Emily Cat 176

  This morning l went to a talk by the author Rachael Johns.  It was an interesting talk and l always like listening to authors talk about their books and their writing processes.  This was a free talk put on by Frankston Library.  Wherever you live check out your local libraries; they have all sorts of great things to do. www.racheljohns.com

 <meta name="google-adsense-account" content="ca-pub-8593178050323909"> Well, that was fun. Tap, dancing, singing all at the Speakeasy. Did l also mention trivia and a door prize. It was a show with a little bit of everything. Jenny Usher is the creator of this show. I think it may have been developed during lockdown and it's set in a Speakeasy of the 1920s. All four were in fine voice and the costumes were divine. Candy Shop Show Productions are an independent touring company based in Brisbane. I saw this show in Dandenong and it currently playing in West Australia. Yet another good show in a suburban theatre. https.//candyshopshow.net 

  It was my first visit to the Shirley Burke Theatre. This little theatre of 167 seats is in Parker Road, Parkdale, a suburb of  Melbourne. Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is an iconic Australian play set in the 1950s, as you can see by the stage settings. The storyline revolves around 4 main characters. Roo and Barney are cane cutters who travel to Carlton for their off season where Pearl and Olive wait for them. The action revolves around that off season. This was my first time seeing this play and l enjoyed it. The pacing was tight and the smaller theatre made the interaction between the players and audience all the more intimate.  The main cast: Rebecca Howell (Pearl), Ruth Caro (Olive), Luke Stephens (Barney), Joe Petruzzi (Roo). Laura Gabriel (Emma), Claudia Hruschka (Bubba) and Adam Hetherington(Jonnie). All the actors gave good performances especially Ruth Caro and Luke Stephens. The play is of a certain place and time and it was good to see an Australian story. Th...

  Anyone who looks at my website will know that l love watching Niles and Bianca dance. Swing dancing is the bomb. Last week l saw a swing big band and it was good. What's not to love with clarinets, trumpets, the drums, saxophone etc. It all makes you want to get up and dance.  Wherever you live check out local Arts Centres. They have great shows playing, and, if you're in Melbourne check out B sharp big band. https://www.bsharpbigband.com.au/

  I love ballet. The photo above is of a few of the cast members after today's performance. It was The Little Mermaid. A good performance as always with ballet. Would definitely see this company perform again. Victorian State Ballet www.victorianstateballet.org.au Drum Theatre https://drum.greaterdandenong.vic.gov.au/

 <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8593178050323909"      crossorigin="anonymous"></script> It has been a long 2 years but now Melbourne is roaring back to life. The Winter Masterpieces Exhibition has returned. We couldn't wait to see it. The Picasso Century is a very interesting exhibition of various Picasso pieces and those who were his contemporaries. Some l had heard of and some l hadn't. They even had one piece from my favourite, Salvador Dali. The exhibition is well worth a visit and running until early October.

 <meta name="google-adsense-account" content="ca-pub-8593178050323909"> There is a murmur all around me and the voices sound happy. The lights dim, the voices quieten and the music begins. Musical Theatre is back and oh how l have missed it.  The long wait was worth it. PLOS production of Chicago is brilliant. The two main leads, Rachel Rai (Roxie) and Nadia Gianinotti(Velma) were in fine voice. In fact, the singing collectively was of such a high standard.  The stage was pared back with the orchestra performing on scaffolding.  I think performances are better with live music and this orchestra did not disappoint. PLOS have always staged high standard shows and they delivered with a bang. Chicago is on at Frankston Arts Centre until 06 August. If you are in Melbourne definitely see this show.