January 29, 2009
Toshiki Okada's award-winning Five Days In March will play Japan Society from February 5-7 as the chelfitsch Theater Company embarks on its US national tour. The play revolves around two "Japanese hipsters" (one wonders why it isn't playing in Williamsburg) who meet at a concert and turn a one-night stand into five solid days of sex, all while the U.S. begins its invasion of Iraq. Characters pause mid-scene to narrate the details of their love affair while remaining oblivious to the larger events of the world around them. Tickets are $35 for the general public and $32 for Japan Society members. For tickets, information about becoming a member, or a calendar of upcoming events, visit Japan Society's website.
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chelfitsch, five days in march, hipster, japan society, japanese, theater, toshiki okada, williamsburg
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Posted on 1/29/2009
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January 22, 2009
With some calling Baz Luhrmann’s much anticipated $130 million film epic Australia nothing more than a tourism commercial, it was surely time for the Aussies to deliver on their creative promises. At this week's stunning performance of stirring patriotism and talented diversity, the Aussies once again showed us they are much more than just deft hands at crocodile wrestling.
Carnegie Hall played host to the ‘Australia Plays Broadway’ concert event, which featured a selection of Australia’s most celebrated musical talents accompanied by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The event was part of G’day USA: Australia Week, which is the largest tourism event held in the U.S by any country.
The show was hosted by the talented and charming in equal parts, Simon Burke. He showed there was little he can’t master—his credits include 20 years on Play School, Australia’s answer to Sesame Street.
The indigenous Australian performers easily stole the show. Namely, a haunting performance in his native tongue by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. Subtitles were artistically, if somewhat illegibly, projected behind him.
While twin brother Cellists Pei-Jee and Pei-Sian Ng left me profoundly aware that I have zero musical talent, such was the extraordinary mastery of their performance.
The indie talent of the night was supplied by Sydney singer/song writer Lior. A superb performance of his song Bedouin Song—a nod to his Middle-Eastern heritage—had me downloading it from iTunes the moment I later walked through my front door.
The headliner of the night was of course Olivia Newton-John. She spoke of fundraising efforts for her Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia. As always she was an absolute delight and her performance of I Honestly Love You was truly heartfelt and culminated in a touching wave to her husband in the audience.
It was a show with a million moving parts and with more than 17 individual songs performed with all manner of instruments, it was no mean feat executing it so beautifully and professionally.
The finale involved all the performers of the evening on stage including a swarm of children from the Qantas choir. It was a medley of songs from one of the greats of Australian song writing, Peter Allen. The rendition of I Still Call Australia Home would have caused even the most hardened Aussie in the audience to choke up and swear to call home more often.
Once again I am left with a sneaking suspicion that with their pristine beaches, perfect weather and beautifully diverse artistic culture that the Aussies absolutely have it all.
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australia plays broadway, gday usa, lior, olivia newton john, peter allen, simon burke
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Posted on 1/22/2009
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January 13, 2009
The Manhattan Theatre Club, producers of The American Plan and Accent On Youth, will present their annual charity event on Monday, January 26th at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. Winter Benefit: An Intimate Night will feature perfomances by Renee Elise Goldsberry (Rent), Cheyenne Jackson (Damn Yankees, Xanadu), and Leslie Kritzer (Legally Blonde, Hairspray), and will be hosted by two-time Tony Award-winner James Naughton (Chicago, City Of Angels). The show will include dinner and a cocktail reception, which will precede the performances. All proceeds from the evening will benefit the MTC's educational outreach and artistic development programs. For more information on the event or to buy tickets, call (212) 399-3000, ext. 4145.
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accent on youth, american plan, benefit, charity event, cheyenne jackson, chicago, city of angels, gala, hairspray, james naughton, legally blonde, leslie kritzer, manhattan theatre club, rainbow room, renee elise goldsberry, rent
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Posted on 1/13/2009
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January 12, 2009
G’DAY USA: Australia Week 2009 proudly presents Australia Plays Broadway, a celebration of Australia’s most acclaimed musical artists on Tuesday, January 20 at Carnegie Hall. The one-night-only concert event features Grammy award-winning star of stage and screen, Olivia Newton-John and performances by star of Melbourne’s Wicked Amanda Harrison, acclaimed stage and screen performer Simon Burke (host), singer and chart sensation Lior, singer/songwriter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, iconic rocker Jimmy Barnes, vocalist Ursula Yovich, crooner David Campbell, twin cellists Pei-Jee and Pei-Sian Ng and many more. You can buy tickets right here at NYC.com.
The Australia Plays Broadway performance is part of the 6th Annual G’DAY USA: Australia Week 2009 from January 11-24, marked by events in Los Angeles, San Francisco and culminating in New York. Considered a showcase of all things Australian, the week features events highlighting trade and investment, to food and wine, film, arts, fashion, indigenous culture and tourism. Australia Plays Broadway is part of the foundation’s ongoing goal to promote Australia’s multicultural talent and celebrates these remarkable artists’ journey from Australia to the stage at Carnegie Hall.
Making its U.S. debut and anchoring the orchestral element of the show is the internationally acclaimed Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Sponsored by the South Australian Government and conducted by Arvo Volmer, the grand 70-member orchestra will collaborate with the artists to bring an amazing sound to Carnegie Hall.
Leading Australian producers Ross Mollison (Slava’s Snowshow, Spiegelworld) and Wayne Harrison (former director of the Sydney Theatre Company) helm this unique event as producers and directors. Australia Plays Broadway expresses the imagination and calibre of Australian culture through a collaboration of diverse elements of the arts, from cabaret to opera, and symphony to pop.
With a career spanning more than four decades, Olivia Newton-John has established herself as one of the top female vocalists of all time with more than 100 million albums sold; four Grammy Awards; an Emmy Award; numerous Country Music, American Music, Billboard and People’s Choice Awards; ten #1 hits and over 15 top 10 singles. Her co-starring role with John Travolta in Grease catapulted Olivia into super-stardom. The film remains the most successful movie musical in history. Other film credits include Xanadu, Sordid Lives, It’s My Party and more. Olivia has dedicated herself to a variety of humanitarian causes. In the 90’s, she successfully overcame her own battle with breast cancer and her personal victory against cancer led her to announce the creation of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre (ONJCWC) in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia.
Simon Burke is one of the true icons of the entertainment world, having achieved critical and popular acclaim on stage, screen and beyond in both Australia and the UK. Simon's many stage credits include Marius in the original Australian cast of Les Miserables, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Whizzer in Falsettos (nominated Best Musical Performance Sydney Theatre Critics' Circle Awards) and Billy Crocker in Anything Goes for which he received the Green Room Award for Best Actor in a Musical. In London, he played Raoul in Phantom of the Opera and Carl-Magnus in A Little Night Music starring with Dame Judi Dench at the Royal National Theatre.
Amanda Harrison made her stage debut at 18 in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love. In 2000, she became a finalist at the inaugural Voice of Musical Theatre for BBC Radio 2, which was featured in the BBC documentary, Broadway Babies. She followed this achievement with her London West End debut in Mamma Mia! Her performance in the Australian tour of We Will Rock You won her the 2004 Helpmann Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. The following year, Amanda received both Greenroom and Helpmann Award nominations for Best Female Artist in a Lead Role for her performance in Leader Of The Pack – The Ellie Greenwich Musical. Amanda can currently be seen originating the role of Elphaba in the Melbourne production of Wicked.
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amanda harrison, australia plays broadway, australia week, olivia newton john, simon burke
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Posted on 1/12/2009
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