This Month
This new play shows how oligarchs helped Putin – but ended up losing
Peter Morgan’s new work follows Vladimir Putin’s rise to the presidency and the Russian high-fliers who mistakenly thought he’d be their puppet.
- Maureen Dowd
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.
- Michael Bailey
How Spotify beat the artist boycotts
Taylor Swift, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Thom Yorke have all pulled their music from the streaming giant. Eventually, all of them gave up.
- Ellen Pierson-Hagger
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.
- Michael Bailey
March
What you need to know about buying K-Pop stocks
Thanks to acts such as BTS and Blackpink, the industry is now worth about $7.7 billion and growing, pushing up the shares of agencies and minting billionaires.
- Claire Ballentine
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.
- Michael Bailey
‘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.
- Michael Bailey
West Side Story makes a splash on Sydney Harbour
The new production proves Leonard Bernstein’s doubts over his legendary musical were misplaced.
- Michael Bailey
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.
- Michael Bailey
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.
- Michael Bailey
A play that will cut your complacency
Barrie Kosky’s production of The Threepenny Opera at the Adelaide Festival balances crooning and social commentary.
- Michael Bailey
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.
- Michael Bailey
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.
- Michael Bailey
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.
- Michael Bailey
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.
- Michael Bailey
- 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.
- Michael Bailey
Why Broadway’s glut is good for musicals
This year, more than half of Broadway’s annual output of shows will open in March or April. Critic Jesse Green welcomes the rush – sort of.
- Jesse Green
Why ‘mad March’ is the time to be in Adelaide
The usually sedate city goes off as thousands flock to its four festivals in one. Here’s our expert’s guide to making the most of it all (and remaining sane).
- Wayne Heeley
Sarah Snook shrugs off Shiv by treading the boards
Playing 26 characters in the acclaimed Australian version of The Picture of Dorian Gray is just what the Succession star needs.
- Dominic Cavendish
Calista Flockhart is back, with a flock of toxic swans
It’s been a while, but the actress is back on our screens playing Jackie Kennedy’s sister Lee Radziwill in the series “Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans”.
- Maureen Dowd
