’s passion for Queensland and Australia’s food culture and champions. CJ’s Pasta in West End is a great case in point. CJ’s is QPAC’s top choice for pasta and was opened close to 20 years ago by chefs Christian Gruber and David Cotelli. CJ’s pasta avoids artificial ingredients and is lovingly crafted into custom varieties for some of QPAC’s signature dishes. The Lyrebird’s popular sand crab linguine is one such dish. The linguine,
traditionally simply egg based, is specially infused with parsley, creating an extra layer of freshness that balances the delicate and creamy flavour of the crab. CJ’s pasta is not only used in the Lyrebird but in The Bistro and The Café as well. The beef choice of many of Australia’s top restaurants and chefs including Neil Perry, is Cape Grim, which is located in the northwest of Tasmania. The pristine environment around Cape Grim, the abundant rainfall and pure air, and the ethical farming techniques distinguishes this fine-quality, grass-fed meat. Cape Grim’s tender meat is a recent addition to QPAC’s menus as is Oakey Angus Reserve grain-fed meat from the Darling Downs. With local stars such as these, QPAC is proud to be serving its customers what it believes to be the best beef in Australia and arguably the world. Close to 90 percent of salad ingredients and herbs used across QPAC’s dining venues are sourced from K Farms in Toowoomba. Salad and herb variants include wild rocket, watercress, cos lettuce, beetroot leaves, micro herbs and more. The remainder of QPAC’s
salad ingredients are sourced from specialist growers based in the Lockyer Valley and Mount Tamborine, including the tomatoes featured in the heirloom tomato salad at the Lyrebird, a perfect example of what can be created with the best produce. K Farms also supplies QPAC its free-range eggs, which are collected from Nindigully, near Goondiwindi. Speaking of best produce, QPAC chefs believe the top salmon in our region comes from New Zealand’s Mount Cook Alpine Salmon. Taken from pure glacial water in the Southern Alps, it’s the world’s highest salmon farm and one of the purest products you can find, comparable only to wild king salmon. You can try this stunning product at the Lyrebird in the salmon confit entrée, or for main, the pan-fried salmon with a warm potato and caper salad, topped with fresh herbs. Undoubtedly, QPAC is sourcing amazing producers of fine ingredients from within Australia and globally. Across its five restaurants and multiple bars you will be able to enjoy the results of these ongoing relationships.
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GREEN JAM 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY Paul Sickling
GUEST VOX POP
Bite Size IN 2014, QPAC:
presented 233 seasons and 1,203 performances welcomed more than 1.25m visitors, 25 percent of whom are from regional Queensland engaged over 100,000 visitors at the 11th biennial Out of the Box festival successfully staged its fourth International Series attended by more than 20,000 visitors
Robyn Barr
Nicholas Cassin
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN COMING TO EVENTS AT QPAC? For about 13 years.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN COMING TO EVENTS AT QPAC? Ever since 2002 after my mum took me to
TEACHER, GRACEVILLE
HOW MANY EVENTS HERE HAVE YOU BEEN TO?
Probably average one event a month, so that adds up to very many events! WHAT’S THE MOST MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE YOU’VE SEEN? My favourite of all time – Les Misérables. DO YOU HAVE FAVOURITE SEATS? I like the stalls and I also like the boxes in the Concert Hall – end of the row for me! WHAT WAS THE FIRST SHOW YOU REMEMBER AS A CHILD? I remember going to Disney on Ice when it used
to be at Herston.
WHAT DO YOU MOST LOVE ABOUT COMING TO LIVE PERFORMANCE? The thrill, the anticipation, seeing some
RETAIL MANAGER, COLLINGWOOD PARK
see my first show, Master Class, which starred Amanda Muggleton at the Playhouse. I’ve been a frequent visitor ever since with either my mum or friends. HOW MANY EVENTS HERE HAVE YOU BEEN TO?
I’ve lost count! Each year the number grows with so many amazing shows that keep popping up. A few shows I can remember seeing numerous times were WICKED and Avenue Q. WHAT’S THE MOST MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE YOU’VE SEEN? One show in particular that was
memorable would have to be seeing Kristin Chenoweth. She’s someone I’ve always admired and it was a privilege to watch her up close.
of my favourite artists, the music, just being there!
DO YOU HAVE FAVOURITE SEATS? I prefer to book in the stalls closer to the front. You get a better view of everything.
WHY ARE PERFORMING ARTS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY? The performing arts are a break from
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE GENRE? My favourite genres would have to be musical theatre and plays.
everyday life, a cultural exchange, a way to get involved and meet new people, and a boost to the economy.
WHY ARE PERFORMING ARTS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY? It allows you to escape and become
whatever you want to be, it promotes creativity and allows the younger and older generations to think outside the box while being entertained and I feel we need to have greater focus on this.
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Showcase Highlights of the season ...
ERTH’S DINOSAUR ZOO™ GIGGLE AND HOOT & FRIENDS THE ILLUSIONISTS 1903 HORRIBLE HISTORIES BARMY BRITAIN LUDOVICO EINAUDI – IN A TIME LAPSE WICKED BELLA ESPAÑA THE SIXTEEN – THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN LA SYLPHIDE QSO WITH FRITZSCH & SHLOMO MINTZ BRISBANE LA TRAVIATA COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA DIRTY DANCING – THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE
+ JANUARY – JUNE 2015 Event Calendar
Learn more from Professor Judith McLean (JML), QPAC’s Scholar in Residence. Professor McLean is Chair in Arts Education, a joint appointment of QPAC and QUT.
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It’s a rare and pleasurable work that manages technical brilliance. Cultural insight and enchantment all in one go.” – SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2010
An interactive dinosaur lair ...
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n January, Erth brought another of its marvellous productions to QPAC. Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo™ features life-like creatures from baby dinosaurs to some of the largest carnivores and herbivores that have ever walked the planet. These creatures are brought to life through sophisticated design, electronics, giant puppetry, theatrical presentation and eye-popping visuals. Dinosaurs might have become extinct millions of years ago, but for children, they are every bit as alive – and thrilling – as they ever were.
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The Cremorne Theatre’s 300 seats were removed to create an interactive dinosaur lair. Here, children perched on cushions among the jungle fronds to learn how to feed, pet and interact with them while being taken on a journey through the prehistoric past. Children squealed with delight when they came face to face with the carnivorous Australovenator!
ERTH’S DINOSAUR ZOO™ 3 – 18 JANUARY 2015 CREMORNE THEATRE
The imagination muscle Attending the theatre is a great way to strengthen your child’s imagination muscle. Like any other part of the brain/body, it also needs regular exercise to help it work well. You can build your child’s imagination muscle before coming to QPAC by talking about what you’re going to see together – dinosaurs! Have a conversation about where you would normally find dinosaurs; why and how did the dinosaurs get into the theatre; what would you feed a dinosaur if he came home with you; and where would dinosaurs sleep? – JML
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TV favourites
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iggle and Hoot, the multi-award-winning ABC4Kids preschool program, focuses on preschooler’s lives and routines through songs, stories, friendship, laughter and imagination. The live show, Giggle and Hoot & Friends, incorporates these themes and introduces other familiar characters including Hootabelle, Bananas in Pyjamas and Hoopla Doopla’s Zap, Mimi and Jango to children live on stage. It’s a world where curiosity and imagination rule. Where the ordinary is extraordinary and nothing is what it seems. Jimmy Rees, aka Jimmy Giggle in Giggle
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and Hoot & Friends, spoke about his role working with the famous puppet Hoot. “Working with a puppet is excellent. You get that sense of naivety you felt when you were a kid watching your favourite TV shows where you believed in everything,” he said. “It’s much easier working with a puppet than with a person. I love talking to a puppet for a living, humans are so needy!”
GIGGLE AND HOOT & FRIENDS FROM 3 JANUARY 2015 PLAYHOUSE
Building brains Brain research teaches us that interpersonal relationships between caregivers and young children directly impact on brain development. The arts offer doorways to expand children’s brains by exploring, creating, collaborating, innovating and finding meaning in performances and play. These skills are key learning activities for success in the 21st century. Recommended read: The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind, by Daniel J. Siegel M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson. – JML
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Rich sensory and active arts experiences are fundamental to healthy growth... as neural science research reveals that the brain’s ‘sensing pathways’ (vision, hearing and touch) are set in the first three years of life.” – F RAZER MUSTARD, PHYSICIAN AND SCIENTIST, 2008
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Art is the concealment of the art. When you make your magic effortless, as though the tricks just happen even though they may have taken months of practice, then you are beginning to present them as art.” – K ARL GERMAIN, MAGICIAN AND LAWYER (12 FEBRUARY 1878 – 9 AUGUST 1959)
The golden age of magic
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he turn of the 20th century was the height of the live magic era, a socalled golden age when impossible feats were performed nightly in front of adoring audiences. Long before there were movie stars, magicians and conjurors like Harry Houdini were known to millions around the world. Vividly illustrated posters told of levitation, vanishing and escape, drawing audiences to vaudeville theatres and dance halls to witness the impossible. Presented in turn-of-the-century grandeur, The Illusionists 1903 sees contemporary
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magicians take on roles that embody some of the magical greats of the past. Here, they showcase the origins of some of the greatest and most dangerous illusions ever built. One of the world’s most successful illusionists Rick Thomas plays The Immortal; vaudevillian performer Charlie Frye synthesises his virtuosic skills as The Eccentric; considered one of the most creative and crazy stunt performers in the world, Jonathan Goodwin stars as The Daredevil; Mark Kalin, one of the most influential magicians of the last decade,
plays The Showman; theatrical Jinger Leigh is The Conjuress; with a commanding stage presence, Armando Lucero plays The Maestro; and recognised as innovative mentalists, Thommy Ten and Amélie van Tass star as The Clairvoyants. Patrons discovered first-hand the spectacles that transformed stage entertainment more than 100 years ago.
THE ILLUSIONISTS 1903 4 – 11 JANUARY 2015 CONCERT HALL
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If history were taught in the form of stories it would never be forgotten.” – RUDYARD KIPLING
PHOTOGRAPHY Paul Sampson
Should King Charles keep his head?
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e all want to meet people from history. The trouble is everyone is dead! Barmy Britain, the brand-new live-on-stage Horrible Histories show brought them to life once again, featuring amazing 3D effects. Audiences learned to love Richard the Lionheart, lost their heads to horrible King Henry VIII, watched evil Queen Elizabeth entertain England, escaped the clutches of Burke and Hare, and moved to the groove with party Queen Victoria! Horrible Histories Barmy Britain director Neal Foster says, “With Horrible Histories, we
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concentrate on the naughty, rude, disgusting, gory and the silly way of telling stories. This is what makes Horrible Histories such a success. It makes learning easily digestible, because while you’re roaring with laughter or gasping in horror, you’re learning by accident. You can only laugh at something when you understand it and that’s the key to our success.”
HORRIBLE HISTORIES BARMY BRITAIN 30 JANUARY – 1 FEBRUARY 2015 CONCERT HALL
What might be The Horrible Histories phenomenon originally encompassed books and a TV series, and now it has expanded into a string of stage shows using live theatre to teach history. Philosopher, author, social activist and teacher Maxine Green (1917–2014), says “the arts give us the skills to see the world as if it could be otherwise.” She writes, “The idea is to get kids to imagine how things could be otherwise than they are, to reach beyond where they are toward the ‘not yet,’ toward the ‘might be’.’’ – JML
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PHOTOGRAPHY Beniamino Barrese
Composer for a modern era
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aving topped the iTunes classical chart with nine consecutive singles, produced 11 record-breaking albums and composed a string of film scores, including work for the Golden Globe-nominated film The Intouchables, Einaudi has transcended genre boundaries to become one of the most successful and loved composers in the world today. This concert showcased Einaudi’s works from his last album In a Time Lapse. With the backing of a six-piece band, Einaudi, in his signature emotional and adventurous style, drew on elements of classical, rock,
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electronica and world music. Einaudi’s unique ability to take listeners on journeys of crescendos, decrescendos and ritardandos sets him apart as truly one of the great composers of the modern era. He is the fourth most published sheet music artist today (behind Adele, Mumford & Sons and Glee).
LUDOVICO EINAUDI – IN A TIME LAPSE 11 FEBRUARY 2015 CONCERT HALL
Language of feeling This quote explains music’s power to say the unsayable and highlights that music is the language of inexpressible feeling. “As we sat there, looking ahead, not a dry eye in the house, my wife took my hand and held it. I could feel every second of our lives together rush through me in that moment as the sombre tones of the piano flowed over us. I knew that that was the moment I would always remember. It is the moment I always go back to when I need to remember her face.” Anonymous, songkick.com. – JML
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After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” – ALDOUS HUXLEY, ENGLISH WRITER AND PHILOSOPHER
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Attempting to get at truth means rejecting stereotypes and clichés.” – H AROLD EVANS, BRITISH BORN JOURNALIST AND WRITER
A stereotype conundrum
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lockbuster musical WICKED is the most awarded new musical and Broadway’s number-one show. Awe inspiring, spectacular and set in the land of Oz long before Dorothy dropped in, it is the untold story of two unlikely friends and how they became the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Elphaba, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. Glinda is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED is described as a ‘prequel’ to The Wizard of Oz but in fact the story takes place before, at the same time and after the familiar
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Oz tale. It creates ‘a parallel universe to that of The Wizard of Oz’ and a ‘re-imagining of the same world’ that looks at things very differently. WICKED encourages audiences to explore some powerful social themes such as stereotyping, discrimination, personal values, consequences of choices, friendship, trust, and the use of propaganda to manipulate public opinion. Marc Platt, the producer behind the Broadway production of WICKED, outlines his thoughts behind the show’s phenomenal global success.
“When Stephen (Schwartz, lyricist and composer), Winnie (Holzman, author) and I began working to create a stage musical based on Gregory Maguire’s compelling novel, we knew that we were re-telling the timeless American classic The Wizard of Oz in a new way, from new perspectives. I believe WICKED has enjoyed such immense success because its themes, ideas, characters and music transcend the boundaries of language and culture.” “Stephen and Winnie in their outstanding writing, and Joe Mantello in his brilliant
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PHOTOGRAPHY Jeff Busby
directing, have brought forth in WICKED a story about people who are antagonistically different from each other and develop the courage to accept and embrace the differences between them, take responsibility for the power they have earned or been given, and come to understand the true and transcendent meaning of friendship. Audiences around the world respond and relate to that emotional underpinning in a deep and truly profound way.” “Every time I am in a theatre watching one of our productions, I feel the audience’s emotional response and it always takes me back to that first reading in 2001. When Stephen, Winnie and I get to watch the show together on occasion, even now, nine years later, when the curtain comes down, we hear
that roaring applause, and still look at each other, very grateful to be part of something so special. And every time we have the privilege of opening in a new city, it is a thrill to be able to bring WICKED to another new audience.” “We hope you will love experiencing this show as much as we have creating it,” he said. WICKED has won over 90 major awards including a Grammy®, three Tony Awards® and six Helpmann Awards®.
WICKED FROM 12 FEBRUARY LYRIC THEATRE
Workshops for schools Assuming WICKED’s global success continues – more than 25 million people are said to have seen the show – it can only mean positive change to the world as more people reflect on their own beliefs and grasp a renewed perspective on the world around them. During the season, WICKED Australia’s creative team will speak to teachers and students about the making of the musical from Gregory Maguire’s existing novel to its stage production. The free workshops will also explore what it means to create a musical that has mass appeal. How has WICKED been able to transcend generations, countries and race? The free post-show workshops are on 18 February and 4, 18 and 25 March 2015. – JML
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PHOTOGRAPHY Dylan Evans
Celebrate Latin dance and romance
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PAC company in residence, Southern Cross Soloists, is one of Australia’s leading chamber music ensembles and the first concert in its 2015 series kicks off its 20th anniversary celebrations in style. A fiery program of Latin-influenced works celebrating dance and romance, Bella España features acclaimed guitarist Slava Grigoryan and talented young pianist Alex Raineri.
BELLA ESPAÑA 1 MARCH 2015 CONCERT HALL (REVERSE MODE) 54
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Between two hearts The first time I heard Slava Grigoryan play was outside a community hall in Bangalow, NSW. I was immediately hooked and totally moved by the emotional intensity that he and his guitar engendered in me as a listener. As an artist he creates magic. In reviewing the Grigoryan Brothers’ latest CD, music critic John Hardaker (Megaphone OZ) writes, “I was reminded of a particular beauty inherent in acoustic instruments – apart from their lovely natural tones there are far fewer steps between the player’s expression
and the listener’s ear especially when all the planets align, it is nothing but a piece of wood or two between their heart and yours… And it is the magic here that stops time, puts you in that special place of sunlit pleasure (or moonlit dreaming) and fills you up like food or wine. Or love”. Playing with talented young pianist Alex Raineri who joined Southern Cross Soloists for the final concert in 2014 and was brilliant, I cannot wait for this concert. I know it will touch your soul and revive your spirits. – JML
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Where voices come together
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ow in its 35th year, The Sixteen is recognised as one of world’s greatest choral ensembles, bringing total commitment to the music it performs. Its Queen of Heaven program has been described by The Times, UK as, ‘a tiny sound bite of heaven.’ As well as works by Italian Renaissance master, Giovanni Palestrina, the program features the ever-popular Allegri Miserere and a new setting of the Miserere by awardwinning British composer, James MacMillan. Drawing inspiration from the passions of founder and conductor Harry Christophers
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CBE, The Sixteen has a reputation for performing early English polyphony, masterpieces of the Renaissance, bringing fresh insights to Baroque and early classical music and an inspiring diversity of 20th and 21st century music.
THE SIXTEEN – THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN 8 MARCH 2015 CONCERT HALL
Music and flow Singing and listening to beautiful voices is a wonderful example of what Csikszentmihalyi calls the theory of ‘flow’, which he explains as total absorption in an activity. Qualities of flow include: feeling at one with the activity, intense and focused concentration on the present moment, a sense of control over what you’re doing and the activity being rewarding in its own right. Being in a flow state has health benefits and is associated with optimal performance and increased motivation. – JML
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Music is not just simply notes on a page with words added to those notes, we have to bring the music to life whether we are singing in English or Latin.” – H ARRY CHRISTOPHERS CBE, THE SIXTEEN FOUNDER AND CONDUCTOR
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PHOTOGRAPHY Georges Antoni CREATIVE DIRECITON Designfront
One of the first romantic ballets
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a Sylphide is an enduring romantic classic. Adapted by August Bournonville in 1836 from an earlier French ballet, Queensland Ballet presents this production from award-winning choreographer Peter Schaufuss. It embraces Bournonville’s style of graceful, effortless dance, performed with dramatic impact to tell the story of the impossible love between a Scotsman and an otherworldly sylph.
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Imitation to innovation The introduction below by La Sylphide’s earlier choreographer August Bournonville attests to the truth that ‘art begins in imitation and ends in innovation’ (Cooley). Bournonville borrowed the idea from a Scottish ballad initially choreographed by Taglioni. Just as in any art a problem may be solved in various ways, so have I composed this ballet after a foreign idea, to entirely new music by a Danish artist: the dance, mime, groupings and a number of changes in the plan are of
my own invention. Therefore, admitting that this younger Sylphide owes its existence to an older one. I commend this light product to the kindness and indulgence that have up to now constituted my happiness and reward. Copenhagen November 1 1836 Most gratefully August Bournonville – JML
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The Soloist-in-Residence program is supported by the T & J St Baker Charitable Trust.
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A collaboration of impressive proportions
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any regard newly appointed Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) Soloist-inResidence Shlomo Mintz as one of the foremost violinists of our time, esteemed for his impeccable musicianship, stylistic versatility and commanding technique. Conductor Laureate Johannes Fritzsch graciously led QSO for seven years to reach significant milestones in audience growth, orchestral review, artist acclaim and annual results. Now, QSO’s two biggest names collaborate. The majestic solitude of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto (1905 version) provides the perfect
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vehicle for this collaboration. As does Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No.1 which, like the Sibelius, sounds Scandinavian, even if meant to depict the Sahara. ‘Sunrise’ from Also Sprach Zarathustra by R. Strauss is equally famous, ever since Stanley Kubrick used it in 2001: A Space Odyssey; it too takes centre stage in this magnificent QSO program.
QSO WITH FRITZSCH & SHLOMO MINTZ 13 & 14 MARCH 2015 CONCERT HALL
Listening into music When we speak of listening to music we are in fact talking about listening into music, says musicologist and composer Lawrence Kramer. He argues that classical music trains the ear to one’s inner self. “All music trains the ear to hear it properly, but classical music trains the ear to hear with a peculiar acuity. It wants to be explored, not just heard. It trains the ear in the sense of pointing, seeking: it trains both the body’s ear and the mind’s to hearken, to attend closely, to listen deeply, as one wants to listen to something not to be missed.” – JML
PHOTOGRAPHY American Fleet marching down Queen Street, Brisbane, March 1941 SOURCE SLQ Image No. 102768
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Wartime Brisbane
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risbane is a world premiere from Queensland Theatre Company, written by multi-award winning Australian playwright, screenwriter and theatre director Matthew Ryan. Drawing on true stories of Brisbane residents in wartime, this is a coming-of-age story told against the backdrop of a family fragmented by tragedy. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbour in December 1941 and the United States’ entry into World War II, Queensland became the headquarters for the American campaign. Nearly 80,000 US soldiers were based in
Brisbane at the height of the war. Brisbane explores the relationship between the Australian and American troops through the eyes of one 14-year-old-boy, Danny Fisher. “During 1942, the Australian and the American troops didn’t get along very well at all. There was a lot of resentment from both sides. The Australian soldiers were made to feel like second-best in their own country and the Americans felt unappreciated for defending our country,” says Brisbane writer Matthew Ryan. “That tension built to a very ugly event in
the middle of the city they were all supposed to be defending.” “1942 was a coming-of-age for our city. What better way to explore that than through the eyes of a 14-year-old kid?” he says.
BRISBANE 11 APRIL – 3 MAY 2015 PLAYHOUSE
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Verdi’s greatest romantic tragedy
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ove, passion, an overprotective father and a life cut short are the ingredients in La traviata, Verdi’s greatest romantic tragedy, vividly staged in the Lyric Theatre by Opera Queensland. Rising star Emma Pearson sings the role of Violetta, a coveted courtesan trapped in a life of pleasure for payment. When she unexpectedly falls in love with Alfredo (Aldo di Toro) their brief affair soars, only to be torn apart and ultimately end in Violetta’s death. Sumptuous staging, twinkling chandeliers, champagne-fuelled parties and
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costumes that would make Dior envious bring the extravagant characters and setting of highsociety Paris to vivid life. Kate Cherry’s acclaimed production brings together some of Australia’s finest international artists including celebrated baritone Jonathan Summers, with Maestro Johannes Fritzsch conducting the combined forces of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Opera Queensland Chorus. Boasting some of opera’s most adored arias and stirring choruses, La traviata, is this season’s classic opera highlight; limited
to four performances only. Come in the mood for champagne, but bring tissues for the ending … To make your OperaQ experience extra special, you can attend the exclusive pre-show opening night dinner. Or, join OperaQ before the 9 May performance for a special La traviata champagne party.
LA TRAVIATA 7 TO 16 MAY LYRIC THEATRE
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Keeping swing swingin’
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ext year marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most prominent jazz groups of the swing era; the Count Basie Orchestra. Founded by William James ‘Count’ Basie in 1935 and surviving long past the big band era and the death of Basie in 1984, the orchestra has won 18 Grammy Awards, performed for royalty and worked with many of the greatest soloists, composers, arrangers and vocalists in jazz history. What has made the Count Basie Orchestra withstand the test of time and remain relevant through the decades as a big band?
Producer and co-presenter of Count Basie Orchestra Phil Bathols says it’s a combination of staying true to its genre and taking cues from musical preferences of the time. “The basic fundamentals of Basie’s orchestra have always been the inclusion of a foot stomping 4/4 swing at any tempo and the use of lively contrasts, which essentially makes you want to get up and dance. That recipe will never go out of fashion,” he says. But the orchestra easily altered this recipe to suit the decades in which it performed and the soloists with whom it collaborated.
“During the sixties, seventies and eighties, the orchestra’s sound became more laid back and even more relaxed to suit the musical fashions of the time. Not to mention, Basie encouraged his musicians to compose and arrange especially for the orchestra and its distinctive soloists,” Bathols says.
COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA 20 MAY 2015 CONCERT HALL
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From the Sheldrake to the stage
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he film Dirty Dancing is widely considered to be one of the greatest dance movies ever made. Originally released in 1987, it has gone on to sell more than 10 million DVD copies and generated two multi-platinum soundtracks that sold over 39 million copies (and counting), including the song (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life, which won the Academy Award for Best Song. But despite 28 years passing since its release, the passion for the film and its characters continues to burn, leading to the creation of its musical adaptation in 2004. Dirty Dancing
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– The Classic Story on Stage is a re-imagining of the film, adapted for the stage by the same screenwriter who brought it to the big screen in 1987, Eleanor Bergstein. “As I learned how many people watched the movie over and over and over, I began to think that what they really wanted was to share more intensely in the event,” Bergstein observes. “And if that was true, then its natural form was the theatre – audiences watching live bodies dancing here and now in the present – on the log, on the bridge, on the dance floor
and in the staff quarters at Kellerman’s.” The narrative behind the film allows the creative team to approach dance in the theatre in a new way. The production engages in a more playful negotiation with the movie, rather than a straightforward adaptation. In the stage adaptation, there are more scenes about the parents, more scenes about Neil, and more Baby and Johnny scenes that allow the characters to explore their relationship. Overall, more than 40 percent of the material is new with more than 20 new scenes and 25 new songs.
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PHOTOGRAPHY Prudence Upton
“A number of scenes have been added that take place before, after, or at the same time as the scenes that our loyal fan base remembers. This allows us to expand the movie while still remaining faithful to its natural rhythm and flow,” says Bergstein. Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage is truly a show that can stand on its own for both theatre goers who have seen the movie, and those who have not. Indeed, Bergstein’s greatest hope for the stage adaptation is to try and make the audience feel that they are really at the Sheldrake or guests at Kellerman’s, the mountain resort where the movie is set. She wants audiences to feel as if they are living inside the story and involved in the action, not just watching from a darkened room hoping to be there. Not surprisingly, the use of music in
the stage production takes its cue from the way music was used in the film. The production is set in 1963, a time when song lyrics or a popular melody could not be separated from what was happening in your head or heart. “In contrast to the traditional Broadway musical in which characters break into song to further the plot, we use music as people do in life, people singing their hearts out around a campfire, at a piano, in a talent show with the joy and fervour of the passionate amateur,” says Bergstein. “And of course there is dancing. Our characters love, grow, change, explore each other’s souls through dance as an integral part of their lives. Romantic confrontations and character revelations take place at dance lessons or on dance floors, to passionate Latin
or rock music that will forever commingle with their memories of what happened when they were moving to it. “By the end of the evening, the audience will have had a live adventure in a world that is larger, fuller and closer than the movie they have come to know. It’s like having extra days at Kellerman’s.”
DIRTY DANCING – THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE FROM 27 MAY 2015 LYRIC THEATRE QPAC.COM.AU
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EVENT CALENDAR
JANUARY UNTIL 24 JAN UNTIL 25 JAN FROM 3 JAN 3 – 18 JAN 3 – 18 JAN 4 – 11 JAN 14 – 17 JAN 14 – 25 JAN 24 JAN – 15 FEB 30 JAN – 31 JAN
Exhibition: The Art of The Lion King The Lion King Giggle and Hoot & Friends Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Cubby Land The Illusionists 1903 Ballet Theatre of Queensland The Sleeping Beauty Thriller Live Queensland Theatre Company Boston Marriage Horrible Histories Barmy Britain
Tony Gould Gallery Lyric Theatre Playhouse Cremorne Theatre Cascade Court Concert Hall Playhouse Concert Hall Playhouse Concert Hall
FEBRUARY UNTIL 15 FEB 3 – 4 FEB 9 FEB 11 FEB 12 FEB FROM 12 FEB 14 FEB FROM 18 FEB 24 – 25 FEB 24 – 27 FEB
Queensland Theatre Company Boston Marriage Shen Yun Australia Chamber Orchestra The Four Seasons Ludovico Einaudi – In a Time Lapse Guy Pearce and Darren Middleton Wicked Queensland Symphony Orchestra Gala Opening Ode To Joy Queensland Theatre Company Mother & Son Billy Connolly – High Horse Tour Everybody Loves Lucy
Playhouse Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Cremorne Theatre Lyric Theatre Concert Hall Playhouse Concert Hall Cremorne Theatre
MARCH 1 MAR 3 MAR 4 MAR 5 MAR 7 MAR 8 MAR 8 MAR 9 MAR 11 MAR 12 MAR 13 MAR 14 MAR 14 MAR 19 – 22 MAR 20 – 31 MAR 23 MAR 24 – 27 MAR
Southern Cross Soloists Bella España Michael Palin Musiva Viva Tafelmusik – House of Dreams Queensland Symphony Orchestra Secondary Showcase – Song to Symphony QLD Pops With Honour We Serve – Our Tribute Queensland Symphony Orchestra Music on Sundays Series 1: At The Ballet The Sixteen – The Queen of Heaven Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club Sinead O’Connor – I’m Not Bossy I’m The Boss Rufus Wainwright Queensland Symphony Orchestra Masterworks Series 1: Fritzsch & Shlomo Mintz Queensland Symphony Orchestra Maestro Series 1: Fritzsch & Shlomo Mintz David Lynch: In Conversation Harvest Rain Pirates of Penzance Queensland Ballet La Sylphide Australian Chamber Orchestra Reflections on Gallipoli Ross Noble – Tangentleman
Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Playhouse Concert Hall Concert Hall
Queensland Symphony Orchestra Maestro Series 2: QSO & Mischa Maisky Nana Mouskouri – Farewell Tour
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11 APR – 3 MAY 18 APR 19 APR 24 APR 27 APR
Queensland Theatre Company Brisbane Queensland Symphony Orchestra Maestro Series 3: Sarah Chang The Pink Floyd Experience Cosentino An Evening with Noel Fielding
Playhouse Concert Hall Concert Hall Lyric Theatre Concert Hall
MAY 1 – 9 MAY 2 MAY 7 – 16 MAY 8 MAY 9 MAY 16 MAY 17 MAY 20 MAY 22 MAY 23 MAY FROM 27 MAY 29 MAY
The Host Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash & John Denver Tribute Opera Queensland La Traviata Paloma Faith Opera Queensland A Morning with Emily & Hayley QLD Pops: Viva Italia Supremo! Don Juan Count Basie Orchestra Queensland Symphony Orchestra Masterworks Series 2: Alondra & Sergio Queensland Symphony Orchestra Maestro Series 4: Alondra & Sergio Dirty Dancing – The Musical Beatlemania – The Beatles 50 Years On
Cremorne Theatre Concert Hall Lyric Theatre Concert Hall Lyric Theatre Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Lyric Theatre Concert Hall
JUNE 14 JUN 19 JUN 20 JUN 22 JUN 26 JUN – 11 JUL 28 JUN
Queensland Symphony Orchestra Music on Sundays Series 2: Movie Masterpieces Queensland Symphony Orchestra Masterworks Series 3: Demidenko Plays Brahms Queensland Symphony Orchestra Maestro Series 5: Demidenko Plays Brahms Australian Chamber Orchestra Egarr & The Golden Age Queensland Ballet Peter Pan Southern Cross Soloists French Revelations
Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Concert Hall Playhouse Concert Hall
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... AND AROUND THE CULTURAL PRECINCT UNTIL 1 FEB UNTIL 8 FEB UNTIL 15 FEB 14 MAR – 7 JUN UNTIL 12 JUL
Undressed: 350 Years of Underwear in Fashion CUSP: Designing into the Next Decade Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion David Lynch: Between Two Worlds Humanoid Discovery
Queensland Museum State Library of Queensland QAGOMA QAGOMA Queensland Museum
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State Library of Queensland SLQ.QLD.GOV.AU
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Queensland Museum QM.Q L D.G OV.AU
About QPAC
Our Venues
Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is one of Australia’s leading centres for live performance. Located in picturesque urban parklands on the banks of the Brisbane River, QPAC is one of four organisations that make up the state’s Cultural Precinct, South Bank. As Queensland’s state performing arts centre we fulfil many roles. QPAC is a venue, a producer, an investor, a presenter and a public place. We simultaneously host artists and companies from around Australia and the world, produce our own festivals and productions, collaborate with local arts companies, create moments of context that bridge the space between artist and audience, all the while ensuring the centre remains a viable part of a vibrant Cultural Precinct.
QPAC has four theatres suitable for a range of performance styles:
Lyric Theatre (2,000 seats) is designed primarily for opera, ballet and large-scale theatre events such as musicals.
Concert Hall (1,600 seats) is a versatile space, designed primarily for orchestral performances and also used for contemporary music, stand-up comedy and presentations. Playhouse (850 seats) is primarily designed for theatre and dance.
Cremorne Theatre (312 seats) is an intimate and versatile black box theatre space.
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