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Theatre

Old School Magic Comes To Town: The Illusionists 1903

December 22, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

Be transported back to the golden age of magic this month thanks to the world-class performers of The Illusionists 1903. This new show, on now at the Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House, features world-class illusionists from all over the world.

The masters of magic perform some of the worlds greatest and deadliest illusions, including sawing a woman in half, amazing levitation and unbelievable mind-reading. It’s hard to maintain the cynicism we have in 2015, when faced with such flawlessly executed illusions by larger than life personalities.

To balance out the more serious moments where it feels like lives are actually on the line, the show features plenty of audience participation, laughs to lighten the mood, and turn-of-the-century grandeur to really make you feel like you’re back in the early 1900s.

The age recommendation for this show is 5 and over. Cheese, at 4.5, was slightly under the recommended age, but sat through the almost 2.5 hour performance (including the 20 min interval) very well. She was a bit scared when the woman was sawn in half, but she enjoyed the levitation scene as well as the tricks involving physical humour.

The Illusionists 1093 is a great show that will entertain the whole family. Teens won’t even think to check their Snapchat during the show, it’s that engaging.

The Illusionists 1903 is on now until December 28 at the Sydney Opera House.
Book: sydneyoperahouse.com

Images of the performance by Dan Boud.

Thanks to the Sydney Opera House for hosting us.

The Wiggles BIG SHOW plus Cinder Emma Fairytale

December 21, 2015 / Cheese, Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 2 Comments

The annual Wiggles Big Show is a monumental event that travels across the country every December. In Sydney, the show is at the Allphones Arena, Homebush. While the Wiggles do a lot of regional touring all year round at smaller venues, their Big Show is their most popular as they go all out with staging, cast and props.

This was our second Big Show, and the first year that the Big Show included a second short show added on, called “Cinder Emma”, a fairytale story with some traditional Wiggles songs woven into the old Cinderella story, but told with typical Wiggles humour. Expect men in drag and lots of jokes for the parents.

Going to a Wiggles show is a full-on experience somewhat akin to rock show, with very tiny groupies. I find the shows overwhelming so I’ve jotted down a few helpful tips for anyone considering attending a Wiggles show in the future.

Book tickets early and quickly
Book them literally as soon as they go on sale. The front sections sell out within minutes, I kid you not.

Book seats up the front
This is important particularly in the Big Show as the areas are massive – if you’re too far from the action kids can’t focus on the show.

Book seats on the aisle
We accidentally booked aisle seats this year and they were wonderful. Putting your kid in an aisle seat means not only can they see the action for the entire show even if there is a large adult in the seat in front of them, but they can also jump out of their seat and dance in the aisle.

Arrive early
Allow plenty of time for parking or public transport, slowly walking to the arena, picking up tickets, re-printing tickets once you’ve lost them (oops!), going through security, lining up for merchandise, getting snacks, going to the bathroom, and then finally finding your seats. We were an hour early and it flew by.

Parking on-site
We live a long way from the Allphones so drove and parked in the very pricey car park. You can book a spot online for $25 for all day parking, or pre-pay when you get there for the same. They do have hourly rates that are a bit cheaper, but if you are planning on making a quick getaway after the show, I’d advise prepaying parking as the lines at the parking stations get very long.

Merchandise
It’s impossible to get into the show without buying some kind of Wiggles merchandise. I can never say no, and I always regret the purchase as whatever we buy always breaks the same day. This time we bought a bow set that lights up. It was too small for my four-year-old’s head. Annoyingly another $22 down the drain. Last time it was a Dorothy the Dinosaur fairy outfit – the wings and skirt elastic BOTH broke before we got the outfits home. No more Wiggles merch for us!

Food
You can take water bottles and prepackaged snacks into the arena. I did try taking a Subway sandwich in last year and they wouldn’t let me, so it appears the rule is no food bought fresh nearby as they want you to buy the burgers and chips the have on sale inside the area instead. The show was on a crazy hot day so we did splurge on ice creams ($4.50 for a Golden Gaytime and it was totally worth every cent).

During the show
I was unprepared for the amount of parents and children who did not stay in their seats. Children were set loose in the aisle to dance and run around while the parents either stayed in their seats or got up and down chasing their kids. Being in aisle seats the people next to us drive me nuts getting up and down the entire first half while they rotated who chased their kids up the aisle and who got to sit down and check their Facebook page. The normal theatre etiquette rules do not apply here!

Make gifts
If your child wants to meet a Wiggle, make a bow, dog bone, sign or rose for Dorothy and hold them up during the show. The Wiggles personally run around and collect these, so have your camera ready.

Dress up
The majority of the kids wear Wiggles costumes or colours that are similar to the Wiggles. There’s no need to buy one, they’re pretty easy to make.

Have fun!
The Wiggles show was the highlight of my daughter’s week. Possibly life thus far. While Hot Potato isn’t personally my favorite song (sorry Wiggles!) my daughter loves it, and seeing her dance and sing with a big smile plastered on her face was just the best thing ever.

Wiggles tour dates.

Babies Proms at the Sydney Opera House

December 21, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

Cheese and I love the Babies Proms held several times a year at the the Sydney Opera House. Babies Proms are aimed at children aged two to five, perfect for their first live music experience. The Sydney Opera House has been running the interactive and engaging Babies Proms for over 30 years, so they’ve had plenty of time to fine tune what is now a tradition for many Sydney families.

We have just seen our final Babies Prom of the year, Babies Proms: Jingle Bell Jazz. The show was a fabulous mix of classic Christmas songs, with a jazz and calypso twist. Let by Australian stage and screen star, Valerie Bader, kids sang and danced their way through Christmas classics such as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Jingle Bells.

If you’re considering booking a Babies Prom for 2016, their new schedule is up now (I’m booking Music for Tutus for us!).

I’ve put together a few points to help families making their way to their very first Babies Prom.

Get there early
The show is general admission. Kids sit on the floor in the middle of the room on a carpet and adults sit in the chairs around the sides. To get seats closest to the carpet (to keep an eye on rouge kids!) people start lining up often 30 mins before the show begins.

Know where you’re going
The Babies Proms are held in the Studio, which is on the side of the Opera House, not in the big theatres in the sails. You can catch the elevator to this level or walk around the concourse straight into the side doors of the Opera House to get there.

Parking at the Opera House
The cheapest parking is on weekends, where you can book a bay online beforehand and pay $10 for the entire day. If you’re seeing a show on a week day, parking costs a lot more, so consider the train!

Public transport
I often catch the train and walk to the Opera House. Circular Quay has elevators, as does the Sydney Opera House, so it’s all very stroller-friendly.

Stroller-check
You can bring a stroller of any size and leave it in the foyer outside the theatre with all the other strollers.

Bring a camera
While there is no photography allowed during the Babies Prom shows, after the performance has ended kids can go up to the musicians or actors, try their instruments and have a photo taken. Lighting is dim however, so bring a camera with a flash.

Meal time
The snack bar outside the Studio used to sell wonderful kids packs for $7, but this month they haven’t had them anymore, sadly. The only food choices are currently big adult sandwiches or chips, so either bring your own food or arrive early for breakfast/lunch at Opera Kitchen (kids meals around $15 each).

Keep a close eye on kids
Some shows sell out and get very busy. When the show ends it can be a bit chaotic as kids return to their parents and line up for photos with the cast. It’s very easy for kids to get lost.

Dress festive
Kids can wear whatever they like, but it’s fun to get into the mood of whatever the theme of the show is. At the Jingle Bell Jazz show, for example, there were lots of kids in Christmas gear, and a few even dressed up as Chrissie elves.

Once Upon a Time: The Sleeping Beauty

December 15, 2015 / Cheese, Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

Once a year, the Australian Ballet puts on a special performance for children called Once Upon a Time. Last year’s ballet was The Nutcracker, and this year’s was The Sleeping Beauty. The show runs parallel to the major full-length ballet being performed, so while adults have been enjoying the full version of The Sleeping Beauty this month, for this one special day, kids were treated to a child-friendly version of the famous ballet in the Joan Sutherland Theatre.

The Once Upon a Time performance is special because it’s the one show of the year where a child-friendly show is staged in the big theatre, using all the same props, performers and costumes as in the full-length version. Much of the choreography the children see is from the full-length performance too, so the children watch a first-class ballet company, performing exquisite dancing, in a world-famous theatre. Pretty amazing, right?

The main differences between the Once Upon a Time and full-length The Sleeping Beauty are the narrator and the show length. The narrator is a character within the ballet who explains to the children the story that is taking place, engages them by asking questions, and reminds kids of the characters’ names and plot points. The full-length ballet runs about 2.5 hours, and the Once Upon A Time version ran for about an hour and 10 minutes.

The Once Upon a Time series is aimed at children aged four and up, but there were plenty of younger kids (and older children aged up to 10) in the audience enjoying the performance.

Taking Cheese to this special ballet is a highlight of the year for me. I loved sitting with her in the auditorium and watching her face light up as she saw Aurora pirouetting across the stage in her stunning pink tutu. I believe kids are never to young to experience culture, particularly when it’s as breathtakingly beautiful as this ballet is.

“Once Upon a Time: The Sleeping Beauty“ is a performance designed for children aged four and above, adapted from David McAllister’s The Sleeping Beauty, with an original script.
Sydney Opera House

Sydney’s Best Shows For Kids: The 3 Little Pigs

December 13, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

The key to a great kiddie show is making sure the adults enjoy it as much as the little ones. A tough ask, but the 3 Little Pigs, now playing at the Sydney Opera House, absolutely nails it.

Aimed at kids aged 3+, the show manages to get that perfect mix of appealing to preschoolers with upbeat music, dancing and a fast-paced, easy-to-follow story, plus impress adults at the same time with skillfully-written lyrics and exceptional performers. Add in a few jokes for the adults and you’ve got a musical that will entertain the whole family.

The 3 Little Pigs has flown into Sydney from London’s West End (where it was created), and New York, where it also enjoyed a successful run. An upbeat re-telling of the classic story, the pigs in this version like to rap and are pretty adept at the running man.

The show runs for 50 minutes – the perfect amount of time to tell a full story and leave the audience happy rather than wiggly. My four-year-old sat mesmerised through out the entire show, while I enjoyed the clever writing and excellent vocals of the cast.

In this retelling, the pigs’ mum makes an appearance (my daughter’s favourite character), and there are the additional themes of the importance of family and working together.

The 3 Little Pigs is playing at the Sydney Opera House for a limited run – I’d highly suggest getting tickets and taking your little ones to see this curly tail.

3 Little Pigs
Wed 9 ‐ Sun 27 Dec 2015
Price $30.00 to $49.00
Open Daily 10am & noon

Sydney Opera House
Playhouse
Bennelong Point, Sydney 2000
Telephone 02 9250 7777

Images thanks to Elliott Franks Photography Services

Thank you to the Sydney Opera House for hosting us.

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

Cats The Musical: Sydney’s Best Musicals

November 2, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 18 Comments

After the little Cheese turned four, I started thinking about taking her to see her first proper musical. My amazingly brave parents took me to see my first at the same age – Camelot, it was, with the beautiful Marina Prior in her first musical theatre role and Richard Harris as Arthur. It was magical and I’ve never forgotten the experience. It started what’s become a life-long love of musical theatre for me, and I’ve been really excited about introducing my daughter to the theatre, too.

I decided Cats would be perfect for her first proper show because it’s known for being extremely family-friendly. Nothing dark or nasty, no violence or bad words, just beautiful singing and dancing, with life-sized cats.

So off Cheese and I went to the opening night of Cats in Sydney. Inside the foyer the face painting was a great addition and really helped her get into the vibe of the show.

Cats is one of the few major musicals I’d never seen before, so I was equally excited to see the show. Briefly, Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh. The musical has a very basic storyline, making it easy for kids to follow along – it tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make what is known as “the Jellicle choice” and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

Cats is famous for being one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history since its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances.

Since its world premiere, has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 15 languages and has been seen by more than 73 million people worldwide. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album.

The new revival of Cats has just arrived in Sydney following a season in London’s West End. Notable in the cast is Delta Goodrem, Australia’s fabulously talented singer, songwriter, performer, pianist and actress.

Ms Goodrem played the part of Grizabella, the cat who sings the famous song “Memory”. She wasn’t on stage much, but when she was, the moments were show stopping. After she belted out “Memory”, Cheese turned to me and said, “She has the most beautiful voice!”, which almost made me cry. Mission complete. My daughter was hooked.

Cats is one of those shows that is superb in its staging, choreography and, oh, let’s not forget the gorgeous music. This musical is award-winning for a very good reason – it’s one of those experiences you’ll never forget. From the moment the show opens with cats running down the aisles to the closing scene, it’s a non-stop purr-iffic display of showmanship from every member of the cast and crew.

If you’re wondering how my daughter went during her first show, she was a champion, despite it going well past her bedtime. I collected a booster seat for her at the cloakroom so she was able to see the stage better, and she spend most of the show perched on her seat, or sitting on my lap when she got tired. She wasn’t used to the convention of applauding after every number, so for the first few songs she asked “Is that the end?” after each number. She did comment “This show is very long” when we were about 15 minutes in (yikes), but she was very happy to keep watching and, even better, during interval said how much she loved Grizabella (“She’s so beautiful!”) and the dancing white cat, who I read in the program was a professional ballet dancer.

I bought the program to add to our collection, and we looked through it together before the second half began, commenting on which characters we’d seen so far, and which ones were coming up next.

When the show was into their final number, gold confetti was shot into the air and all over the audience. This was much to the delight of Cheese, who thought it would be a great idea to bolt out of her seat and down the aisle to where the confetti was pooling on the floor. For a terrifying moment I thought she was going to keep going onto the stage, but thankfully she stopped at the pile of confetti glittering at the end of the aisle and started tossing it over her head and in the air just as the performers left the stage. It was one of those parenting moments where I wasn’t sure of what I should do, and settled for doing nothing, crouching next to her to prevent any further craziness from ensuing.

If you’re thinking of seeing Cats on your own, with friends or with your kids, do it. What a magical experience for any age. I know the memory of this special evening will stay in both mine and Cheese’s hearts forever.

Cats the Musical Australia is currently playing at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney, until 29 Nov 2015. Check the website to buy tickets in a city near you.

Thank you to AB Publicity for facilitating our amazing experience at Cats.

Sydney Opera House Open Day

October 18, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 6 Comments

Today we head on down to the Sydney Opera House their once a year open day. Even though this is the tenth year in a row the landmark has thrown its doors open to the public, this is the first year I’ve actually heard of the event.

For one day a year, the Opera House lets the public inside for free, to see areas of the house typically off limits to your regular Joe.

I had intended to get up early and get down before the crowds, but, like all good plans, ours went pear shaped, and we arrived at midday, along with about a hundred other locals and tourists.

After a very long wait, we finally were able to set off on the self-guided tour through the concert hall and other areas like backstage rehearsal spaces.

The Sydney Opera House is one of those Aussie things I take for granted as I see it all the time. Days like today remind me how special it is.

The Secret Life of Suitcases: Sydney’s Best Shows For Kids

September 29, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

It’s not school holidays without some amazing kids theatre to be seen. Today we had a fabulous time seeing The Secret Life of Suitcases, a show by the Monkey Baa Theatre Company.

I haven’t been to a show by Monkey Baa before – I was pleasantly surprised to discover this theatre company for kids is housed in The Lend Lease Darling Quarter Theatre, directly opposite the children’s playground in the Darling Quarter Precinct. The theatre is purpose built for young audiences, with activities in the foyer pre and post shows (we had options to dress up, colour in or read books), parking for prams and plenty of family friendly eating venues nearby.

Back to the show we came to see: The Secret Life of Suitcases tells the story of a puppet named Larry who like being “busy” at his office job. He is content in his business until a tiny suitcase arrives, on a mission to open his eyes to the life he is missing out on.

The suitcase takes Larry on a fantastical adventure and right back home again – where he has the choice to go back to life as it was, or to step away from his all-consuming business and join society.

It’s a message that is beneficial for both adults and children to come away with – how often do we “busy” ourselves with the internet and our phones, in particular, missing out on conversations, special moments and opportunities?

I say yes to stepping away from being “busy” for the sake of it and grabbing life before it passes us by, too. This enchanting, delightful show will appeal to children and adults alike – it will also encourage you to put down your phone for the rest of the day when you leave.

The Secret Life of Suitcases is produced by the Monkey Baa Theatre Company.
Dates: Daily 28th September – 2nd October
Times: 11am & 1pm
Venue: Lend Lease Darling Quarter Theatre (across from the Children’s Playground in Darling Harbour)
Prices: $25pp / $90 Family 4 / $110 Family 5
Call: 02 8624 9340

Thank you to the Monkey Baa Theatre Company for hosting us – all opinions and extremely enthusiastic fairy child are my own.

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

Anything Goes: Sydney’s Best Musicals

September 14, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

I grew up watching famous old musicals on TV with my grandmother like Show Boat and Singing in the Rain. With a childhood filled with tap dancing and ballads, it’s not surprising that I love classic musicals such as Anything Goes.

Cole Porter’s de-lightful and de-lovely musical comedy, Anything Goes, is playing at the Sydney Opera House until 31 October.

Winner of three Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival and Choreography during its most recent Broadway revival, Anything Goes is pure fun from beginning to end. It also contains some of musical theatre’s most memorable songs including You’re The Top, I Get A Kick Out Of You, and of course the title song, Anything Goes.

In the Sydney production of Anything Goes, Australian stars Caroline O’Connor and Todd McKenney steal the show. O’Conner’s voice is magnificent, and McKenney is unrecognisable in his hilarious role.

For an evening of pure escapism and divine entertainment, I’d highly recommend seeing Anything Goes. Tickets are on sale now at the Sydney Opera House.

Thanks to Nuffnang for tickets to see the show. All opinions belong to me, thanks to my musical-loving grandmother.

Babies Proms: Tubby the Tuba – Sydney’s Best Shows For Kids

August 8, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

As I’ve written about previously, our family loves the Babies Proms at the Sydney Opera House. This week we very happily trotted down to see the latest one, Tubby The Tuba.

Tubby The Tuba is a lively performance to introduce children to different orchestral instruments. The special nine-piece proms orchestra (comprising a bassoon, flute, piccolo, tuba, two violins, viola, cello, trombone and xylophone) entertainly educated their tiny audience on what the role of a conductor is, what each instrument is and what it does, and the basic concepts of how instruments work together.

Musical terms like melody, tempo and rhythm were covered in a manner that was simple enough for little kids to grasp and absorb, and in a fashion that was fun and engaging.

This is really where Babies Proms shine in children’s entertainment. They carefully blend education and entertainment together to create the perfect show for young children with short attention spans. The shows drip advanced terms and concepts like bread crumbs to their eager audience to nibble on while they’re enjoying dancing and singing, resulting in the kids leaving, thoroughly entertained, and not even realising that they’ve just learned something pretty significant.

After the introduction to the orchestra, it was time for the musicians to tell the story of Tubby the Tuba. Based on the classic 1941 children’s song (also called Tubby The Tuba), the story tells of a tuba who wants a melody of his own. As with all stories, the enjoyment often relies on the skills of the re-teller, and the conductor leading the narrative was masterful in his acting, singing and stage presence.

The performance drew to a close and the musicians came down to meet their young fans and tell them a bit more about their instruments. Getting up close to the instruments and performers is always a highlight for the kids in attendance.

We were all pretty hungry after our musical morning, so we grabbed a $7 kids lunch box from the cafeteria inside the Play House and picnicked with friends in the sun. With the Sydney Harbour Bridge on one side, and the Opera House on the other, we were in for quite a view.

BABIES PROMS: TUBBY THE TUBA
Showing: 5 – 16 August 2015
Suitable for children ages 2 – 5

Tickets on sale from the Sydney Opera House.

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Thank you to the Sydney Opera House for providing us with tickets for reviewing purposes. As always, we are their biggest fans and opinions are my own.