This Month
Opera Australia bets on musicals, property development as losses widen
Australia’s largest performing arts company will produce more musicals, and play more cannily with its property, as it tries to turn losses around.
Audra McDonald brings Broadway brilliance to Sydney
Her voice a marvel of power, control and emotional connection, the musical theatre queen deserved the two standing ovations she got at the Opera House.
What Shane MacGowan told this rebellious folk band
Like a more political Pogues, Dundalk’s The Mary Wallopers have won acclaim for a rousing live show they bring to Australia this month.
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra proves good things come in twos
A program heavy on duets, inspired by the twin mirrors of a kaleidoscope, was a thing of aural wonder.
April
Seven must-see shows in May
From the musical “Rent” to ballet with a tropical backdrop, here are performances you don’t want to miss this month.
Rizzo steals the show in ‘Grease the Musical’
Step aside, Sandy – it was another Rydell High student who got the biggest response at Tuesday’s opening night in Sydney.
March
Seven must-see shows in April
From West Side Story’s Tony and Maria on Sydney Harbour to Tom Gleeson’s return to stand-up in Melbourne, entertainment options are hot next month.
‘Shock the industry needs’: Splendour in the Grass cancelled
Spiralling costs and an over-saturation will lead to a “correction” after the music festival’s shock 2024 demise, according to one promoter.
West Side Story makes a splash on Sydney Harbour
The new production proves Leonard Bernstein’s doubts over his legendary musical were misplaced.
Adelaide’s ‘Mad March’ breaks attendance records
More people have visited Adelaide Festival this year than ever, although the cost-of-living crisis means free events have been favoured.
Why this producer of Aussie musicals makes his sets in Britain
Tax rebates on up to 40 per cent of production costs incurred in the UK are driving investors away from backing Australian show-makers, the live performance industry claims.
A play that will cut your complacency
Barrie Kosky’s production of The Threepenny Opera at the Adelaide Festival balances crooning and social commentary.
Australia’s 75 richest women now control more than $151b
The wealth of Australia’s richest 75 women soared by 30 per cent over the past year, as entrepreneurs in resources, tech, property and fashion enjoyed the fruits of a resurgent market.
Rinehart blames Hancock pay gap on ‘helping women’ into mining
A 22 per cent gender pay gap at Hancock, versus a 15 per cent for all miners, is the temporary result of getting more women into the industry, Gina Rinehart says.
This genius drummer puts on a show - with no drum solos
Yussef Dayes is a virtuoso with the sticks, but at this Sydney show he preferred to blend in with the band on his progressive jazz jams.
This play about the Lehman Brothers disaster is three hours long. It’s riveting
Masterfully acted and brilliantly staged, The Lehman Trilogy is as much the story of capitalist America as it is of the doomed bank.
From TISM to Ben Elton, seven shows you must see in March
Your downtime won’t be a letdown with our guide to some of the best shows happening around the nation this month.
February
This opera turns the orchestra pit into a lake
Robert Lepage’s production of Stravinsky’s “Nightingale” for Adelaide Festival throws the singers into the deep end, literally.
What it was like at Taylor Swift’s show on Sunday
The billionaire songstress put in the hard work to maintain a deep connection to her 83,000 fans at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
- Opinion
- Review
This gig was the antithesis of Taylor Swift - mostly
Writing about music is like dancing about architecture, as the old saying goes, and music comes no more pure than that of The Necks.