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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, September 25, 2013 - Page 107
Observer TV, Radio, Theatre Showbiz Latest Melbourne show business news - without fear or favour The Spoiler SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL Heart Thy Neighbour
ShowBiz!
For Those Who Have Lost The Plot
Neighbours ■ 6.30pm. Weeknights. Eleven ■ Monday, September 30. Family tensions escalate over Amber and Joshua's relationship. Rani tries to break up with Bailey. ■ Tuesday, October 1. Terese gives Josh permission to leave school; Chris struggles to rebuild his life; Sheila has a frightening encounter; Lou is convinced he is about to die. ■ Wednesday, October 2. Sheila is more shaken than she admits after a late night encounter; Rani tells Bailey she has found someone in India; Georgia is encouraged to record her own song. ■ Thursday, October 3. Lou decides to fight fate; Josie joins the gym; Sheila is still feeling post traumatic stress; Callum and Bailey do not make up ■ Friday, October 4. Lou realises he turned 70 last year; Georgia gets one over on Paul; Mason is given false hope about Kate.
Home and Away ■ Monday, September 30. April is disappointed by her new mentor's attitude. Brax reveals he made a mistake a long time ago and he wants to fix things. Marilyn suspects Maddy is housing an uninvited house guest. ■ Tuesday, October 1. Heath keeps his study a secret from Bianca. Maddy and Josh rely on Marilyn to keep their secret. Brax wants to get answers in Mangrove River, but is haunted by his past mistakes. ■ Wednesday, October 2. The Braxtons are left reeling when they hear Brax's confession. Tensions are rife in the MacGuire household with Oscar blaming Zac for Evelyn re-joining the cult. Roo and Alf are worried sick with Maddy missing. ■ Thursday, October 3. Spencer continues to lie to Sasha, Kyle seeks comfort in an unexpected place and Hannah, Zac and Oscar are briefly reunited with Evelyn, but can they convince her to stay? Spencer opens up to Alf, Leah is concerned about Hannah and Zac's plans to move in together, and the situation with Robyn makes Indi think of exs - and Romeo.
Star Bursts
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Seven News weather presenter Giaan Rooney and her husband, Sam Levett, are expecting their first child. The Olympic swimmer confirmed last week that she was 14 weeks pregnant. It’s only 13 weeks to Christmas. And it’s only a few more to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia (February 7-23). Hopefully, then, the annoying Olympic Games rings watermark will disappear from the Network 10/One screens. Leigh Sales, 40, host of 7.30 (ABC) has confirmed that she is pregnant. She is expecting her second child early in the new year. Country music star Keith Urban has taken out the top spot on ARIA charts with his ninth studio album Fuse. This becomes his second No.1 album in Australia after 2012's The Story So Far. Peter Meakin, 71, who takes over as the Network 10 news boss early next year says he would like to hire Seven’s Samatha Armytage. Meakin is prevented from poaching staff for 12 months. Kate Ceberano is presenting her Kensal Road Live show at Geelong on Thursday, October 24. Kate will be at The Palms At Crown on Saturday, October 26. Bill Armstrong is speaker today (Wed.) at the Marquee Entertainment Club.
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● Horton the Elephant (Sam McPartlan) with The Cat In The Hat (Mark Yeates) and Company in the Old Carey Performing Arts Club’s production of Seussical. Photo: Craig Mills ■ In La Jolla, San Di- follow in this strange world but, has pulled off an ego, home of Theodore of fantastical creatures imaginatively executed and Geisel, better known as where ‘talking to a speck impressive spectacle. Live Dr Seuss, strange looking of dust and loitering on an music under the direction trees drip along the espla- egg’ would generate as of a talented Daniel much ridicule as it would Donovan, lots of action nade. and creative costuming furWhen you see them it is in the human world. In a sparkling production ther render this production easy to imagine that strange creatures might with a vibrant, energised as one not to be missed. cast there are many standThis small company populate their branches. punches way above its It took the fantastic outs. Mark Yeates takes on weight in a fun, feel-good imagination of Dr Seuss to bring these strange crea- the challenge of the iconic show championing the untures to life. First-time di- red and white striped hat derdog where, as Horton rector Josh Elwood has and carries his audience reminds us, “a person’s a also magically brought along a rollicking adven- person no matter how Geisel’s characters to life ture from the jungle of small”. Season: Until Septemin OCPAC’s lively pro- Nool to Whoville and back again. ber 28 duction of Seussical. Nicholas RenfreeTimes: 7.30pm Mon – Despite all obstacles Horton the elephant stays Marks is fabulous as a Sat, 2.00pm Sat Matinee Tickets: from $25, doggedly on his task of sav- ‘diva’ Sour Kangaroo ing the smallest planet in and Eleanor Horsburgh available online at the universe found in a brings charm and pluck to www.ocpac.com.au Venue: Featherstone speck of dust and roosting the determined Gertrude Hall, 34 Scott St, Canterover party-bird Mayzie’s McFuzz. Kelsey Andrew, in her bury. abandoned egg. - Kathryn Keeble Trials and tribulations musical choreography de-
SONGS OF THE NIGHT
■ Lovers of fine vocal and instrumental work are in for a treat at Melbourne Recital Centre's Salon tonight (Wed.) at 7pm when tenor Daniel Todd joins the Sutherland Trio for a Songs Of The Night concert. Daniel Todd is a Developing Artist with Victorian Opera and is about to feature as the Miller in Victorian Opera's Puss In Boots, and he was the only Australian singer chosen to sing in the final rounds of the Belvedere Singing Competition in Amsterdam earlier this year. Daniel will join the Sutherland Trio - pianist Caroline Almonte, cellist Molly Kadarach and violinist Elizabeth Sellars - in American composer Richard Danielpour's Songs Of The Night, based on the poetry of modern poet Rainer Maria Rilke. There are four movements, exploring the cycle of love, loss and solitude, which provides plenty of scope for Daniel's tenor voice. Also on the program are the evocative Chausson piano trio and Boulanger's D'un Soir Triste. The Sutherland Trio is named after famous Australian composer, teacher and music pioneer Margaret Sutherland. Caroline Almonte, Molly Kadarach and Elizabeth Sellars are
● Katie Bull plays Eliza in Heart Thy Neighbour. Photo: Sarah Walker. ■ One of the great things about the Melbourne Fringe is that theatre is being presented in new and interesting environments all the time. One such place is the Sketch and Tulip upstairs venue in North Melbourne. Although the downstairs bar sounds drift up occasionally, and flat seating is a little tricky for sighting, the ambience of the venue is pleasant and has a good Aussie feel. The latter is good because Heart thy Neighbour has plenty of Aussie in it! - the Weber, the stubbies, the cricket, the sunburn, the value judgements and the women's magazines. Performers Katie Bull, Jim Kousoukos, Greg Pandelisis, Arta Mucaj and Taylor James keep Camilla Maxwell's witty dialogue moving along successfully, while Richard Lyford-Pike, Amber Hart and Beth Paterson's management of lighting, sound and the smoking barbecue is quite a feat. A little over exuberance with Cold Chisel at times made dialogue a bit difficult to hear but hey, in the end which is more important! The play could almost be subtitled "... but\ ..." It is very full of those statements like "I love x, but ..." and hypocrisy and double standards are particularly well projected by Katie Bull. Over the fence we will find alcoholics, racists, ignorance - never in our own backyard! Writer Camilla Maxwell has got a good ear for the suburban backyard banter and the things that build relationship tensions, but she just gets a little lost towards the end. Director Louise Howlett could have edited it 10 minutes shorter and left out the handcuffs and I'd have left laughing more. But this is an hour of good fun - and you can take your drinks in with you. Heart Thy Neighbour by ReAction Theatre Venue: Sketch and Tulip, 364 Victoria St, North Melbourne Performance Dates: Sept 25 - 27 Tickets: All $20 Bookings: melbournefringe.com.au or 9660 9666 - Review by Maggie Morrison
‘The Graduate’ opens
● Daniel Todd all international prizewinners who have played with high profile ensembles, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Duo Sol and London's Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields. www.melbournerecital.com.au/ localheroes/sutherlandtrio - Julie Houghton
■ It was opening night for The Grdauate last evening (Tues.) at HerMajesty’s Theatre, starring Jerry Hall. VIP guests who accepted invitations included Peter Alexander, Rhonda Burchmore, Shane Jacobsen, Kate Ceberano, Sigrid Thornton, Shannon Bennett and Madeline West, Alan Fletcher and Jennifer Hansen, Patti Newton, Steve Vizard, Tania Zaetta, Brian Nankervis, Cosentino The Grand Illusionist, Damian Bodie, Dave Thornton, Geoff Cox, Jeanne Pratt, Mal Walden, Stefan Dennis, Tom Oliver, Denise Scott, Diane Dunleavy, Helen Kapalos, Jo Hall, Melanie Vallerjo, Tom Wren and Zoe Tuckwell Smith. Cast members included Jerry Hall, Timothy Dashwood, Pippa Grandison, Claire Lovering, Luke Hewitt, Peter Houghton, Briony Williams, James Saunders, Adam Murphy, Ramona Von Pusch and Thom Jordan.