All posts filed under: arts

THE SWEETEST INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE LAUNCHES IN AUSTRALIA!

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Sugar Republic is an incredible pop-up museum is dedicated to the celebration of desserts, candy and all things sweet through twelve amazing sensory rooms. Relive your childhood as you climb a candy rainbow, splash about in a giant pink bubblegum ball pit and spin the wheel o’treats. Take a swing surrounded by fairy floss, dance inside a giant gum ball machine and pose for a sweet selfie in our pink tearoom. Other attractions include a mini cinema, neon candy art, numerous sweet-themed displays and a grown-up candy store. In collaboration with local food creatives, Sugar Republic is opening on June 22nd in Melbourne’s old MacRobertson’s confectionery factory (the birthplace of Freddo and Cherry Ripe) for a limited 8-week season. Painted using the new Taubmans Endure paint with aptly named colours such as Minty Green, Raspberry Rush and Burnt Apricot, the thematic rooms include Ice-Cream Dreams, Sherbet Rainbow, Tutti Frutti, Eye Candy, Bubblegum Bathroom, Pink High Tea and Birthday Party. An area is also dedicated to Australia’s iconic sweet snacks. The concluding room, White City, pays homage …

Circus Oz returns back to Melbourne with Precarious

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In their 40th year, Circus Oz tumbles back home to Melbourne to premiere their new show, Precarious, under the heated Circus Oz Big Top. Across the winter school holidays the tent will be nestled within the trees of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria with three weeks of shows from 26 June – 15 July 2018. Inspired by the garden surrounds, Precarious is a 70-minute non-stop spectacle of acrobatic mayhem for audiences of all ages. The Circus Oz ensemble will unearth innovative circus acts to create an exciting three-dimensional world that examines the fragility that exists between humanity and nature. The outstanding skills and talents of the Circus Oz ensemble will include extraordinary foot juggling, jaw-dropping aerial rope and tippy ring, mesmerising roué cyr, Chinese pole and hula hoop – all hilariously woven together with original music from the live Circus Oz band. Circus Oz Artistic Director, Rob Tannion, joins forces with independent director, Kate Fryer, to craft Precarious and create the mayhem that is the ministry of nature – an absurd lo-fi bureaucracy filled with …

Mabo Day Celebration

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Join with the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal communities in Victoria to celebrate one of the most significant dates on the Indigenous calendar, Mabo Day on Sunday 3 June 2018, Deakin Edge, Federation Square. Hosted by the multi-talented Lisa Maza (of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage), this free family friendly concert will feature performances by the acclaimed Torres Strait Islander dance troupe Gerib Sik, as well as live music from Luke Captain and Monica Weightman, together in their unique blend of song, and the Black Sistaz. Bringing together the voices of Aboriginal Australia, this unique performance celebrates the achievements and remembers the struggles of Indigenous people since this landmark decision. From the Torres Straits, Gerib Sik is an internationally acclaimed dance troupe.  This community dance group is dedicated in promoting Torres Strait Islander culture and continues to grow with the constant advice from Murray Island Elders. Luke Captain is from Murray Island in the Eastern Group of the Torres Strait Islands and his songs reflect his home and zogo – spirit of his ancestors. He is a …

National Celtic Festival 2018

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Held annually in Portarlington, Victoria, Australia on the June long weekend. From near and far we gather in the wonderful township of Portarlington to Unleash the Spirit, Discover the Passion and Experience the Culture. An easy 90-minute drive from Melbourne, the township of Portarlington is ready to welcome you with open arms. Nestled between the Bellarine Peninsula’s renowned vineyards and the famous mussel farms of Corio Bay, this normally quiet bay side village comes to life with the music, laughter and passion of the Celtic spirit This winter festival is regarded as Australia’s premier Celtic Festival and attracts over 15,000 people to the region over the three day long weekend event each June. The event commences on Friday evening and concludes on Monday afternoon (over 4 days). The Festival uses a range of venues within the town, including community halls and spaces, the hotel, restaurants, cafes and churches. Marquees are also set up on the foreshore to provide additional venues; these include the Village Stage, Celtic Club, Wine Bar, and Celtic Markets. The National Celtic …

Bring It On The Musical

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From the Tony Award winning minds of Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), comes a hilarious, high-energy spectacle. David Venn, in association with Stage Masters, presents the Australian professional premiere of BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL. Inspired by the hit movie of the same name, it’s a new musical bursting with acrobatics and sass, playing for a strictly limited season at The Athenaeum from 7-16 June. Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical, BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL takes audiences on a high-flying journey that touches on themes of friendship and acceptance. Uniting some of the freshest and funniest creative minds on Broadway, the show features an original story by Tony Award winner Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q), music and lyrics by Tony Award winning composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights), music by Pulitzer and Tony Award winning composer, Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) and lyrics by Broadway lyricist, Amanda Green (High Fidelity).   The Australian production is directed by multi-Green Room Award nominee Alister Smith (Pacific Overtures, Urinetown! The Musical, The …

Oz Comic-Con 2018

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Oz Comic-Con is back in Melbourne June 9-10, at the Convention & Exhibition Centre, providing Victoria’s yearly, ultimate celebration of pop-culture. Oz Comic-Con Melbourne is an exciting culmination of multi-genre content, from across the spectrum, with a lot of everything, for everyone – appearances by film and television stars, comic book artists and voice actors; gaming demonstrations and cosplay competitions; creative workshops and master classes; and hard-to-find, exclusive merchandise from vendors that’ll leave convention goers totally geeking out. Kids can try their hand at comic art, at the kids’ comic artists workshops, or even get into cosplay for the Kids Cosplay Parade. Comic collectors can head over to the comic grading area, and to the main stage for guest panel discussions. Anime fans will have their knowledge tested with trivia, and die-hard cosplayers can kick off their journey to take home the international title, in Melbourne’s Championship of Cosplay heat. Gamers will be getting a work-out too, with Couch Warriors, putting their skills to the test in daily tournaments of new and classic titles. And …

The Melbourne International Jazz Festival

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The Festival takes place in concert halls, arts venues, jazz clubs and throughout the streets of Melbourne as the city comes alive with the spirit of jazz. Each festival program aims to appeal to young and old, to enthusiasts and the uninitiated, to encourage as many people as possible to experience the very personal impact that jazz can have on its listener. The Festival’s vision is to be one of the leading centres of jazz presentation in the world by providing a platform for performance, collaboration, education and engagement. Its diverse programming includes modern masters of jazz, late night art parties, free events, Australian /international collaborations and pathways for emerging artists. The Melbourne International Jazz Festival is run by a dedicated Board and Management team who are passionate about making Melbourne a world-class destination for jazz. When: 1- 10 June 2018 Where: Various venus around Melbourne CBD, find out here. More information: Check their website.

MICF Review: Perri Cassie “Secondhand Bubblegum”

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Melbourne local Perri Cassie is a twenty something man wrapped in a blush pink “Leisure” sweater, all tied up in black dungarees and ready to make you laugh. Cassie has been honing his material in Melbourne’s local comedy scene, in rooms around Australia and has recently returned from entertaining audiences in the USA, bringing all his best material to MICF with his show, “Secondhand Bubblegum”. Cassie’s show is a complete joke free-for-all, with an upbeat story telling style mixed with self-deprecating quips, shock value and topical observational humour. Stand outs were his hilarious observations on the changes to the order of bases when dating in adult life (why go to home base last?), testing flat earthers, Afterpay for property and the joys of having high school classmates as Facebook friends. Cassie closes his show with a re-write of your typical men’s body spray ad (where better to start addressing the levels of toxic masculinity in our society) bringing the audience to near tears and joyous rounds of applause. 4 Stars Reviewed and written by our …

MICF Review: Tash York “Adulting”

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At 30 years young, Tash York is essentially a veteran of the Australian Festival and Fringe scenes, having toured solo shows including “These Things Take Wine” and with troupes The Desperettes and Impromptunes, she now delights audiences with her new show “Adulting”. If you’ve ever tried to adult and failed, York’s show could be the soundtrack to your life!  York weaves a tapestry of anecdotes into hilarious rewritten cover songs, including hits from Destiny’s Child, Ace of Base, Bruno Mars and Whitesnake. Her stories and songs delve into York’s own adventures in adulting, from being engaged at 19 to racking up serious parking fine debt but also commentary on modern life, always being connected but that we should also be okay with being alone and having some solo self-love time (hilariously sung whilst in a sleeping bag).  York also gives her thoughts on why modern generations are failing at adulting, placing at least some of the blame on Walt Disney’s shoulders, through a medley of Disney princesses greatest hits! York rounds out the absolute hilarity …

MICF Review: Chimp Cop “The Death of Chimp Cop”

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Ben Vernel, Adam Knox, Rosie Vernel and Timothy Clark are Melbourne’s own sketch comedy quadruple “Chimp Cop”.  The group brings their fourth Chimp Cop show to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with “The Death of Chimp Cop”.  This reviewer was familiar with the group by name only and was uncertain what to expect but was blown away by the talent, the gags (ranging from sophisticated to Dad joke) and the production of the show. As the title would suggest, the show centre’s around the death of beloved hero cop turned movie star, “Chimp Cop”.  Easily moving between scenes, including a modern-day court setting, where Chimp Cop’s children have their lawyers battle it out over their inheritance to flashbacks of Chimp Cop’s life, a fantastic action filled story is woven.  At times the show felt like a sensational combination of the 60s Batman and Get Smart tv series and was a gag-a-minute roller coaster ride with a plot twist that Hollywood would be proud of. The room was packed, with friends, long time fans and now …