Art Smitten - The Podcast

*Note to listeners: phone interview audio quality is a bit scratchy, but the interview itself is very interesting. Listen and find out! Christian had the opportunity to chat to actress CASSANDRA MAGRATH about her involvement with Winterfall Theatre's production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Is being performed at Blackbox Theatre, Preshil Senior Campus 21 June– 10 July: Tue-Sat, 7.30pm, Sun 2pmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan shares his experience of what it is like to record an album with a choir. He notes that singers must adjust the way they sing according to the type of venue the choir perform in. Jonathan is a member of CHIME, the Choral Institute of Melbourne. Photo credit: CHIME website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christian reviews the 2015 film Queen of the Desert, not to be mistaken for Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, which features actors Nicole Kidman, James Franco and Robert Pattinson. Queen of the Desert is the true story of Gertrude Bell, a traveller, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché for the British Empire at the dawn of the twentieth century.  The film was written and directed by Werner Herzog. Queen of the Desert is now showing at Cinema Nova.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts Christian and Jonathan were joined on the line with actor CHRISTOPHER BROWN (playing the role of DARYL) from Red Stitch's world premiere production of The Honey Bees.  The Honey Bees is being performed on 14 June – 16 July, Red Stitch Actors Theatre Rear 2 Chapel Street St Kilda East. Photo credit: Jodie Hutchinson - featuring Marta Kaczmarek and Christopher BrownSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*Note to listeners: the phone audio quality is a bit scratchy Hosts Christian and Jonathan were joined on the line with GEORGIA MOORE from Federation University. Georgia will be playing the role of WEDNESDAY in the University's production of The Addams Family.  The Addams Family is on 17 - 25 Jun, at Theatre Works 14 Acland St, St Kilda. Photographer credit: Jodie HutchinsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Melbourne international jazz festival, now in its 18th year is Melbourne’s premier jazz festival which takes over the city for 9 days in june showcasing local and international talent in different concert halls, bars and occasionally laneways! This year I was lucky enough to attend three completely different yet equally exiting events: Tomasz Stańko Band, Vince Jones and the astral orchestra, and Jose James. Polish born Tomasz Stanko has been a jazz trumpeter since the 60s, touring the world time and time again and working on film scores. His performance at the Coopers Malthouse was a true testament to his experimental yet highly skilled approach to jazz. Accompanied by Alexi Tuomarila on piano, Slawomir Kurkiewics on bass and Olavi Louhivuori on drums, the four absolutely filled the space of the theatre unlike any others! Performing a total of six songs, interspersed with extensive improvisation, the band created the classic dizzying jazz atmosphere and had the entire audience bopping their heads,

In #DearDiary, the Melbourne-based actor Andi Snelling achieves the seemingly impossible. She manages to turn 20 years worth of diaries into an entertaining, highly amusing and climatically moving piece of theatre. #DearDiary is a one-woman show that tells the story of Andi from childhood to now, using only verbatim diary entries. Andi doesn’t speak for the first 5 minutes, but as soon as she enters the stage, your eyes are utterly transfixed by her. Such is the power of Andi’s physical presence, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, given her extensive experience in physical comedy and movement. The show is a multimedia experience – using sound, screens, song and dance to bring Andi’s diaries to life. It begins lightly – Andi mimes and sings her way through her childhood, leaving the audience hysterical in its wake. Then, we travel with her to France. Andi goes on exchange and her 15 year old self is suddenly plunged into a world of boys and awkward sexual encounters. Never

Will Dawson reflects on his time at SYN. (His dreaded SYN death has arrived!) We, (Lauren, Will and Caroline) also talk about the importance of keeping community radio.  You can show your support by signing the #KeepCommunityRadio petition here: http://www.keepcommunityradio.org.au/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben & Christian did a combined review of ACMI’s exhibition dedicated to award-winning film maker, Martin Scorsese.  Scorsese will be exhibiting at ACMI 26th May to 18th September  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts Will and Lauren were joined in the studio with MAXINE GIGLIOTTI and BEDE NASH from the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA). Maxine and Bede talked about the 2016 graduating class showcase performance Things NOT of this EARTH, how they both become interested in circus arts, and how they chose their circus specialities.  Things NOT of this EARTH  will be being performed 8 - 18 June, Wed – Sat 7.30pm at the NICA National Circus Centre, 39 - 59 Green Street, PrahranSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts Ben & Michaela were joined in the studio with ANDI SNELLING – writer, producer and performer of the critically-acclaimed solo confessional show #DearDiary.  #DearDiary is being perforfmed at The Butterfly Club, Wed 1st – Sun 5th June at 7pmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts Ben & Michaela discuss the highs and lows of karaoke; the unattainable high notes, the dramatic ballads, the overplayed songs and the annoying na na na naaa section of Hey Jude by The Beatles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts Ben & Michaela were joined by tigers of the stage - GABRIELLE SAVRONE (director and actor at Owl & Cat Theatre) & MARCUS MOLYNEUX (actor) from Owl and Cat Theatre’s production Flesh Eating Tiger.  Flesh Eating Tiger is being performed at Owl and Cat Theatre, 34 Swan Street from 31st May – 2nd JuneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experience. Strength. Hope. These words don’t carry much meaning by themselves, but together in the context of Melbourne Playback Theatre Company’s latest performance SticksnStones of the Birrarung Marr - Stories of First Nations Place Making, Culture and Legacy, they provided a pivotal focus for the evening’s event. SticksnStones was the second public event by Melbourne Playback for the year. The event was split into two parts – a Q&A panel with esteemed First Nation Victorians including Jill Gallagher, Reuben Berg, Monica McDonald, Bruce Pascoe, and Stan Yarramunua, followed by a one-of-a-kind improvised theatre performance by Melbourne Playback. The event took place at Deakin Edge Theatre in Federation square, located on the banks of the Birrarung Marr – the river of mists. The Birrarung Marr is a significant meeting place for First Nation Victorians, and so it seemed particularly appropriate for the event to take place beside the river. The event also coincided with Reco

Adalya reviews The Wheeler Centre’s author talk event with Hanya Yanagihara in conversation with Jason Steger.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was fantastic to hear that The Arts Centre’s season of Sugarland is being targeted at VCE students, but don’t let that make you think that the play itself is mostly for high school students. Fraser Corfiel and David Page’s debut production of Rachel Coopes and Wayne Blair‘s latest theatrical work is one of those stories of adolescence that engages teenagers both past and present. Lately, Melbourne has seen quite a few ensemble pieces set in remote regions of Australia, usually ones like this year’s Meeka that have used this type of setting as a source of claustrophobia, dread and potent danger. One of the characters in Sugarland, Erica (played by Xanthe Paige) describes the Northern Territory town of Katherine as a kind of Disneyland, a peaceful place where no one is a stranger and everyone can be trusted. However, Erica has just moved here from Canberra, while our narrator, Nina (Dubs Yunupingu), and her friend, Jimmy (Calen Tassone), have lived here their entire lives. They

Hosts Lauren and Andrew are joined in the studio with Caitlin, a jazz student at the Australian National University School of Music. She shares her story of how she feel in love with jazz and the, perhaps surprisingly, vibrant jazz scene in Taiwan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I heard Renee Geyer was a famous international jazz singer I was thrilled to get the chance to go and see her sing. As I am an amateur singer with jazzy vocals myself it felt like it was a match made to be. However Renee Geyer was different to my initial assumptions. If I were to liken the whole experience to dating a person you met online, Renee Geyer would be a date you hade hopes for, only to have the actual date be considerably different to your expectations. Renee’s actuality contrasts considerably to the young pictures you see of her in the programs. They boast she is a proud Australian jazz talent. When I think of jazz, I think of swanky bars, dim lights and a commitment to seriousness to music as a vehicle for creative expression. Therefor, I’d constructed a vague conclusion that she was going to be refined, musically precise and like she looked in the picture. Malvern Town hall was dimmed, with fancy cheese platters on the tables to boot. It felt like the show was going to live up

Rachel attended the opening night of Malthouse Theatre’s production of Tennessee Williams' classic 'memory play', The Glass Menagerie.  The Glass Menagerie is being performed on 18th May to 5th June at the Merlyn Theatre in Melbourne.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts Lauren and Andrew are joined on the line with actress ROSE RILEY.  She is playing the role of Laura Wingfield in the Malthouse Theatre’s production of The Glass Menagerie.  The Glass Menagerie is being performed on 18th May to 5th June at the Merlyn Theatre in Melbourne.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.