Lynne's Theatre Notes

 https://dancemagazine.com.au/2022/03/radical-transparency-staying-afloat-in-dance-and-movement/ AUSTRALIAN DANCE REVIEWS ‘Radical Transparency’: Staying afloat in dance and movement EMMA SAUNDERS' 'RADICAL TRANSPARENCY', PRESENTED BY FORM DANCE PROJECTS AND THE WE ARE HERE COMPANY. SHARE   TWEET   SHARE   EMAIL   COMMENTS Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Sydney. 18 March 2022. The Lennox Theatre at Riverside Theatres was packed, with the masked audience taking their seats while a performer in a brightly bold and colourful outfit sang, while playing a guitar. Radical Transparency  is the latest work presented by FORM Dance Projects and the WE ARE HERE Company as part of March Dance and Dance Bites 2022. The WE ARE HERE company is an innovative contemporary dance company directed by Emma Saunders .  It’s a base for independent dance artists, often from Western Sydney, who, mentored by Saunders, investigate and deepen their choreographic practice...

 https://dancemagazine.com.au/2022/05/sara-blacks-double-beat-the-pulse-of-life/ Sara Black’s ‘Double Beat’: The pulse of life 'DOUBLE BEAT' BY SARA BLACK. PHOTO BY HEIDRUN LÖHR. SHARE   TWEET   SHARE   EMAIL   COMMENTS Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, Sydney.  5 May 2022. Double Beat  is presented by FORM Dance Projects and Riverside Theatres as part of Dance Bites 2022. Three weeks after conception, our heart’s rhythm begins, our bodies are far from completely developed, yet a beat has started. The way you recognise the heart is that it has a double beat, and everyone’s is different. This hypnotic work by Helpmann Award winner Sara Black uses a pulsating, throbbing soundtrack of heartbeats by Alyx Dennison that also includes the sounds of Black’s son in utero as well as wildlife and birds. A powerful trio of women investigate the bodily and sonic responses the pulse and heart have in response to various physical and emotional states. Black’s choreogra...

 https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/next-chapters-above-below-a-wondrous-experience/ NEXT CHAPTERS ABOVE/BELOW : A WONDROUS EXPERIENCE 7 MAY 2022   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT A visually spectacular and aural feast as the combined talents of the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra (WSO) and Legs on the Wall ( Legs ) unite to bring us NEXT CHAPTERS ABOVE/BELOW .It was performed and filmed at the Concourse , Chatswood as part of the Chatswood Bites season and streamed by the Australian Digital Concert Hall.  Musically we hear contemporary classical works, mostly by Australian composers but also  Arvo Part.  Included are  Elena Kats-Chernin’s   Wild Swans Suite  (which accentuates the use of harp, piano and celeste) and  Graeme Koehne’s   Just Walk Beside Me . Not forgetting  Matthew Hindson’s   The Stars Above Us All .  They are joined by soprano  Susannah Lawergren ,.  in a rich, multi-layered, highly ac...

 https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/the-sydney-opera-house-by-peter-fitzsimons/ HE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE BY PETER FITZSIMONS 29 APRIL 2022   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT Kidnap! Murder! Scandal! Betrayal! Power and politics.. A thick ( just over 500 pages ) book, this is a gripping biography of Australia’s iconic building at Bennelong Point .It is divided into eighteen chapters , has an introduction , list of dramatis personae (the ‘cast list’ so to speak) , a prologue , epilogue , endnotes , bibliography and index. And yes photos are included .The comprehensive , detailed research is amazing. In Fitzsimon’s fascinating book we go from a sacred site on the land of the Gadigal people in ancient times through to the stunning building that exists today and is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.It has also been awarded both architectural and engineering accolades. Fitzsimons takes us behind the scenes –he vividly imparts the stories about the many people ...

 https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/the-spiritual-forest/ PINCHGUT OPERA : THE SPIRITUAL FOREST 26 APRIL 2022   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT A luscious, gorgeous concert brought to us by the excellent Pinchgut Opera.It was filmed at the City Recital Hall on April 3 and streamed as part of the Pinchgut at Home series .As ever Erin Helyard conducts the distinguished Orchestra of the Antipodes and there are some impressive singers. Pinchgut here performs ten selections of mostly psalm settings from the challenging 1641 opus, Selva morale e spirituale by Monteverdi , utilizing the landmark anthology of liturgical works that he composed during his career in Venice. The last collection of Monteverdi’s music published in his lifetime, it embodies the ultimate flourishing of his brilliance. In this setting , Monteverdi fuses instruments , text , music and voices. While its intention is spiritual, the compilation is full of dance ,drama and blends words and music, voices and ...

https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/putthttps://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/putting-it-together/ing-it-together/ BOOKS & WRITING ,  MEMOIR ,  MUSICAL THEATRE PUTTING IT TOGETHER 19 APRIL 2022   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT ‘ I have to finish the hat ‘ Sondheim fans will wallow luxuriously in this book .It is of medium to large size and relatively thick. There is a Prelude , a list of dramatis personae, it is divided into five chapters then there is a Finale , followed by the complete script of the 1984 Sunday In The Park With George which envisages the story behind French artist George Seurat’s creation of the painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” and portrays the difficulties facing his (fictitious) great-grandson, also an artist named George, a century later. While yes there is a catalogue of acknowledgements , yet again this is a wonderful book that needs an index but doesn’t have one. PUTTING IT TOGETHER is mostly presented chrono...

 https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/victorian-state-ballet-cinderella/ VICTORIAN STATE BALLET : CINDERELLA : A DISAPPOINTMENT 16 APRIL 2022   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT The Victorian State Ballet has just completed a short season at the Concourse, Chatswood of their CINDERELLA. I am afraid I was rather disappointed in this production. While yes there was some excellent dancing and interesting theatrical effects,I was left unsatisfied. Sorry readers, this is one for the Aunt Ednas and kiddiwinks .There are some elegant costumes and some badly designed ones (the large apron patch for Cinderella when she is in ‘ tatters’ at home was quite distracting.) Music is credited as being by Prokofiev. Choreography was credited as being by Michelle Cassar de Sierra, lighting design by Martin de Sierra . Where appropriate (eg the Ball – in which by the way everyone is masked) there are formal , precise lines for the ensemble .The grand pas de dux for Cinderella and the Prince in...

 https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/traffic-jam-galleries-will-maguire-and-danielle-mcmanus/ EXHIBITIONS TRAFFIC JAM GALLERIES : WILL MAGUIRE AND DANIELLE MCMANUS 14 APRIL 2022   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT Both artist’s works are a feast for the eyes in the current exciting exhibition at Traffic Jam Galleries . Will Maguire’s exhibition is called Porous and Quivering. This waa a most exciting exhibition of various sculptures made of wood and steel. The materials are lovingly crafted and the ‘line’ of the sculptures and the texture of the material is at times featured.In Maguire’s exhibition the first part of the his exhibition is of pieces that have an emphatic Presence , with a dynamic arrangement at times swooping and curved , or straining vertically. Some have a soring feel, others more a heavy weightiness . The texture and weight of the wood is used to great effect. Most of Maquire’s work displayed though is the steel ‘ domes’ in various forms .At times they lo...