2008 in reflection (3.0/5)

Sydney Festival produced the best and worst of the year – as a good festival should. “Blackwatch” stood out as the best show of the year, rightly winning plaudits around the world. For someone not really into classical music the genre featured a lot in 2008, and was largely enjoyed. A trip to New York and Chicago added to this year’s collection. The outdoor Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago is an architectural marvel and a remarkable addition to public art and performance. It was a pleasure to close the year with Yinka Shonibare’s beautiful fabrics and tableau at the MCA.

Books don’t feature in On Show (might have to change this next year) however two excellent books on the value of creativity and the arts to the economy and society in general are to be recommend. Former Barbican MD John Tusa’s “Engaged with the Arts” address the issues of objectives, KPI’s and dealing with politics. Richard Florida in “The Flight of the Creative Classes” discusses the importance of a thriving creative sector to economic development – how very relevant at this time.

Tusa might, rightly, shrink from a simplistic 1-5 scoring system to rank what’s been on show in 2008. Nevertheless the statistics report 48 events attended, with mean, median and mode rankings of 2.8, 2.7 and 2.5 respectively, consistent with 2.5/5 or better being achieved on more occasions than not. Despite my change in circumstances a good number of events were attended in 2008, and most were well worth seeing – all in all a good year for things “on show”.

Losing my job at Sydney Opera House came as a bit of a blow and impacted on the number of shows seen in 2008. Access to free tickets was a nice perk, though rest assured it was not all fun, especially after a full-on day at the office. As Facilities Director I could not help but continually look for maintenance defects and opportunities to improve any aspect of SOH’s customer experience. Unlike some I considered hosting VIP visits an important part of the job, it was always a privilege and honour to meet interesting people albeit tempered by the need to be on one’s best behaviour. I always believed that it was important for directors to be seen supporting the House’s core business of performing arts by attending as many shows as possible. This was especially true for those productions in which SOH had a curatorial interest, for example the “Adventures” and Studio programs, when I hoped that my attendance showed support for colleagues. Sadly, bold artistic initiatives and the brands “live performance everyday’” and “inspiring experiences” seem to be disappearing, though efforts to attract a more cultural diverse audience through programming continue. More than anything else I valued the opportunity to see an enormously diverse number of productions and to debate their merits with some wonderful colleagues. It was a privilege to have worked at Sydney Opera House.

So, onto 2009 and Sydney Festival looms, though perhaps not as inspired as 2008’s program. We shall see. In 2009 I shall be viewing events as a Festival volunteer and paying customer. Goals for 2009 include continuing to see as big a variety of events as possible, launching a new blog presenting my views of the world “What Matters” and finding a job delivering inspiring experiences. Thanks for reading On Show 2008, stay with me for more reviews in the new blog On Show 2009.

Sidney Nolan A New Retrospective (4.0/5)

Queensland Art Gallery

16 June 2008

I was unaware of the extent and variety of Nolan’s work that is well presented and explained in this compact exhibition. Fascinating to follow the evolution of an artist’s work.

Jerome Robbins - a celebration (2.0/5)

Australian Ballet
Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House.

17^th May 2008

(The Cage, Afternoon of a Faun, Suite of Dances)

A somewhat dated program that never quite took off – sometimes nostalgia is best left to the heart. Of the three pieces only “Afternoon of a Faun” combined music and movement in a meaningful way. Paired with Swan Lake for Sydney’s autumn season, the AB seems to be a little off song at the moment.

Sex & The City (3.0/5)

Greater Union, George St, Sydney. 14^th June 2008

Successful, if straight-forward, transition from small to big screen that neatly wraps up the story of 4, formerly, single girls in NY. The movie just about stands on its own, for fans it’s an enjoyable ride to the altar with Carrie and Mr Big.

Edward Scissorhands (2.0/5)

Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House

12^th June 2008

Wholesome though uninspiring. Safe to take the children and Grandma, to be avoided if you want depth and feeling. The cheerful song and dance numbers are devoid of any feeling, Edward’s torment as the outsider is left unexplored.

Indiana Jones and the

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (1.0/5)

Greater Union, George St, Sydney. 4^th June 2008

The first 20 minutes are good old Indi’ action. Then it’s all downhill, overlong car chases, over-the-top special effects and under-developed characters. Time for Professor Jones to retire to the ivory towers of academia.

Sonny Rollins (3.5/5)

Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

1^st June 2008

A pleasurable evening to drift away in a state of relaxation as this master of the tenor sax worked his way through a set of jazz standards, well supported by a talented line-up of musicians.

Swan Lake (2.5/5)

Australian Ballet

(Choreography: Graeme Murphy)
Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House

19^th April 2008

Second time around Graeme Murphy’s dark interpretation of Swan Lake has lost some of its edge. May be the dancers had a bad night or possibly too much time has lapsed since the Charles and Diana saga from which Murphy took inspiration. Despite Odette’s mental disintegration providing moments of great anguish matched by macabre delight on the part of her antagonists the whole is not completely satisfying.

Narnia 2: Prince Caspian (2.5/5)

Greater Union, Bondi Junction

21^st June 2008

Dramatic battle scenes and impressive rendering of Narnia’s creatures fails to compensate for a slow story. Adult casting is good, the children a little dull - use of C21st language by 1940’s kids grates. Lewis’ Christian message remains strong. Young teens in the audience loved it; Caspian is a heart-throb!

Yinka Shonibare (3.5/5)

Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney

24^th December 2008

Wow, and fun too. Shonibare produces beautiful fabrics from his British/Nigerian heritage and then dresses headless dummies in intriguing Renaissance tableaus. Just for variety we also get video installations that bring the tableaus to dramatic life. Well worth seeing.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2.5/5)

(Director: Woody Allen. Cast: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz)
Greater Union, George St, Sydney

19^th December 2008

A gentle movie that meanders nowhere in particular, much like the lovingly photographed Spanish scenery.

Take a conservative soon to be married young woman and her adventurous girlfriend to Spain for the summer. Throw in a handsome artist plus his tempestuous ex-wife and perm as many ménage-a-tois as possible. Then go home and live happily(?) ever after. None of the characters grow from their experiences – though perhaps that’s the point.

Manon (3.0/5)

Australian Ballet

(Choreography: Kenneth MacMillan, Music: Jules Massenet. Manon: Leanne Benjamin, Des Grieux; Robert Curran)
Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House.

13^th December 2008

Enjoyable if a little uneven. Act 1 skips through key encounters that set-up the later drama. Robert Curran delights as ever, excelling in grief when Manon dies in his arms. The orchestra and solo dancers occasionally lacked energy in an otherwise solid production that is perhaps not the obvious “Christmas classic”.

Master Series: Mozart, Beethoven & Schubert (2.5/5)

Sydney Symphony

(Conductor: Lothar Zagrosek, Oboe: Diana Doherty)
Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House.

06^th December 2008

(Beethoven: Symphony No.1 in C, Op21. Mozart: Oboe Concerto in C, K314. Schubert: Symphony No.6 in C D589 [Little C Major])

I’m no expert but the SSO never fail to be disappointingly inconsistent. Doherty’s oboe was flourishing and magical, yet at other times the SSO as a whole lacked colour and depth. Overall this concert was somewhat under-cooked.

The Age I’m In (3.5/5)

Force Majeure

(Chorography: Jane Champion)
CarriageWorks, Sydney.

02^nd December 2008

What a difference a year makes. “The Age I’m In” has grown into an intimate tale of aging, danced with wit and flair complimented by clever use of video clips. A little shorter than in January and with the dancers seemingly much closer to one another this is a touching look at life from birth to death that we can all identify with and be moved by.

Interplay (1.5/5)

Australian Ballet

(Night Path [Stephen Baynes], Semele [Matjash Mrozewski], The Possibility of Space [Nicolo Fonte])
Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House

22^nd November 2008

The Australian Ballet is to be applauded for commissioning three new pieces, but who would have expected such tedium. Whilst Semele is underpinned by a narrative (lust), Night Path and Possibility of Space rely wholly on dance and music for their energy. Night Path involves a sleeping ballerina being carried by two men but does not carry the audience into a land of dreams. ‘Space’ is somewhat abstract. Interplay plays on simplicity, perhaps a little too much.

Euphoric Tour (3.5/5)

Australian Chamber Orchestra

(Artistic Director: Richard Tognetti, Cello: Timo-Veikko Valve)
City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney.

15^th November 2008

(Prokofiev: Symphony No.1 in D Op.25 “Classical”, Brahms: Concerto for Violin & Cello in A minor Op.102, Beethoven: Symphony No.8 in F Op93).

The ACO play with passion and discipline. Prokofiev is short (10-15 minutes) allowing memoires of each movement to linger and contrast. The more serious Braham’s inspired a sincere interplay between Tognetti and Valve that they clearly enjoyed. Concluding with the soothing tones of Beethoven’s No.8, an excellent concert.

My first concert in this intimate venue with colourful acoustics, certainly different to Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall – it depends how you like your music.

Phantom of the Opera (1.0/5)
Majestic Theatre, New York
23 August 2008
I may be on my own here, but this show was dull and lazy. The music is tedious and repetitious, the singing slips from American to British to French accents and the story gives no reason to sympathise with the Phantom or Christine. As for the chandelier crashing to the floor, it came in so slowly the theatre could have been cleared before it gently landed on the stage!

Mostly Mozart (2.0/5)

Emerson String Quart

Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Centre, New York.

21^st August 2008

(Mozart: String Quart in B-flat major, K.458 “Hunt”, Saariaho: Terra Memoria, Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major D.667 “Trout”)

A slow start, possibly even out of tune, detracted significantly from this concert. Thank goodness Schubert’s “Trout” was worth waiting for. An agreeable and lively dialogue between piano and strings with leisurely repeated phases well suited to the lay listener such as me. Overall only 2/5, though Trout was worth an extra point or two.

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (4.0/5)

(Conductor: Zubin Mehta)
Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

27^th July 2008

(Beethoven: Symphony No 5, Beethoven: Symphony No 6 (Pastoral))

A rewarding afternoon. The ISO played with clarity and vigour contrasting the dynamic 5^th Symphony with the more playful 6^th. By contrast the encore of Viennese ditties lacked oomph and should have been left with the VPO who played in 2007. A reflective post-show talk by Zubin Mehta was an added bonus.

May be the resident SSO should strive to play as well as major touring orchestras rather than complain about the Concert Hall acoustics.

Ngarukuruwala: We Sing Songs (1.5/5)

Wangatunga Strong Women’s Group

The Studio, Sydney Opera House

13^th July 2008

At times the singing was delightful with its nicely understated jazz accompaniment (Genevieve Campbell and friends). The whole was a bit of an amateur hour. At times one felt uncomfortable, did these women want to be here or was this Genevieve’s “project”? Potential? Yes. Further work required? Definitely.