All posts filed under: Lifestyle

Melbourne International Jazz Festival

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The Melbourne International Jazz Festival is an annual world-class jazz festival. This year’s festival will feature more than 100 unique jazz performances by local and international artists in concert halls, arts venues and jazz clubs as the city comes alive with the spirit of jazz. It’s diverse program includes modern masters of jazz, late-night art parties, free events and Australian and international acts. So whether you’re a jazz aficionado or a jazz newbie, the program has something for everyone. When: Until June 12 Where: Various venues across Melbourne. Visit the Melbourne International Jazz Festival website.

A Taste of Portugal

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Coinciding with the Portugese National Day, A Taste of Portugal celebrates Portugese culture with a showcase of Portugese cuisine, music, dance, history, language and tourism. Savour a Portugese custard tart, purchase colourful ceramics, jewellery or handbags, dance to Brazillian rhythms, listen to traditional Fado singers and learn about the tourism spots of Portugal. When: June 12 Where: Queen Vic Markets Visit the website here. 

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown

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Smash hit Broadway musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown comes to Melbourne in June 2016 with a fun, fresh approach to an ageless story about a boy and his best beagle friend. Join Snoopy and the gang as they navigate their way through a day full of book reports, baseball games, kite flying, unrequited love, friendship, misunderstandings and a little philosophy.  Nominated for four Tony awards, this revised production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is an affordable musical comedy for the whole family, and it opens at one of Melbourne’s newest theatres, the Alex in St Kilda.  “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown has been a smash hit on Broadway and Peanuts is everyone’s favourite. If you loved the movie come and see the show!” – Alex Vass    When: June 21 to July 2 Where: Alex Theatre, Theatre 1, 135 Fitzroy St, St Kilda.

The Fashion Shuttle

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  One main contributor to Melbourne’s claim to be the ‘Fashion Capital of Australia’ is the famous Chadstone Shopping Centre –  The Fashion Capital. With 3 floors of up to 530 shops, spanning over an area 171, 217 meters squared, Chadstone holds the title of being Australia’s largest shopping complex, boasting all the luxury brands such as Prada and Tiffany & Co, major department store icons Myer and David Jones, boutique specialist Ted Baker and Sass & Bide and featuring a Hoyts Cinema of entertainment. However, one of the problems with Chadstone is getting there if you don’t have your own car, as the public transport route is not the easiest journey to take, especially for some visitors new to Melbourne. Enter The Fashion Shuttle, a direct and free coach service running back and forth from the city (Federation Square) to Chadstone Shopping Centre throughout the day. This is by far the most comforting and stress free option, no need to worry about topping up the Myki card or getting on the wrong bus, just …

Review: Flesh Eating Tiger

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Whilst pitched as a comedy slash drama, Amy Tofte’s Flesh Eating Tiger is a play not for the faint-hearted. A cautious word to the wise, it is not a ‘fun’ performance, it has heavy content, it’s real, rough, raw…. black, beautiful. It’s a love story, but not in a traditional sense. You will laugh, you will probably cry and without a doubt you will at times feel uncomfortable. Going in with a pre-description of ‘man addicted to alcohol, woman addicted to man, it’s not possible to not feel anything at the end of this 70-minute piece in the super-intimate Owl & Cat Theatre. Flesh Eating Tiger is a unique concept, blurring the lines between reality and storytelling, it’s actually a performance within a monologue within a play. The beautiful cast of two unnamed characters portrayed by Amy Gubana and Marcus Molyneux take us through the rocky ups and downs of what starts as a forbidden crush and move very quickly through the fiery, tumultuous relationship of a married woman and an ex-alcoholic struggling with sobriety.  …

Interview with Michelle Carey, MIFF Artistic Director

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If you ask any Melbourne cinephile what their favourite months of the year are, it will no doubt be the months of July & August. The reason? The Melbourne International Film Festival, of course. Held over two and a half weeks and attracting over 200 000 visitors each year,  MIFF showcases the best of the best cinema from Australia and around the world. We took a moment to chat to Artistic Director, Michelle Carey ahead of the festival to find out more about what goes into making the festival so unique and pulling together such a giant program for it. Can you tell us a little more about  how you became MIFF Artistic Director and what your favourite part of being the artistic director is? It wasn’t a very straightforward path,  I have experience in my 20’s in music, working in radio on bands and events and that kind of thing, and then on a trip to Europe in  my late 20’s discovered film was my passion and so I just started volunteering. I worked …

Wine & Wildlife

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Healesville Sanctuary is teaming up with Yarra Valley icons to bring you a gourmet experience with a wild difference! Now in it’s 5th year, Wine and Wildlife will bring the finest wines from De Bortoli and Punt Road (to name a few), craft beer and cider from Napoleone, delicious chocolate from Kennedy and Wilson, gourmet cheese tastings and more to the sanctuary.  Graze your way through the four pavilions showcasing an exciting line-up of local wineries and breweries, along with a hearty winter menu by Sanctuary Harvest Head Chef Pascal. All the winter favourites will be on offer including slow cooked beef with winter root veggies, to pulled lamb rolls with mint jelly, to red lentil and pumpkin soup with crusty bread. There’ll be roaring open fires plus live acoustic music set against the backdrop of the Sanctuary’s stunning bushland setting. Keepers will also be roaming the grounds with some of our furry, feathered and scaly friends for serendipitous wildlife encounters! Just a one hour drive from Melbourne CBD through Victoria’s beautiful wine country, it’s the …

CounterMove

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Sydney Dance Company’s CounterMove is an exhilarating double bill that will intrigue, move and entertain you. Featuring a laugh-out–loud funny piece, Cacti, by Swedish Choreographer Alexander Ekman and Rafael Bonachela’s deeply moving world premiere, Lux Tenebris.  Receiving rapturous reviews from around the world, Cacti is a brilliantly conceived, laugh-out-loud funny piece that dares to poke fun at contemporary dance. While Rafael Bonachela’s world premiere, Lux Tenebris explores light and darkness with fiercely physical movement and deep, electronic beats by composer Nick Wales (long-term collaborator of Sarah Blasko). Don’t miss CounterMove in it’s limited Melbourne season. We Know Melbourne exclusive: Quote SDCHOTEL online to receive $10 off tickets throughout the season. When: 25 May – 4 June Where: Southbank Theatre, Melbourne. Visit the CounterMove website.

The Winter Night Markets are back!

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Everyone’s favourite night markets are returning this June. Grab a group of friends and cosy up under the market sheds for The Winter Night Markets with Melbourne’s hottest foodies, artisans and performers. This winter there’ll be over 30 street vendors including the likes of 400 Gradi, The Brass Coq, MJR TOM plus more.  Enjoy the evening next with a mulled wine in hand next to the  crackling fires, plus a revolving line-up of entertainers and live music to make it the perfect mid-week winter night out. When: Wednesdays, June 1 – August 2016 Where: Queen Vic Markets Visit the Winter Night Markets website.

Explore the Melbourne Aquarium After Dark

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The Melbourne Aquarium are opening after dark. Experience an unforgettable start to the weekend with a group of friends or work mates and enjoy a fantastic night of great food, drinks and music as you journey through SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium’s zones of discovery, featuring one of the world’s largest saltwater crocodiles! All ticket holders will receive a welcome cocktail, plus you’ll be able to drink your way through unlimited sparkling wine, red and white wine, beer, soft drink, juice, mineral water. Finger food will also be served throughout the evening including cold canapés, hot canapés, hot grazing dishes, dessert canapés Experience the aquarium in a whole new light as you explore amazing displays, including the spectacular Fish Bowl exhibit! When: 6pm – 9pm,  27 May,  24 June, 26 August, 30 September, 28 October, Where: Melbourne Aquarium Visit the Melbourne Aquarium website.