Tag: Arts Centre Melbourne

Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

Life Like Company Presents THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

Beautiful and beguiling musical of love

By Bradley Storer

A twinkling of strings on the harp, cascading into a glorious swirl of orchestral sound under the swell of a soaring and mellifluous soprano voice – from the very first moments of the opening night of The Light in the Piazza, Adam Guettel’s sumptuous score (gorgeously conducted by Vanessa Scammell) instantly swept us into the magically romantic landscape of Florence, Italy.

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The entire cast, under the capable direction of Theresa Borg and in Kim Bishop’s stunning costumes, are close to flawless. Genevieve Kingsford as the childlike Clara Johnson has the unenviable task of depicting a character with a mental disability that is never fully explained, but Kingsford is a marvel in the part, sensitively balancing Clara’s innocence and openness with a fog of anxiety and confusion but never tips over into caricature. Her rich youthful soprano manages the difficult score with ease and her beautiful rendition of the eponymous song whipped the crowd into a roaring applause on opening night.

As Clara’s ardent suitor Fabrizio Naccarelli, Jonathon Hickey brought a bright and piercing tenor and a refreshing adolescent sincerity to the part – while his ‘Il Mondo Era Vuoto’ came off a touch too anguished, he harnessed a touching sensitivity in ‘Love to Me’. Anton Berezin was commanding and charming as Fabrizio’s father, while Josh Piterman as the older brother Giuseppe exuded charisma and flashy charm. Madison Green as Giuseppe’s long-suffering wife Franca managed to find the heart and kindness in a deeply wounded and embittered woman, as well as ably handling the trickiest moments of Guettel’s music.

The heart of this musical, however, is the central role of Margaret Johnson, the mother of Clara whose journey through the show embodies the conflict between the human search for love and the fear that true lasting love is nothing but an illusion. Chelsea Plumley sometimes pushes into moments of slight performativity as Margaret, but overall she nails the character’s charm, intelligence and courage, giving glorious voice to Margaret’s inner conflict as she addresses the audience in both direct dialogue and dramatically compelling song.

The backdrop of paintings and sculpture that fly in and out seamlessly, designed by Tom Willis, make a wonderful set and illustrate the libretto’s constant correlation of the characters’ plights with the figures of renaissance art, but at certain points they blocked the view of the action – physical transitions between scenes were sometimes made awkward by lighting that highlighted instead of concealing the cast and crew moving the scenery.

These small concerns aside, Life Like Company has produced an outstanding production that wonderfully captures the magic of this modern musical, captivating the audience from start to finish with its magnificent score and achingly-rendered story – heart-meltingly lovely and heart-breaking all at the same time. 

Venue: The Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne.

Times: 8pm Friday and Saturday, 6pm Sunday

Dates: October 28 – November 6

Tickets: $65 – $135

Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au , 1300 182 183, at the box office.

Image by Ben Fon

Dance, Review, Whats On

German Cornejo’s TANGO FIRE

Let the dance enthrall you

By Leeor Adar

It’s a cold winter night in Melbourne, the storm clouds are threatening overhead, but inside the Arts Centre’s Playhouse, there’s a heat emanating from the stage.

Tango Fire

German Cornejo choreographs five couples for over two hours, including himself with the mesmerizing Gisela Galeassi. This show is highly energetic, sensuous, and immersing. By the close of the night, audiences rose to their feet, clapping and cheering for this attractive troupe of skilled dancers. With every effortless movement, Tango Fire was a taste of the Argentinian soul.

Part One of Tango Fire was slow to begin, with the company engaging in a Tango Foxtrot. Soon enough the rhythm, the style and energy quickened, and we were in the thick of varying tangoes. Argentine Tango has many varietals, and the dancers took their audience through these fluid, playful, and at times raw performances that exposed love stories, flirtations and sorrows.

Part One could have easily been dismissed as light entertainment, a nod to the Argentinian dance hall, but as soon as Cornejo and Galeassi stepped out into a midnight scene, with the Quarteto Fuego (the band) to dance a classic tango, we were in no doubt we were in the presence of greatness. Galeassi’s finesse, agility and beauty as a dancer are breathtaking. The eroticism of the dance came to the fore, and it is now undisputed in my mind that the tango in its varying forms is the dance of lovers.

As Tango Fire moved into Part Two, the couples performed independently. Aside from Cornejo and Galeassi, standouts included Ezequiel Lopez and Camila Alegre, who beguiled us in a partnership of heated synchronicity, and Sebastian Alvarez and Victoria Saudelli who performed a modern tango of gymnastic proportions, which conveyed a violence of love that was both beautiful and terrifying.

The standout performance for the troupe was Oblivion, where the pace softened, and the performers costumes embodied the ethereal quality of the tango. It was a tango suspended in time of languid movements, captivating the audience in a dream-like trance for its duration.

Tango Fire is a celebration of tango in its many guises, and a gorgeous troupe of performers with varying qualities to bring it to life. For those who admire the tango, this is an exciting education in its form.

You can catch Tango Fire for its final Melbourne performance on Sunday the 14 of August before it tours to Adelaide, Bendigo, Canberra and Brisbane.

https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2016/dance/tango-fire

http://www.tango-fire.com/

Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

Melbourne Premiere: HEATHERS THE MUSICAL

Black comedy classic into a fantastically biting and bitchy musical

By Caitlin McGrane

Before I went to see Heathers: The Musical I had vowed to myself that I would watch the cult movie so I was prepared, but I ultimately didn’t, and more’s the better, as I feel it would have utterly ruined the fresh first-time delight if I had. That said, there is still plenty for fans of the film to love – those classic lines (that even I knew) delivered with just enough homage to avoid pastiche. Heathers is a twisted classic story of high school popularity, love, sex. And murder. Written for the stage by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, the show delivers acerbic wit and darkly poignant comedy in spades.

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Veronica Sawyer (Hilary Cole) is a Senior at Westerberg High School in Ohio; in desperation to make her final year more bearable, Veronica asks the eponymous popular girl gang, the Heathers, if they can help her by just letting her associate with them. Veronica falls in line with the Heathers, until she meets broody Baudelaire-quoting heartthrob J.D. (Stephen Madsen) whereupon things start to go slightly pear-shaped… Cole and Madsen both inhabited their roles wholly and convincingly: their chemistry positively palpable.

The Heathers comprise of ‘mythic bitch’ Heather Chandler (Lucy Maunder), neurotic bulimic Heather Duke (Hannah Fredericksen), and bland cheerleader Heather McNamara (Rebecca Hetherington). All three performers are exceptionally funny, but Fredericksen really stole the show as Heather Duke whose ascension to Queen B was hilariously unhinged. Vincent Hooper and Jakob Ambrose looked like they were having heaps of fun on stage as the lewd and cringe-inducing jocks Ram Sweeney and Kurt Kelly. Lauren McKenna positively shone as Ms Fleming, whose culturally appropriative Afro-inspired dress and hair were so bad they were genius. It would also be remiss not to mention Mitchell Hicks‘ impressive work as J.D.’s unfathomably repulsive father ‘Big Bud’; his every appearance on stage made me want to run screaming from the auditorium. The other members of the ensemble cast – Sage Douglas, Heather Manley and Stephen McDowell were all excellent, and provided the much-needed pace for many of the song-and-dance numbers.

The only area in which the production was let down was in sound design; while director Trevor Ashley and musical director Bev Kennedy did a wonderful job bringing the musical to the Arts Centre stage, on opening night the sound quality in the theatre was not successfully monitored or moderated. This meant that while the cast were performing it was virtually impossible to hear what they were sing-speaking over the noise of the band. This aside, the rest of the production coordination was outstanding.

I therefore thoroughly enjoyed what I could hear of the songs, particularly the LGBT-inspired number delivered by Ram and Kurt’s fathers. Despite being mostly unable to discern the lyrics, I still had a fantastic time; I couldn’t care less what they were singing about half the time because the performances were making me laugh, which is what I wanted. The melodies weren’t original, or even particularly catchy, but every song simultaneously captured the spirit of the 80s, as well as the neuroses of high school to which we can all relate.

Well-thought out set design (Emma Vine), lighting design (Gavan Swift) and choreography (Cameron Mitchell) were essential to support the cast while they careered about on stage. Angela White’s costumes were exceptional and instantly transported us back to 1988.

Heathers had the audience – many of whom were no doubt hard-to-please movie fans – whooping and rolling in the aisles for so much of the performance that any glitches or technical missteps went entirely unnoticed. Indeed, such was the excitement of the ladies in the row in front of me that when J.D. made a brief appearance in the audience one of them quietly screamed, ‘Ooh Julie! Look who you’ve got next to you!’ And I think that just about summed up the experience – it really did make me giddy with high school excitement, albeit with rather more murderous inclinations. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Heathers is showing at the Arts Centre on Southbank until 22 May 2016. For tickets and more information visit: http://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2016/musicals/heathers-the-musical

Festivals, Kids Theatre, Whats On

MICF 2016: SUNNY RAY AND THE MAGNIFICENT MOON

Family festival fun with the sun

By Joana Simmons

Our favourite friends who warm our days and add wonder to our nights bring songs, stars and sparkle to the Spiegeltent and the 2016 Melbourne Comedy Festival for ages four and up. Fresh from a critically acclaimed world premiere at Sydney Festival, Sunny Ray and the Magnificent Moon, invented by Clare Bartholomew and Daniel Tobias (creators of Comedy Festival favourite, Die Roten Punkte) is a polished, humorous take on what happens when the sun stays up all night to party with the moon.

Sunny Ray

Every day Sunny Ray (Clare Bartholomew) wakes up before everyone else (even the birds!) She brings life to the plants and the sky with her cherry songs and sparkly demeanour before sending them to sleep and handing the sky over to the Magnificent Moon (Daniel Tobias). In an Elvis-meets-Abba white jumpsuit and silver cape, he hangs out with the stars and parties through the night: playing his electric guitar, crooning about his face and his phases, and I can’t help but take a shine to him. Sunny Ray wants to stay up late like and party with the Magnificent Moon so hides behind a cloud and they do all sorts of fun and naughty things all night!

This show has colour and heart. It promotes the ideas that ‘you are the best at being you’ and ‘sunshine never goes out of style’ and teaches us all sorts of things, like where daylight savings comes from. The puns and funny bits for the big kids sprinkled throughout are clever to the point where I wanted more, and the original songs of various genres- folk, funk, disco and pop give the show pace and a chance for the audience to get involved.

Bartholomew’s portrayal of Sunny Ray is bright and likeable and whilst her delivery of her songs was animated, the vocal quality was rather lacking and pitchy in contrast to the more accomplished Tobias. That being said, the harmonies and movement in the duo numbers are bang on. A highlight for me is the physical comedy and clowning between the two- you can tell they are seasoned artists, and the audience is onboard the whole way.

A magical starry curtain and well-designed props provide the perfect backdrop for this Arena Theatre Company gem directed by Christian Leavesley, with dramaturgy from Casey Bennetto (Keating! The Musical).  If there’s only one show you take your kids big and small to this festival, make it this one- it’ll brighten your day.

Venue:        The Famous Spiegeltent at Arts Centre Melbourne

Dates:          Tuesday 5 until Sunday 10 April

Time:          11am

Tickets:       $25

Bookings:   www.comedyfestival.com.au

Review, Theatre, Whats On

CDP Production’s THE 52-STOREY TREEHOUSE

Three intrepid young fans share their thoughts on the latest Treehouse play

By Ben, Riley and Harry Costello

Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton‘s book The 52 Story Treehouse has been turned by Richard Tulloch into a breathtaking and humorous theatrical performance staring Alex Duncan, Zoran Jevtic, Jane Mahady and Jack Starkey-Gill, as Terry, Andy and Jill (the characters) set out on a quest to find the missing book producer Mr Big Nose. I was surprised that there was even time to complete this quest within the one-hour show. They had to find a way of overcoming the “evil vegetables”. Will they find Mr. Big Nose?

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I enjoyed the way that the one set could be a part of every scene in the show. The actors knew all of their lines and delivered them very professionally but with enthusiasm, keeping all of the audience engaged at all times. Often the kids in the audience would start dancing in their chairs when Terry and Andy started singing. The cast were word perfect in every scene. Perfectly cast, my favourite character was Jill (Jane Mahady). Her personality that Andy Griffith had portrayed in his book really shone through and had me hanging off my seat with every word she spoke. The actual story-writing and the scenario is so close that the two storylines meld into one another easily, allowing the viewer to get lost in the production.

The production crew was fantastic with the lighting, sound and the stagehands running a seamless show. The costumes were appropriate and greatly contributed to the look of the show, in general they looked nice, neat and were not over-the-top.

This experience was entertaining and an enjoyable afternoon for the whole family. The age group was appropriate from ages 6- 106yrs.

The show runs from April 1st until April 17th at the Melbourne Arts Centre CBD.

Tickets selling now ranging from $29.00 to $43.00 at https://artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/families/the-52-storey-treehouse

But remember you have got to get in fast as tickets are selling quick and you don’t want to miss out on this fantastic holiday experience.

(By Ben, Age 12)

Well if you ever had the urge to climb a 52-storey treehouse then today would have been the day to do that. Sucked in by the storyline, our characters took us exactly where we wanted to go, as  Terry, Andy, Jill and Edward set off on a task to save Mr Big Nose the publisher, from evil vegetable Potato Prince (needless to say nothing went to plan!).  Now reading this you might find that the plotline is a child’s play, however my father who came along also enjoyed the jokes. From the very beginning the characters, in particular Terry, had me laughing. He reminds me so much of myself that I couldn’t help laughing at the silly things that he did such as running around with underpants on his head and walking steep hills to find that were in fact a tram travels in the same direction. Above all this show is worth seeing for nothing less than a good afternoon of family fun. A laid back enjoyable performance for myself as a 9 year old and my 6 and 12 year old brothers and my parents. I’d definitely like to see it again.

The 52 Story Treehouse is sure to be a big hit with children and adults alike who have become recent fans of the director Liesel Badorrek and the famous children’s literary legend Andy Griffiths.

Watch out for the Potato Prince and be sure to be completely prepared for a wow of a time.

(By Riley, Age 9)

I would love to have a backyard as magical as this one!

I loved the way that it took place in the treehouse, I never would have thought of that! It reminded me a little bit of Peter Pan, except I was a little confused that it was set in a treehouse and of course there was no fairy dust! The songs made me feel excited and like I wanted to be to on stage helping solve the mysteries.

It was particularly entertaining when they climbed up the hill to the castle and Jill woke up. She let them know that after they had been struggling up the hill that there was a tram going the same way. The Potato Prince was also very funny and made me laugh, especially when he was trying to kiss Jill, he couldn’t get down to the ground because he was a potato and she was disguised as a carrot, a bit like Mr Bean).

It was set in a treehouse that the cast were able to climb in and sit on. It was not set on a flat stage on the ground like a normal theatre, which made it very exciting to look at. I think the ages for the audience could be anything from 1 to 100 as it was fantastic to watch and not at all inappropriate for any age groups. I am looking forwards to seeing Andy Griffiths next theatre production.

(By Harry, Age 6)

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: MTC Presents LUNGS

Quite breathtaking

By Michael Olsen

Take a deep breath and plunge into the Australian premiere of Lungs this season at Melbourne Theatre Company. Written by award-winning British playwright Duncan Macmillan this 90 minute two-hander (without interval) charts the life, death and (re)birth of a modern relationship. Funny and real by turns, and quite touching in the end, it charts what happens when we start to question our lives and our effect on the planet.

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The play opens in an IKEA store, as the unnamed man gingerly suggests to his unnamed partner that they have a baby. Well, the floodgates of anxiety, doubt and interminable analysis are opened (she’s doing a Ph.D, we don’t know in what) and we bear intimate witness to their attempts to make sense of themselves and their relationship, all starting from the effect one baby would have on the planet. (I forget how many trees they would have to plant to mitigate their offspring’s carbon footprint.) We are made to feel like a fly on the wall of these characters’ lives as they search for meaning and answers where perhaps only faith of a kind will see us through.

Kate Atkinson (of Wentworth and Sea Change fame) and Bert LaBonté (Mountaintop among many others) deliver powerhouse performances in this single almost unbroken dialogue that carries us through the ups and downs of this couple’s relationship. Whilst we might not get the answers to all the problems they face, it’s this very questioning that helps propel the play forward. Director Clare Watson‘s direction is slick and sophisticated, always keeping the myriad changes in time and place clear and immediate. Whilst Andrew Bailey‘s set design (an IKEA kitchen that imperceptibly rotates a full 360º and lets gravity slowly toss the kitchen’s chair, books and cutlery like a tumble drier) conveys the idea of the couple’s life going topsy-turvy as they explore the intricacies of their relationship, it’s also a mite distracting, but really a minor criticism in an overall production that grabs you right from the start and doesn’t let up.

Lungs was something Macmillan wrote as “a challenge and a gift for actors.” In presenting the problems and challenges of its characters, it’s also a gift for the audience. Showing until 19 March at the Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio.

http://www.mtc.com.au/plays-and-tickets/season-2016/lungs/

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Return Season of NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Seeking the adventure again

By Caitlin McGrane

The reimagined Hitchcock classic North by Northwest gets an excellent presentation at the Melbourne Arts Centre after its fantastically successful run in 2015.

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For those who don’t know, the story is that of Roger O. Thornhill (Matt Day), Madison Avenue advertising executive mistaken for the mysterious George Kaplan in The Plaza Hotel in New York; thus setting in motion a chain of events that takes Thornhill to the United Nations, Chicago, and Mount Rushmore. His partner in crime is Eve Kendall (Amber McMahon), an enigmatic femme fatale with whom Thornhill forms an instant connection on a train.

Writer Carolyn Burns and director Simon Phillips really have done a terrific job of bringing the classic film to the stage; Burns has successfully managed to tread the very fragile line between appreciating and replicating the original, especially given it is such a well-loved text. Hitchcock’s contemporality is appropriately heightened through clever direction from Phillips, so some of the uncomfortable and backwards politics of the 1950s can be seen through a modern lens.

The ensemble cast, comprised of Nicholas Bell, Ian Bliss, Lyall Brooks, Leon Cain, Sheridan Harbridge, Matt Hetherington, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Gina Riley, Lucas Stibbard and Lachlan Woods are all clearly having a ball. Harbridge, Llewellyn Jones and Riley all delivered standout performances, providing just the right number of nods and winks to the audience and some truly excellent accents. It would perhaps have been nice to see more chemistry between the two leads, and it sometimes felt to me like McMahon’s Eve was not as self-assured as her silver screen counterpart. But these minor critiques did not hamper my enjoyment of their respective performances.

It would be extraordinarily remiss of me not to mention the exceptional creative work from the backstage team. Nick Schlieper’s lighting and set design were joyously clever and funny, Ian McDonald’s composition and sound design catapulted me back in time to my first screening of North by Northwest, while Josh and Jess Burns’ innovative and hilarious use of video really stole the show. I shall never see Mount Rushmore the same way ever again.

To have a bad time watching North by Northwest would be an extremely difficult thing, and while this may seem like damning with faint praise I really would be surprised if anyone came out of seeing this production feeling anything but contented. Sometimes what I need is a big sugary treat from the theatre, and North by Northwest delivered deliciously comforting familiarity in spades. This is the second time I’ve seen the production, and it is the combination of joy, self-awareness and fun that makes this such a pleasure to watch.

North by Northwest is now showing at The State Theatre at the Arts Centre until 13 February 2016. More information and tickets from: https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/theatre-drama/north-by-northwest-2016

Circus, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Daniele Finzi Pasca’s LA VERITA

Circus spectacle celebrates surrealism

By Jessica Cornish

La Verità – directed, choreographed and written by internationally renowned creator Daniele Finzi Pasca, and inspired by Salvador Dali’s surrealist depiction of the fraught love story between Tristan and Isolde – was a visually stunning production, with breath-taking acts executed by well-seasoned performers.

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Travelling with an incredibly strong cast of 13 acrobats, musicians, clowns and dancers, La Verità morphed the State Theatre into a beautiful melancholic circus, with sumptuously rich scenery often silhouetted by the beaming golden cyc cloth hanging upstage. The performance work also incorporated trance-like shadow theatre, stark imagery, contrasting bold lighting states, shapes and the morphing of colours powerfully and continuously throughout the two acts.

La Verità’s aerial acts were particularly stunning, featuring double-helix ladders spiralling through the air, ultraviolet-lit hula hoops dancing across the stage, and the incredible acrobats illustrating human form at its peak of perfection. The performance also included one of the best choreographed and most intricate and quirky juggling scenes I have ever seen, and a wonderfully cringe-worthy contortionist, to name only a few memorable moments. My only criticism of the performances was that Act One heavily relied on comedic relief to transition between items: I didn’t really find the shiny silvery characters very funny, and felt the slapstick humour a little lame and unnecessary at times; however, my companion clearly enjoyed the glittery clowns, so maybe I just need to adopt a better sense of humour!

Meanwhile, the comedic narrators provided some background information on Salvador Dali through a mix of English, French and Spanish ramblings, retelling remarkable snippets of his life such as the time he tried to present a lecture in a diving suit and nearly suffocated in the process. To further accentuate Dali’s work and influence, some of his other famous iconic images were also smattered throughout the items, such as the melting away of time and the recurring rhinoceros, (he believed the latter’s patterned horn possessed the same logarithm as both cauliflowers and sunflowers…!)

A captivating and stunning night of entertainment, overall – if you are a lover of all things circus and beautiful, go see this show!

VENUE
State Theatre
DATES
Friday 22 January, 7:30pm
Saturday 23 January, 2pm
Saturday 23 January, 7:30pm
PRICE RANGE*
Premium: $85
A Reserve: $65
B Reserve: $45
Under 30: $30 (strictly limited)
Concession and family tickets available
BOOKINGS
Phone: 1300 182 183

https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/circus-physical-theatre/la-verita

Comedy, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Circo Aereo Presents THE PIANIST

Riotously funny and utterly delightful

By Rachel Holkner

The Pianist is a character of grace, charm and poise, but only in his own mind. In this Circo Aereo production, Thomas Monckton takes on this role in a battle against a downright vindictive grand piano. The result is an hilarious show as Monckton engages in more and more bizarre problem-solving in order to get his music concert started.

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This dialogue-free performance is laughs from start to end, from embarrassed titters to outright side-splitting convulsions as the Pianist mimes, dances and contorts his way around the stage. It is constructed as beautifully as any concerto, with slow and subtle beginnings, clever and timely phrase repetitions, and building gradually to an uproarious crescendo.

The situations are absurd as the pianist character, while not exactly hapless, is doomed to suffer through his own misjudgements as the simple staging and very few props are determined to bring him down. And all the while he is dearly wishing for his work to be taken seriously.

Monckton is a virtuoso performer, keeping the audience fully engaged for an hour through his expressive movements, whether spectacular full-body acrobatics or minute facial tics. He is a skilled mime artist, aware of his own nonsense, but revelling in the audience’s enjoyment.

The entire production reminded me of no less than a classic Looney Tunes cartoon brought to life with the overconfidence of Daffy Duck together with the charm of Bugs Bunny and the bad luck of Wile E. Coyote. I could not read the make of piano from where I was sitting but would not be surprised had it said ‘ACME’.

The audience during this performance was one of the most varied I have seen with all ages well represented and equally enchanted with The Pianist‘s antics; this is truly a show that anyone will enjoy. I can’t recommend it highly enough as a refreshing escape.

Showing at Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne
12 – 16 January at 7:30pm
Saturday 16 Jan at 1:00pm
Sunday 17 Jan at 3:00pm
Tickets $39 with family prices available.

Phone: 1300 182 183
https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/circus-physical-theatre/the-pianist

Dance, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: The New 2015 Production of BALLET REVOLUCION

Vibrant, vital and intoxicating

By Christine Young

As far as revolutionaries go, Cuba’s Ballet Revolución dance company is to dance what Che Guevera was to guerilla warfare. Bloody powerful!

Ballet Revolución

Ballet Revolución breaks every rule, not just of ballet, but of conventional dance performance. The nineteen dancers, twelve men and seven women, are seasoned international performers who come from different, multiple in some cases, disciplines: classical ballet, contemporary, folklore and modern dance. This is true ensemble dancing with only a handful of solo, duo or trio numbers sprinkled through the show.

There aren’t enough adjectives in the English language, or in Spanish I’d wager, to describe the amazing spectacle that is Ballet Revolución. Under the expert guidance of Artistic Director Mark Brady, and choreographers Aaron Cash and Roclan Gonzalez Chavez, the dancers deliver a high-energy, diverse and captivating show. The mix of dance styles – ballet, street, Latin-American and contemporary – are interspersed cleverly throughout the performance. And the dancers display some remarkable physical feats of strength, agility and grace.

Meanwhile, the music (directed by Osmar Hernandez) is provided by a live on-stage band which includes two singers, Cuban drums, trumpet, electric guitars, keyboards and a standard drum set. For much of the show though, the band is covered in darkness or soft light to keep the focus on the dancers.

Ballet Revolución dances across its genres to stirring renditions of modern hits from Lorde, Beyonce, Sia, Jessie J, Rihanna, Bruno Mars as well as a couple of oldies from Prince and The Police. The audience is taken everywhere from a ballet recital to a nightclub dancefloor. This makes it sound like organised chaos. Wrong. It’s so much more.

The choreography, music and lighting are meticulously planned and realised by the cast, crew and creative masterminds.
And the lighting should have its own credit in the cast list. Vibrant colours typical of Latin America feature throughout the show. There is a lot of soft lighting used which creates an interesting juxtaposition of darkness and radiance.

The costumes designed by Jorge Gonzalez are often unique and complement individual dances and lighting arrangements. All I an say is … sequins, sequins, sequins, darling! The sequined tops worked especially well as they also sparkled and danced under dim lighting.

Overall, Ballet Revolución offers a unique and unforgettable experience. Vamos!

Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne
Date: Until 5 July, 2015
Time: 7.30pm, 2pm or 2.30pm
Tickets: From $84.90
Booking: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au