Sydney Family Show - Easter in Sydney 2015

Put on a smile, but prepare to be grinning after you see all the excitement the Dodo Sydney Family Show has in store for you in 2015! The show will return over the Easter school holidays from 2 to 12 April, at the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park.

From cheering on the racing pigs, to enjoying the free Looney Tunes stage show, and meeting the life-size stars of the hit movie, Cars, in the Disney Zone, there will definitely be something for everyone!

Don't forget the numerous show bags to choose from and many delicious treats to fullfil your appetite. Plus, the best thing is, it's free entry, that's right, free! Grab the kids and prepare yourselves for a fun-filled family day at the show!

LOCATION: Sydney Family Show - Moore Park

EVENT DATES:

• Thursday 2nd April                                        10:00am - 5:00pm
• Friday 3rd April - Monday 6th April                   10:00am - 6:00pm
• Tuesday 7th April - Sunday 12th April               10:00am - 5:00pm 

Find More Information about this Free Event

Towers of Tomorrow with Lego Bricks

Certified LEGO builder Ryan McNaught shows off his skills in this exhibition, recreating skyscraping buildings from Australia and Asia

Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO® Bricks is a world premiere exhibition of astonishing LEGO skyscrapers at the Museum of Sydney.

Constructed by Ryan McNaught, one of only 12 LEGO® certified professionals worldwide, this exhibition celebrates tall and extraordinary buildings from Australia and Asia. Some are engineering head-turners while others are technical marvels.

Some of these eye-popping giants, like the Shanghai Tower, pioneer new ways of living, while others like Singapore's Marina Bay Sands are instant global landmarks. Some are green, others lean. Some are strange and other-worldly, others are breathtakingly beautiful.

With several models standing over 3 metres high, with stunning architectural detail and playful use of colours and textures, each of these LEGO® structures is guaranteed to amaze. They'll also inspire the young and the young-at-heart to create their own ‘towers of tomorrow’

With over 200,000 loose LEGO® bricks on hand, you’ll have more than enough to build your own towering creation and add it to the colourful futuristic metropolis rising steadily in the heart of the exhibition.

“Like the real things, super-tall LEGO® buildings are truly inspirational,” says Mark Goggin, director of Sydney Living Museums, “Not only do Ryan's models prove what's possible with everyday LEGO®bricks, but experiencing so many of them together in a world first line-up, perched together side by side, is nothing short of mind-blowing, even at 1:200 scale.”

Ryan McNaught agrees, “it's by far the biggest building job I've ever faced and certainly the most fun. My head's still spinning.”


SNAP & SHARE TO WIN


Get creative in the exhibition for your chance to win a workshop with Ryan McNaught, a LEGO®Certified Professional. Simply snap a pic of you and you LEGO® bricks masterpeice while you're at the exhibition and share via your favourite social network with the tag #SLMtowers for a chance to win this hands-on workshop for you and five friends.

Terms & Conditions apply.

BECOME A MEMBER AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS

As a Sydney Living Museums Member you'll enjoy exclusive membership benefits, including priority access, behind-the-scene events, discounts, advanced ticket sales to select events and much more.

Special Member benefits for 'Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO® bricks' are:
Special Members price of only $5 - save $10
Access to pre-sale tickets on 19 November – book the session you want
Special Members ONLY preview day 12 December – be the first to see the exhibition

View Source to Book this Event Now

Octonauts Live! Operation Reef Sheild

Developed from a special new episode of the worldwide hit children’s animation series The OCTONAUTS (ABC For Kids), OCTONAUTS LIVE! OPERATION REEF SHIELD is a live adventure musical touring Australia’s premier theatres.

The OCTONAUTS are an eight person team of quirky and courageous undersea adventurers who are always ready to dive into action! It is their mission to explore new underwater worlds, rescue amazing sea creatures and protect the ocean. 

They are led by valiant polar bear Captain Barnacles, Lieutenant Kwazii the daring cat, and Medic Peso the big-hearted penguin. The beloved animated characters have been reimagined for the live stage and transformed into impressive lifelike walkaround costumes of the pedigree that has made Life Like Touring Australia’s leading producer of family theatre.

Entirely created and produced in Australia, OCTONAUTS LIVE! OPERATION REEF SHIELD! is written and directed by Life Like Touring’s Theresa Borg, who wrote and directed acclaimed internationally touring productions Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries, which toured to Australia, North America, Middle East and Europe, and Sesame Street Presents Elmo’s World Tour which toured Australia and Asia.

In OCTONAUTS LIVE! OPERATION REEF SHIELD, Captain Barnacles and his trusty crew join forces with a host of colourful Australian reef dwellers on a mission to save the Great Barrier Reef! When the Octonauts deploy a new undersea medical station designed to keep the reef clean and healthy, they discover a problem that threatens the reef dwellers and their home. 

An outbreak of spiky and very hungry Crown of Thorns Starfish are on their way to eat the reef! It will take all the Octonauts, their Gups, and a rag-tag crew of sea creatures to ward off the advancing starfish and save the Great Barrier Reef! Don’t miss this all new musical adventure live on stage for the first time in 2015.

Running Time: Approximately 75 minutes total (including 15 minute interval)
Performance Dates: Friday 6th & Saturday 7th March

Event Location: Capitol Theatre Sydney

Get tickets NOW

Nearby accommodation at Metro Hotel Sydney Central

Violent Femmes, Augie March Lead MOFO 2015 Sideshow

The lineup for MOFO 2015, next year’s instalment of the Museum of Old and New Art’s Festival of Music and Art, is set to drop in late October, but organisers have decided to announce a special sideshow just to get everyone buzzing. Violent Femmes, Augie March, and Ben Salter will play MONA this January.

The blistering Violent Femmes announced a one-off Sydney Opera House show back in August and it looks like they will be sticking around afterwards. The acoustic punk rockers are commemorating 30 years since the release of their debut album and will be bringing plenty of hits to their Aussie fans.

Augie March, meanwhile, have just as many reasons to celebrate. The beloved Melbourne indie rock outfit recently announced that they would make their return from a five-year hiatus with a new album and a new string of tour dates. Expect to hear some new tunes during their performance at the MOFO sideshow.

Lastly, Ben Salter will make an appearance, bringing years of experience earned as one of the founding members of Giants of Science, The Gin Club, and the two-time ARIA-nominated Wilson Pickers. The Brisbane-based singer-songwriter is currently gearing up to release his second solo album in early 2015.

MONA FOMA 2015 will run from Thursday, 15th January till Sunday, 18th January. Organisers say they are “bracing for a seismic shake-up of the MOFO festival model”, with curator Brian Richie adding, “We will be going for a sprawling non-stop 24/7 experience for MOFO 2015… Don’t expect to sleep much.”

Readers can check below for all the details of the MOFO 2015 sideshow. Tickets are on sale from 10am Thursday, 2nd October. If the sideshow lineup is anything to go by, it looks like MOFO 2015 is shaping up to be something impressive. Music Feeds will have the full MOFO lineup when it drops so stay tuned.

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DIRTY DANCING (Just Announced!) - Sydney Lyric in January 2015

JUST ANNOUNCED: The international hit musical DIRTY DANCING will return to Australia a decade after its World Premiere in Sydney, opening at the Sydney Lyric in January 2015!

Featuring hit songs including “Hungry Eyes”, “Hey! Baby, Do You Love Me?” and the iconic (I’ve Had) “The Time Of My Life”, DIRTY DANCING has become one of the most popular musical productions of all time.

DIRTY DANCING RETURNS TO WHERE THE MAGIC BEGAN
Leading Australian theatre producer John Frost has announced the international hit musical Dirty Dancing will return to Australia in January 2015, a decade after its World Premiere in Sydney.

“Dirty Dancing has been an amazing worldwide success,” said Frost. “The 1987 film was a massive hit, and the original movie soundtrack contains some of the most loved songs of all time. The stage musical gave audiences the chance to hear these songs performed live and to experience the breathtaking dance routines. People flocked to it, breaking records all around the world.

The UK Observer called Dirty Dancing ‘The biggest live theatre sensation of all time’. Now, ten years after the World Premiere in Sydney, it returns home to where the magic began, playing at the Sydney Lyric where audiences can again have the Time Of Their Lives.”

Featuring hit songs including Hungry Eyes, Hey! Baby, Do You Love Me? and the iconic (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life, Dirty Dancing has become one of the most popular musical productions of all time.

Waitlist now by adding Dirty Dancing to your favourites.

Club Lyric members will receive priority access to tickets. If you're not already a member, email club@sydneylyric.com.au to sign up.

Tickets from Ticket Master http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/Dirty-Dancing-tickets/artist/1518833

Vivid Sydney - Details and Transport Information

Friday 23 May to Monday 09 June 2014

• Sydney CBD
• North Sydney
• Circular Quay & The Rocks
• Darling Harbour
• Carriageworks, Redfern

Installations open (times may vary): 18:00
Installations close (times may vary): 24:00

Transport details

Event Website: Vivid Sydney

Use the Trip planner to plan your trip with up-to-date train, bus, ferry and light rail information. You can also use one of the many real-time apps to track your service.

Special information

• Vivid Sydney is a free, unticketed 18-day festival of light, music and ideas.
• Large crowds are expected in the city throughout the event, especially on Friday and Saturday nights and over the June long weekend.
• Significant road closures and clearways will be in place every weeknight from 19:00 and on weekends (including the Monday 9 June public holiday) from 17:00 to manage congestion and keep pedestrians safe.
• Traffic will be heavy, parking will be limited and you won’t be able to see most Vivid Sydney events from a vehicle.
• There are many events and installations across the city, so you don’t need to see it all in one go. Plan your Vivid Sydney experience over a couple of nights, leave the car at home and take advantage of extra public transport services.

Train

• All Vivid Sydney precincts are within walking distance of train stations.
• The best stations for accessing Vivid Sydney events are Central, Town Hall, Wynyard, Martin Place, Circular Quay, St James, Museum, North Sydney, Milsons Point and Redfern.
• Extra trains are running into the city and around the City Circle on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights to help get you around the Vivid Sydney precincts.
• Circular Quay will be extremely popular during the event so on Saturday nights and the long weekend Sunday, trains will not pick up passengers at Circular Quay Station between 18:00 and 22:00.
  • If you are travelling to Circular Quay on these days, please alight at Wynyard or St James.
• For train information, visit Sydney Trains timetables.

Trackwork

• Trackwork is taking place during Vivid Sydney and may affect how you travel. For the latest information, check trackwork service updates or use the Trip planner.

Bus

• Plenty of extra buses are running in and out of the city during Vivid Sydney.
• Some buses will be diverted and have changed stops due to road closures. Check signage on the bus route and use the Trip planner before you travel.
• Daily changes: Bus services to the Rocks and Millers Point will be diverted when road closures are in place.
• Fridays:
  • From 19:00, buses that normally start at Circular Quay will begin from temporary terminals on George Street at Wynyard Station or Martin Place near Elizabeth Street and Castlereagh Street.
• Saturdays, Sundays and long weekend Monday:
  • From 17:00, buses to and from the CBD will be moved from Circular Quay to temporary terminals at:
    • Elizabeth Street near Martin Place
    • Castlereagh Street near Martin Place
    • Castlereagh Street near Market Street
    • Clarence Street near Margaret Street
    • York Street, Queen Victoria Building

Sydney Ferries

• Ferries will be in high demand during Vivid Sydney, especially on the weekends and public holiday.
• Services will reach capacity and there will be long queues, so consider taking one of the frequent trains or buses instead.
• Due to the high demand, customers will be required to exit the ferry once they reach their destination. You will not be able to stay on the ferry and take the return trip. This is to make sure that everyone gets the chance to access ferry services.
• There are no free ferry services during Vivid Sydney.

Road

• There will be significant road closures and special event clearways in place in the Sydney CBD, The Rocks and Walsh Bay throughout the 18 days of the event.
• Roads will be closed from 19:00 on weekdays and 17:00 on weekends and the June public holiday.
  • On Saturdays and Sundays, George Street will be fully closed from the Rocks to Hunter Street, and closed to northbound traffic from Hunter Street to Market Street.
• Special event clearways will also be in place across the Sydney CBD between 15:00 and midnight depending on the day, so check signage carefully before parking.
  • Special event clearways are no parking zones, even for residents and businesses with parking permits and Mobility Scheme permits.
  • Vehicles left in special event clearways will be towed and a fee applies.
• For an interactive map showing road closure dates, times and locations, visit Vivid Sydney.
• For a list of all road closures and clearways as well as information on general traffic conditions visit Live Traffic NSW.
• You can also download the free iPhone, iPad or Android app or call the Traffic Information Line on 132 701.

Taxi

• Demand for taxis will be high and queue times may be lengthy, so please be patient and considerate of others.
• Due to road closures, there will be some changes to taxi rank locations:
  • The taxi rank at the Four Season Hotel on George Street will be moved to Bridge Street (southern side) between Pitt Street and George Street on Fridays, Sundays and the long weekend Monday.
    • On Saturdays and the long weekend Sunday it will move to Harrington Street (eastern side) between Essex Street and Grosvenor Street.
  • The taxi rank on Alfred Street (northern side) at Circular Quay will move to Pitt Street (western side) between Reiby Place and Dalley Street on Fridays, Sundays and the long weekend Monday.
    • On Saturdays and the long weekend Sunday it will move to Pitt Street (western side) between Bridge Street and Curtin Place.
  • The Darling Harbour taxi rank on Darling Drive behind Harbourside Shopping Centre will operate as normal.
• There will be managed taxi access to Sydney Opera House and Walsh Bay for show ticket-holders.
• For details of taxi networks servicing the Sydney area, visit NSW Taxi Council.

Accessibility

Parking

• Patrons with accessibility needs are encouraged to visit Vivid Sydney on weeknights, when crowds are expected to be smaller.
• Limited accessible parking will be available in Walsh Bay, on Hickson Road north of Pottinger Street on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Accessible set-down and pick-up points will be available at:
  • Walsh Bay on Hickson Road north of Towns Place
  • Circular Quay on Macquarie Street north of Albert Street.
• Vehicles will not be permitted to park in these locations and wait for patrons to return.
• A valid Australian Disability Parking Permit must be displayed in the windscreen to gain access to accessible parking and accessible set-down and pick-up points.

Public transport

• Accessible transport options can be found on the Trip planner by checking 'Mobility options'. Only trip plans with accessible train platforms, ferry wharves and buses will be presented. Seeaccessible travel in NSW.

Trains

• Central, Town Hall, Wynyard, Martin Place, Circular Quay, St James, Museum, North Sydney and Milsons Point stations are all wheelchair accessible.
• Redfern Station is not wheelchair accessible.
• See accessible trains and stations.

Buses

• Nearly all of Sydney Buses’ services are wheelchair accessible. Features of wheelchair accessible buses include wider doors and aisles, and space for two mobility aids such as wheelchairs, some ride-on scooters and prams or strollers. See travel on accessible buses.

Sydney Ferries

• The entire Sydney Ferries fleet is wheelchair accessible via wheelchair accessible ferry wharves (pending tidal and safety conditions). See accessible ferries and wharves.

View Transport NSW official site

Dolly Parton Announces Australian Tour

US country singer Dolly Parton is returning to Australia in 2014 for a national tour. Parton will bring her Blue Smoke World Tour Down Under in February, promoter Live Nation announced on Monday."Australia, here I come again.

We have a lot of new and exciting things for the show and can't wait to share it with you. I love my fans in that part of the world.

You've been so very good to me for so many years and I know that we're gonna have a wonderful time," Parton said in a statement.Parton, best known for her hit 9 to 5 and her 1983 duet Islands in the Stream with Kenny Rogers, last toured Australia in 2011.

Her The Better Day World Tour! was lauded as her most successful Australian tour of her 45-plus year career after performing to record-breaking crowds across the country. Tickets go on sale on November 1.

Agatha Christie's A Murder Is Announced

The producers of last year’s acclaimed tour of The Mousetrap have assembled another stellar all Australian cast to stage one of Agatha Christie's most loved plays, A Murder is Announced.  Featuring Christie’s legendary lady sleuth, Miss Marple, A Murder is Announced establishes firmly Christie’s claim to the throne of detection. The plot is as ingenious as ever, the writing skillful, the dialogue both wise and witty; suspense builds from the very start and is maintained ever so brilliantly until the final revelation.

Judy Farr will play Christie’s much-loved heroine, Miss Marple. 

Joining Judi Farr (in alphabetical order) will be James Beck (City Homicide, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Neighbours) as Edmund Swettenham, as Mrs Swettenham, Carmen Duncan (After The Fall, Another World, Winners and Losers), Robert Grubb (Yes, Prime Minister, MAMMA MIA!, We Will Rock You, The Flying Doctors) as Inspector Craddock, Victoria Haralabidou (Stuff Happens, Thirst, Brides) as Mitzi andJamie Kristian (Underbelly: Razor, The Bill, The Crucible) as Sergeant Mellors/Rudi Scherz. The lady of Little Paddocks, matriarch, Letitia Blacklock will be played by Debra Lawrance (Home and Away, Evil Angels, The Memory of Water) with Nathaniel Middleton (Bell Shakespeare) as Patrick Simmons, Libby Munro (Venus in Fur, The Bind, All Saints) as Phillipa Haymes, Elizabeth Nabben (Winners and Losers) as Julia Simmons. 

Capping off a stellar cast is Deidre Rubenstein (Palace of Dreams, Night Letters, Josh Jarman, Siam Sunset) as Letita’s old friend Dora “Bunny” Bunner.

A Murder is Announced is full of twists, turns, mystery and intrigue that will have you guessing till the very end. If you enjoyed the Mousetrap, you wont want to miss Miss Marple as she works tirelessly to solve whodunit in this Christie masterpiece, A Murder is Announced. Coming to the Comedy Theatre, from October 30 for strictly 5 weeks.

SYNOPSIS

In an English village, you turn over a stone and have no idea what will crawl out. The villagers of Chipping Cleghorn, including Miss Marple, are agog with curiosity over an advertisement in the local gazette which reads: ‘A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 13th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30p.m.’ A childish practical joke or a hoax? Unable to resist the mysterious invitation, a crowd begins to gather at Little Paddocks home when, at the appointed time, the lights go out and a gun is fired...

WHERE: Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay

Purchase Tickets at Ticketmaster

Bryan Adams - Live at the Sydney Entertainment Centre

The recent announcement by the Frontier Touring Company that the iconic Bryan Adams would be embarking on a national arena tour left fans across Australia overjoyed. The excitement doesn’t stop there with today’s news that UK and Europe superstar Amy Macdonald is confirmed to support in what will be her first ever Australian performances.

When Macdonald exploded into the musical stratosphere in 2007, the Scottish singer-songwriter was a breath of fresh air, standing out from the crowd as a self taught prodigy whose raw lyrics have struck a chord with audiences everywhere.
Her debut album ‘This Is The Life’ charted at #1 in 5 countries, with the single of the same name reaching #1 in 10 countries. Her second offering ‘A Curious Thing’ hit the Top 10 in 10 countries across Europe and Amy has been awarded 25 platinum and gold discs in 17 countries.

‘Life In A Beautiful Light’, the 25 year-old’s acclaimed third album (out now through Universal Music) is a soaring declaration of her growth as an artist, with the new collection of stirring tracks hitting #2 in the UK.

“Macdonald has an impressive vocal range and sings in such a natural and unaffected way that it is impossible to avoid being caught in her spell. On this excellent album, Macdonald demonstrates once again that she is a skilled purveyor of sparkling roots-pop fit for the stadium.” – Graham Blackley, Beat Magazine

Current single; the rhythmic, pulsating ‘Slow It Down’ was produced by long term creative partner and manager, Pete Wilkinson and mixed by the legendary Bob Clearmountain (Bryan Adams, Rolling Stones, Robbie Williams).

With a staggering 56 Million views on Youtube and over 4.5 million albums sold worldwide, Amy Macdonald supporting Bryan Adams for his 2013 Australian arena tour is a match made in “heaven”. This is definitely one of those times where you want to be one of those people “who was there”!

DATE: Fri 19 April 2013
TIME: Starts at 7:30 PM

Eat, Pray and Laugh: Barry Humphries Farewell Tour

Paul Dainty, Chairman of Dainty Group has announced that Australia's greatest entertainment export - iconic performer, satirist, artist and comedian Barry Humphries - will take his final bow to Australian audiences during his farewell tour, "Eat Pray Laugh!".

Humphries, whose alter egos include inebriated cultural attaché, the Honorable Sir Les Patterson, and Moonee Ponds' legendary housewife, Dame Edna Everage, will perform a limited number of farewell shows from June to August this year.

While his famous creations are not officially retiring, Australia's greatest Dame insists that this will be her final tour.

"So, Possums, please do come and say goodbye to me. It would be lovely to see your faces for the last time," Dame Edna says.

Go to www.dameednafarewell.com for more details.

PERFORMANCE DATES*:
Fri 29 Jun - Sun 1 Jul - Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Thu 19 Jul - Sat 28 Jul - Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne
*Ticketek is selling for the above venue only.

David Hasselhoff arrives in Sydney for Filming of Celebrity Apprentice Australia Series

A FRESH-EYED David Hasselhoff arrived in Sydney last night, ahead of his appearance on Channel 9's Celebrity Apprentice Australia.

Looking much happier than most people who have just arrived on a flight from London, Hasselhoff was all smiles as he slipped through the gates at Sydney Airport.

Channel Nine producers have claimed former Baywatch star Hasselhoff will guarantee the second series of Apprentice will make global headlines.

Hasselhoff will raise money for his nominated charity, Surf Life Saving Australia - a nod to his Baywatch days.

He'll join others including big-name signings outspoken AFL identity Jason Akermanis and former Australian Idol judge Ian "Dicko'' Dickson in the new series, filming for which began in Sydney this week.

The new cast also includes TV presenter Charlotte Dawson, Amazing Race winner Nathan Jolliffe, MasterChef favourite Marion Grasby, water-ski and boxing champ Lauryn Eagle, comics Vince Sorrenti and Fiona O'Loughlin, Getaway personality Ben Dark and Bollywood star Tania Zaetta.

Finance whiz Mark Bouris returns to anchor the boardroom.

Annie The Musical To Get Red Carpet At The Star: Sydney, Australia

Annie The Musical is to get the red carpet treatment at it's 'Sin City' Sydney location this coming Thursday night.

It's hard to imagine that the Lyric Theatre was once closely tied in with the former Star City Casino, but it was. Annie The Musical is hardly the kind of show you would expect to see at a casino complex, but with Echo Entertainment's The Star and its push of mainstream entertainment, its exactly the kind of thing to expect, and for the most part, the media and public at large have been lapping it up.

The Star's Lyric is hardly a stranger to top line entertainment acts with just some of the more recent guests who performed there in various capacities being Snoop Dog, Al Pacino and, Elton John, and the famous 'An Officer And A Gentleman', also produced by John Frost, will play at The Lyric this coming May.

Music News Australia has been able to secure a red hot list of some of the celebrities expected to show up for Thursday's red carpet event:

Kelley Abbey Trevor Ashley Lorraine Bayly Rachael Beck, Ian Stenlake and daughters Mark Beretta Hayley and Nathan Bracken Lauren Brant (Hi-5) Casey Burgess (Hi-5) Tom Burlinson and family Tina Bursill Jonathan Coleman Penny Cook and family Lorrae Desmond Sophie Faulkner and family Mark Ferguson and family Anthony Field and family Amanda Harrison (Wicked) Erika Heynatz and Andrew Kingston David Jones Roberts (Home and Away) Sonia Kruger Jay Laga’aia and family Toni Lamond Guy Leech and family Edwina McCann and twin daughters Glenn McGrath and family Angus McLaren Ben Mingay (Jersey Boys) Sam Moran Amanda Muggleton Barry O’Farrell, Premier of NSW Peter Phelps and family Matt Shirvington and family George Souris, Minister for the Arts Karl Stefanovic and family Maria Venuti Samara Weaving (Home and Away) Matthew White

Sydney has apparently already fallen in love with Annie, and we suspect that the Alan Jones factor (active media heavyweight playing a role in the musical) hasn't hurt ticket sales or its publicity machine.

Ticket sales musical Annie are rocketing towards 100,000! We understand there are currently about 80,000 theatregoers already claiming their seats to the musical, which opens to the public tomorrow night, and no doubt will be swamped by news media.

Approximately 20,000 of those tickets were sold in the past couple of weeks, despite strong competition for the entertainment dollar, including the Phantom Of The Opera sequel Love Never Dies, which begins previewing on Sunday. Who would have thought that The Star would be giving the likes of the Capitol Theatre and the Sydney Opera House a run for their money with musicals et al.

"If anyone has any concern about musical theatre going down the drain, they're in the wrong business. People are spending their money and wanting great entertainment", producer Frost has told Australian media.

The battle for the Australian entertainment dollar is just heating up, and certainly Sydney's The Star is going full speed ahead and betting that world class entertainment will remain paramount in the quest to bring more punters to land based casinos and entertainment complexes.

Extra media blurb we secured...

The timeless tale of Little Orphan Annie is back, giving a whole new generation the chance to experience this classic musical about never giving up hope. Boasting one of Broadway's most memorable scores, including It's the Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street, N.Y.C. and the ever-optimistic Tomorrow, Annie is one of the most awarded and loved musicals of all time. Reprising one of his all-time favourite roles as the charismatic and sophisticated New York ‘zillionaire' Daddy Warbucks, is Anthony Warlow. He will be joined by the ever-popular Nancye Hayes playing everyone's favourite villain, Miss Hannigan. Todd McKenney, Chloë Dallimore and Julie Goodwin also bring their talents to this delightful musical. And in a special treat, radio star Alan Jones will join the cast in the role of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

A MESSAGE FROM PRODUCER JOHN FROST

It gives me great pleasure to bring ANNIE back to Australian audiences. When I produced this show 12 years ago I was overwhelmed by the response it received. ANNIE is such a well known, well loved production that appeals to so many different age groups. Its popularity means that it is staged once a year in many countries around the world, and I have no doubt that the Australian audiences are well and truly ready to see it again.

This time around, I am especially delighted to be able to work once more with Australia's favourite leading man, Anthony Warlow and theatrical legend Nancye Hayes.

To be taking this wonderful show and the star studded cast on tour in 2012 presents a unique and exciting opportunity to reach a new generation of Australians and it gives me enormous pleasure to think that people Australia wide will again be able to experience this special production.

Websites

The Star www.star.com.au

Annie The Musical www.anniethemusical.com.au

Lyric Theatre www.lyrictheatre.com.au

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography

Eva Rinaldi Photography www.evarinaldi.com

Media Man News www.mediamannews.com

Casino News Media www.casinonewsmedia.com

Music News Australia www.musicnewsaustralia.com

Capriccio - Opera Australia Overview

Olivier has written a love poem. Flamand has set it to music. Both have dedicated their works to the beautiful Countess Madeleine. Her dilemma is acute: to choose between Olivier and Flamand, between words and music, seems almost cruel.

Is there no way that their powers can be combined, at least in art, if not in love? Cheryl Barker makes her role debut as the Countess in Richard Strauss’s meditation on opera and aesthetics. The story is wafer thin, the argument is unresolved, but the music is magnificent, a tangled web of operatic references and piquant melodies. Strauss’s final opera leaves us awed by the transcendent power of opera.

Director John Cox has a special relationship with Strauss: his recent production of Arabella was showered with awards. Now he is back to tease out the subtleties of Capriccio in this stunning production, set in the 1930s and inspired by the elegant lines of artist and fashion designer Erté.

Capriccio - Opera Australia
Contact (+61 2) 9318 8200
Website www.opera-australia.org.au
Location Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW 2000

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