Reviews

Image: A classic drama-filled family Christmas. From left to right: Sandro Colarelli as Peter, Jackson Paul as Lucas, Whitney Duff as Annabelle, Tye Shepherd as Felix, and Lisa Hickey as Belinda.

Australian Open is a witty, modern-day comedy that serves up a hilarious and heartfelt take on relationships, queer culture, and family dynamics. With sharp dialogue, laugh-out-loud moments, and a healthy dose of Brisbane flair, this production invites you into a world of love, self-discovery, and unexpected revelations.

Bearded is a gutsy, full-throated roar of a musical, set in the lead up to the referendum on marriage equality. (Although there’s some unnecessary confusion at the start when a character tells us that the ‘YES’ vote got 60% as if it’s already happened - but we all do know, of course, the outcome of that referendum and, surprisingly, the roof did not fall in, society and even marriage itself survived (despite the lies of the ‘NO’ people).

It’s a brilliant story for a modern opera featuring passion, tragedy, Las Vegas glitz, magic tricks, lavish wealth and a white tiger. The result in a word ausgezeichnet – German for excellent.

Siegfried and Roy had boundless ambition to conquer the entertainment world when they first met, echoed in the lyrics of a duet about them aiming to leave their names  written in the sky.

Grease The Musical is older than I am (and I’m no spring chicken!). It was first performed on stage in1971, with the smash hit movie released in 1978, and it’s been performed and screened probably a bajillion times all over the planet since. Yet, through some musical theatre miracle the cast and crew of the production currently playing at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre manage to make this old classic feel fresh.