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An impressive collection of character-driven songs... The light pop and theatre-styled music is accompanied by well-crafted lyrics that tell great stories, score solid laughs and touch some lovely emotions. - Broadway World
A fresh and innovative new theatre company is set to debut in March when it brings EDGES – A Song Cycle to Sydney’s Parade Theatres.
James Anthony Productions is the brain-child of Sydney-based young theatre professionals Stephen Doorey, George Youakim and Alex Mair. The trio recently joined forces to develop and produce new and progressive theatrical work throughout Australia. Their inaugural production of EDGES at the Parade Theatres, Parade Studio commencing on March 25 will see the first large scale production of the show in Australia.
EDGES is a new musical song cycle which explores the boundaries, limitations and journeys of young adulthood. Seen through the eyes of one of Sydney's freshest and most sought-after young directors, Benita de Wit, the show follows the journeys of four burgeoning young adults as they experience a vast array of universally classic 'coming of age' questions and life events. There’s laughter and attitude aplenty!
Written and composed by the 2007 Jonathan Larson Award recipients Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, EDGES is no typical musical production. In 18 thematically-linked songs presented by an ensemble cast of four, it explores a variety of themes including peer pressure, false expectations, career drive, family negativity and narrow-mindedness.
The cast features exciting young talents Helena Wehbe, Christie Wykes, George Youakim and Keegan Joyce who are sure to deliver a performance guaranteed to pull at the heart-strings, evoke the laughter of recognition and revive memories of what it’s like to be teetering on the edges of youth, love, commitment & risk.
With musical direction by Stephen Doorey together with scenic design by Alex Duffy, costume design by Alanah Koedam and lighting design by Alex Mair, the production promises a thrilling and spectacular experience!
Performances take place March 25 - April 1, Monday - Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm at the Parade Studio, Parade Theatres complex (NIDA), 215 Anzac Parade, Kensington. Tickets $39 for adults and $29 for concessions and students and are available through Ticketek (13 28 49 or www.ticketek.com.au) or at the door on the night (if available).
James Anthony Production's presentation of Edges is made possible by the generous support of Unibit.
‘TAPAS’
AN UNEXPECTED (AND TASTY) ALBUM FROM
THE AUSTRALIAN BRANDENBURG ORCHESTRA
Released March 5
“What happens when you take 17th century music into a smoky dance hall?” says Paul Dyer artistic director of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. “You get something a little daring, sexy, and delicious. You get Tapas!”
“It’s our 21st, so we thought we’d take the Baroque out for a spin. We took baroque dance beats and love songs, and then we improvised till we found a new sound to stir up new emotions.
“Its old music on old instruments, made new. It’s all those gorgeous Brandenburg flavours in a spicy mix – dueling violins, a haunting lirone, spanish guitar, a divine soprano, bells, castanets, harpsichord, there’s even an old school wind machine. It’s ecstatic and highly intoxicating!”
ABC Classics releases the Tapas CD on 5 March and special Tapas performances will take place in Sydney and Melbourne later this month in a rare live concert performance of a Brandenburg recording.
“Our last disc won our 4th ARIA Award and has received rave reviews internationally, including an Editor’s Choice in the prestigious Gramophone magazine. But Tapas is going to take audiences on a whole new journey.”
“Tapas is also a tribute to the music-making of my parents – Mum, a pianist with a gift for improvisation, and Dad, who played the drums. Their influences of classical, swing, jazz and pop have led us to the rhythms of Tapas.”
“We’ve taken 21 years of historically informed performance practice and thrown it into the 21st century. Ladies and Gentlemen, Tapas is served!”
TAPAS concerts (featuring vocalist Mina Kanaridis)
SYDNEY - City Recital Hall, Angel Place
Wednesday 17 March @ 7pm
BOOKINGS:
City Recital Hall Box Office (02) 8256 2222
Brandenburg Box Office (02) 9328 7581
MELBOURNE - Melbourne Recital Centre
Tuesday 23 & Wednesday 24 March @ 7.30pm
BOOKINGS:
Melbourne Recital Centre (03) 9699 3333
Brandenburg Box Office 1300 782 856
CARRIAGEWORKS PRESENTS
PLATFORM 3 HIP HOP FESTIVAL
PLATFORM 3 HIP HOP FESTIVAL
*3 days of free hip hop dance classes | 27FEB, 6MAR, 13MAR
*1 day graffiti & street art tour with Mistery | 13MAR ‘10*2 Days high-power hip hop culture (music, dance, art, theatre) | 19-20MAR ‘10
CarriageWorks’ PLATFORM 3 HIP HOP FESTIVAL returns in March 2010 with three Saturdays of FREE hip hop dance classes (Sat 27 Feb, 6 & 13 Mar 11am-12pm), the ultimate graffiti and street art tour of Sydney’s inner west with legendary graffiti artist Mistery (Sat 13 March 11am-1pm), culminating in a slamming two-day celebration of everything hip hop on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 March.
Three years young, PLATFORM 3 HIP HOP FESTIVAL is Sydney’s smokin’ hot showcase of the five crucial elements of hip hop culture - DJing, MCing, beat boxing, break-dancing and graffiti art, by the best Aussie hip hop artists from all over the country. At CarriageWorks they’ll be creating one hell of fly hood. Don’t miss this unique chance to catch hardcore hip hop heads, hot local talent, and novices in a fun and family-friendly environment.
THE 2 DAY FESTIVAL: Let’s break it down. PLATFORM 3 HIP HOP FESTIVAL involves the opening party on Friday night, stacks of free activities on Saturday throughout the day, and a whole host of performances on Saturday Night. And while the Flexing Skillz and Freak the Technique events are ticketed, revelers won’t miss out on any of the action! Punters can watch all the hip hop battles and entertainment for FREE live on the big screen as the CarriageWorks bar and DJs rock well into the night! FRI 19 MAR - SAT 20 MAR
FRI 19 MAR | DOORS OPEN AT 7PM | $18 | 7PM | INCLUDES: · The Opening Night Party with DJs in the foyer featuring Flexing Skillz Freestyle Comp· Pre-show hip hop theatre performance ‘A Maze in Grace’ with Sista Native
· *MAIN EVENT* Flexing Skillz – MC/ DJ/ Vocals / Breaking freestyle jam – With performances
from Julez & DJ Sizzle; Morganics and Mathmatics
·
SAT 20 MAR | DAYTIME FROM 2PM | FREE | INCLUDES:
· Graffiti and Tagging demos and comps with renowned Australian Hip Hop Artist and Graffiti
extraordinaire, Mistery. Includes pro writers creating pieces live
· Hip Hop film exhibition & artist talk
· Chalk it Up – chalking activities for kids and adults. Everyone can have a go.
· Kids Breaking Battle – anyone can turn up and battle it out!
· Next Generation - Up & Comers Dance Battle, including popping, locking and breaking
· Next Generation - Up & Comers MC Battle
· Freestyle MC and Beatbox battles and demonstrations
· Freak the Technique Heats – breaking battle
· Plus watch the ticketed events for FREE on the big screen and enjoy the bar and DJ (2–11pm) ·
SAT 20 MARCH | Freak the Technique BREAKING COMP FINALS 7.30 – 11PM | $18 | INCLUDES:
· Pre-show Hip Hop Theatre performance: Premiere of Stalker Theatre Co’s latest production, Elevate - a wicked fusion of break dancing and stilt dance, live DJ and Beatboxer.
· Main Event: Freak the Technique – breaking battle finals, with headline performances from Brethren. Line-up includes: Ill Will; Mathmatics; and Class A & Nikkita
THE LEAD-UP: FREE DANCE CLASSES
Get ready to pop it like it’s hot! This year, PLATFORM 3 HIP HOP FESTIVAL will bring hip hop dance to the masses with free classes in the three weeks leading up to the festival. Held at CarriageWorks home of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ trials and filming, the classes are for everyone - kids and adults! It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or veteran bump ‘n grinder, it’s just about giving hip hop dance a go! Rock up to the huge CarriageWorks foyer and soak up the street style and attitude with free lessons in hip hop grooves, to get you ready for Platform 3’s ultimate Hip Hop Fest!
SAT 27 FEBR, 11AM – POPPING
SAT 6 MAR, 11AM – LOCKING
SAT 13 MAR, 11AM - BREAKING
THE LEAD-UP: GRAFFITI AND STREET ART TOUR
PLATFORM 3 is hosting a free street art and culture tour with legendary Graffiti Artist, Mistery. The tour is an introduction to different forms of street art – graffiti, stencils, paste-ups; and will visit some of Sydney’s most iconic street art sites in the Inner West, including the Skipping Girls along Wilson St Eveleigh and the May’s Lane Project in St Peters.
Starts at Newtown Station, Ends at CarriageWorks
SAT 13 MAR, 11AM-1PM Approx
FESTIVAL VITALS:
LEAD UP: 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar
FESTIVAL: 19-20 Mar
Times:
Various
Where:
CarriageWorks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh NSW 2015 (Nearest Train: Redfern)
Bookings and more info:
P: 02 8571 7940
W: www.carriageworks.com.au
SPIRIT of INDIA presents
The Killing of Dushasana
Kathakali Dance Drama 9 (Melb) & 11 (Syd) March 2010The epic and elaborate tale of war and succession, blood and lust - The Killing of Dushasana, reveals all the beauty and brutality of India’s alluring and elaborate history and culture. Catch the enthralling dance-drama for one night only at Sydney’s Seymour Centre on Thursday 11 March (7pm) and Melbourne’s Town Hall Tuesday 9 March (7pm).
Rarely seen outside of Kerela, Southern India’s stunning coastal state; this very special performance tells the story of two families - the Kauravas and the Pandavas, in traditional Kathakali dance style - one of India’s most elaborate and ancient forms of dance.
Performed by the world-renowned Kerala Kalamandalam Dance Company, The Killing of Dushasana is a central episode of the famous Sanskrit epic The Mahabhrata, one of India’s most significant cultural and religious tales. And tells of the great civil war in the kingdom of the Kurus, where modern Delhi now sits. With one hundred thousand verses, the poem is the longest in existence and a cornerstone of Hindu mythology and philosophical thought; the other being The Ramayana.
Brought to Australia by the Nataraj Cultural Centre for the 32nd SPIRIT of INDIA cultural tour, the powerfully artistic dance-drama comes direct from Womadelaide, and comprises 17 dancers, singers, actors, drummers, and make-up artists. Akin to and around as old as Japan’s Kabuki Theatre tradition, Kathakali developed over centuries in Kerala, with elaborate costumes and make up that can take up to four hours to prepare. The performance delivers an artistic impact that needs to be experienced to be fully understood.
The Killing of Dushasana begins with a dice-game - the Pandavas are lured to gamble with their cousins the Kauravas for succession to the throne they are supposed to be sharing. The stakes are high - the Kingdom, and then as a last desperate bid, Draupadi, wife of the five Pandava brothers (married to them all to avoid jealousies), are the ultimate prize. When the game is lost Draupadi is publicly disrobed. Exile for 13 years is punishment for the brothers. But when the Pandavas return the Kauravas refuse to give up a share of the Kingdom.
The centre-piece is the famed Bhagavadgita, containing Lord Krishna’s sermon on selfless action delivered to Arjuna (a Pandava), to urge him to fight when he begins to lose nerve. Considered one of the most important texts in the history of literature and philosophy, it sets out the Indian concept of Dharma, often described as a concise guide to Hindu theology, also considered a practical, self-contained guide to life.
The sermon leads to a great bloody war at Kurukshetra, near Delhi which rages until the Pandava brothers and Lord Krishna are the only contenders left. This is represented in the final scene where the angry Bhima (a Pandava) rips open Dushasana’s body (a Kaurava), drinking his blood.
A phenomenal display of music, culture and dance the performance lasts for two hours, with an interval; and is an Indian feast for the eyes and ears rarely seen at this level of authenticity in Australia. There are two performances at the Womadelaide Festival (6 and 7 March); one at Melbourne’s Town Hall (09 March) and Sydney’s Seymour Centre (11 March) 2010.
KEY INFORMATION:
SYDNEY CONCERT 11 March 2010 7PM
VENUE Seymour Centre, Everest Theatre
PRICE $25-70
BOOKINGS www.seymour.usyd.edu.au
P: 02 9352 7940
MELBOURNE CONCERT 09 March 2010 7PM
VENUE Melbourne Town Hall
PRICE $25-$70
BOOKINGS TICKETMASTER
P: 1300 136 166
The Nataraj Cultural Centre
The Centre, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2010 was set up in 1980 and incorporated as a non profit-making society in 1983. The Centre owes its inspiration to the magnificent India International Centre, New Delhi.
It aims to promote the study and performance of the classical music of India in order to create stronger cultural ties between Australia and New Zealand; and India; and to look after the cultural needs of settlers from South Asia and of other interested Australians and New Zealanders.
The Centre provides facilities for the study of both Hindustani and Carnatic music, by way of short-term courses and workshops by eminent visiting musicians. The Centre’s main arts activity is the SPIRIT of INDIA concerts, which presents India's classical music annually in Australia and New Zealand.
Indian music
Indian music, Hindustani and Carnatac, has been an integral part of the religious and cultural life of India for over two thousand years, with an elaborate musical theory and literature. It is purely melodic – it neither needs nor implies harmony. Unlike Western music, Indian music retains its roots in pure melody and rhythm. Indian classical music is based on the concepts of Raga – the melodic basis of composition and improvisation, and Tala – the rhythmic framework.
The rhythmic texture of this music is highly intricate and ornamented with grace notes. It is lyrical and sensual and aims at creating a definite mood. Since Indian music is not written down, every performance is virtually a new composition, but the musician has to improvise within a well-defined traditional Raga. “Perhaps the most moving and exciting quality of Indian music is the innocence of its rapture. However sophisticated the means… complex the structure... nothing is lost of the child's freshness of wonder.” Yehudi Menuhin
Kerala Kalamandalam
A major centre for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the southern state of Kerala, Kerala Kalamandalam is situated in the village of Cheruthuruthy in Thrissur district on the banks of the Bharathapuzha. The institution, now a deemed university, was founded in 1930 by poet Vallathol Narayana Menon and Manakkulam Mukunda Raja. Kalamandalam imparts training in classical dance and theatre forms like Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kudiyattam, Thullal, Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, and Nangiar Koothu, besides the traditional orchestra called Panchavadyam. Training is also given in various percussion instruments like chenda, maddalam and mizhavu.
Kalamandalam follows the gurukula sampradayam, the ancient Indian education system based on residential tutelage. The inception of Kalamandalam gave a second life to three major classical performing arts of Kerala, as Kathakali, Kudiyattam and Mohiniyattam were, by the turn of 20th century, facing the threat of extinction under various regulations of the colonial authorities. It was at this juncture, in 1927, that Vallathol Narayana Menon and Mukunda Raja came forward and formed a society called Kerala Kalamandalam.
They solicited donations from the public and conducted a lottery in order to raise funds for this society. Kerala Kalamandalam was inaugurated in November 1930 at Kunnamkulam, and was later shifted to the village of Cheruthuruthy, just south of Shoranur in 1933.The Maharaja of Cochin donated land and a building. Subsequently, a dance department was started to revive Mohiniyattom.
Kalamandalam was conceived to provide training to its students in the Gurukula Sampradaya, an ancient tradition of residential schooling where students stayed with the teachers, sharing the same atmosphere and learning from them the nuances of the arts. Eminent masters were brought to Kalamandalam.
El’Circo moves to Saturday nights in 2010
Sydney’s most surprising and entertaining weekly show, El’Circo, moves to Saturday nights at Slide Lounge on Oxford Street from January 9th 2010
[ Click here to read more ]
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