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MUSE at The Fuse - 'Putting It Together' A Sondheim Revue

06/06/2026 Linda Lokhee🏆💎🔥🦉🎭

Putting It Together by Stephen Sondheim Rating

★★★★★

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Stephen Sondheim, a legendary composer and lyricist, is well known for musicals such as Into the Woods, Company, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along and A Little Night Music. These are some musicals amongst many that have captured the hearts of people worldwide. After the immensely successful revue Side by Side which had been performing since 1976, Sondheim and co-creator Julia McKenzie’s musical Putting It Together premiered in London in 1992. They chose songs from popular musicals that Sondheim wrote after 1976, to showcase his acclaimed career.

After the lights dim, we hear what we assume is a pre-recorded voice stating the usual requests before live event plays - that the use of cameras is strictly prohibited, etc. As the warnings continue, the announcer continues, “Please do not crinkle your programs incessantly. Please do not fidget uncontrollably in your seats” and “Don't go, "Oh!" Whenever there’s a song you know“ and suddenly we see a cast member appear, walking down the centre aisle holding a microphone and looking polished. They continue to give the audience instructions. We are all delighted and have a laugh as we realise that the instructions are part of the opening song of the play, called “Invocations and Instructions” from The Frogs. Man 3, brilliantly understatedly played by Eli Reilly, assumes the role of the narrator, leading the story to oversee and influence the other characters throughout the musical.

The narrative of Putting it Together, directed by Gabriel Way Stamatellis, begins in the 90’s, with five friends having a party in one of the couple’s lavish condominiums. The cast, champagne in hand, barrels out “Rich and Happy #1” in a joy filled celebration of laughter. “All our dreams coming true.. this must be what happy means.. skies are beaming, future bright, prospects gleaming” was presented with the energy that showcased how much the cast loved being onstage together. This was a strong song, with the lyrics communicating their optimism.

Despite the initial reach for everlasting happiness, we start to see the underlying foundations of the couple’s marriage to be shaky, as hints of adulterous flirtation are made clear between the husband, played by Hudson Perry and another guest, Woman 2, performed by Nicola Awad. I really enjoyed seeing the wife, Woman 1, played by Jillian Keith shoot murderous glances at her friend Woman 2; her eyes and body language were perfected to show her hostile emotion. It would be easy to imagine that Keith created the phrase, “if looks could kill”. Her voice was sensational with a huge range to cater for the low to high notes in the songs Woman 2 had to sing. Keith gave a standout performance in all of her songs, but most of all during the song “Getting Married Today” (from Company) which required a rapid-fire fast pace of lyrics, and Keith delivered them with the sheer panic and terror of a reluctant bride-to-be.

Man 2, portrayed by Owen Roubeni, brought the sweet simplicity of longing for love into the group. Roubini’s voice was grounded in a wonderfully mellow tone and conveyed a calmness and earnestness in every song that he sang. He portrayed his character as the good friend everyone should have.

The audience never learns these characters’ names, and they are referred to in the program as Man 1, Man 2, Man 3, Girl 1 and Girl 2. It seems a strategic move to not name his characters, as Sondheim does not play favourites with his characters. All have an equal role in telling stories about the stages of relationships, from flirtations through to relationship highs and then the lows.

Zach Moses and Jonathan Zhang, co-musical directors, brought the freshness of the songs to life and with the band, successfully condensed the sounds of a traditional orchestra into a small person band without losing the grandeur. The band, Jonothan Zhang (keys), Emil Vinad (percussion), Yinfan Lin (Keys) and Rachel Glendenning (bass) were led by conductor Zhang and were situated to the right of the audience, giving the cast a clear accompaniment.

MUSE, the Sydney University Musical Ensemble, provided an entertaining and comedic night of music dedicated to Stephen Sondheim’s fans. Even if you were not familiar with any of Sondheim’s music, you would still enjoy this musical. It is a wonderful thing to see and support these Uni students in the Creative Arts field, and it was easy to see how much they enjoyed putting this musical on, altogether!

Putting It Together is showing at The Factory in the Fusebox. 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville.
Season: June 3 – June 6 2026
Tickets:
www.factorytheatre.com.au/event/putting-it-together-by-stephen-sondheim

To book tickets to Putting It Together by Stephen Sondheim, please visit https://www.factorytheatre.com.au/event/putting-it-together-by-stephen-sondheim/.

Photographer: jack_k.photography

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A Pride-full Celebration Of Unprecedented Talent! Happy Pride!

03/06/202602/06/2026 Chantal Harrison Writer🥈🎭😂

Homo Grown Rating

★★★★★

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Imagine crossing the rainbow street and walking into Qtopia on the first day of Pride month, only to be greeted by the one and only Kala Gare’s and Kala’s incredibly beautiful, smiling face! Well, I don’t have to imagine, because that’s how this year’s Homo Grown kicked off for me.

Home Grown Australia, are pioneers championing new theatre and musical theatre works in Australia. What started as a backyard pub meeting, now has the backing of MTIA and the Australian Government. Founded by Nick Hedger and Ben Nicholson, Home Grown have nurtured beloved Australian new works such as My Brilliant Career, FANGIRLS and A Trans Woman On The Internet, Crying.

Homo Grown is a Pride-full celebration of queer Aussie new works to be produced, to come and in progress. The queer celebration in the room was electric, not least of all because the multi-talented Kala Gare was guiding the ship.

Kala kicked us off with an original “Hello” that speaks to “Letting freedom flow”, which was a great set up for the night. Kala’s skillful piano along with an incredible voice and sharp, relatable lyrics had us strapped in for “a wild ride, to say the least.”

Next up was Phoebe Rodger with the title song from upcoming “Phoebs, You’re A Lesbian” on June 10th - 12th at QTopia. Described as “a letter to my younger self”, this song was earnest, clever, cute, hilarious and relatable. Much like Phoebe. The second song was from a “yet to come” musical, it took us on a humorous journey of Phoebe’s ideal career discovery through a career’s test.

Cassie Hamilton and Nic Prior then took to the stage for a snippet from Afterglow by Sheanna Parker Russon & Lillian M. Hearne which will be showing at the Belvoir and is described as a “Barbershop rom-com”. Lillian introduced the piece and began to play, while Nic tore us into their deep, tender and sombre beginning. Cassie joined in and the duet echoed the lyrics “With you I fit”. Nic’s tender fragility of emotion is in stark contrast to the power of their voice, while Cassie’s sombre moments are only magnified by the reality of her powerhouse vocals. Cassie took to a solo called “Normal Michael” in which we got more of that voice, and what I can only describe as four seasons in one face, as we join the emotional journey of the character Cassie is embodying.

Matt Hawke then took us into their song from upcoming “Beautiful Lies” on June 11th-14th at the Substation Qtopia. Described as one of the lies unpacked in therapy, we deep dive into Matt’s 20 year old identity exploration wrapped in self-deprecating humour. None of us saw the sharp turn from this jaunty piano-pleaser into an acoustic guitar heartwrenching homage to Matt’s deceased dog. It left the majority of the room in tears, and awe at its beauty.

Robbie Alexander and Alex Gonzales had to wipe away tears and reset for their performance from “Twenty-Something”. Alex played the character, Charlie’s Mum, deadpanning that “I’m wearing a cardigan so you know I’m a mum.” and meeting a lot of laughter. Alex performed “Long Story Short” with power, emotion and a lot of talent. Robbie performed “Delightfully Gay”, showing us the tug of war between Angel and devil on the shoulder and reinforcing the lyrics “There’s no such thing as ‘a little bit much’!”

Lincoln Elliot joined forces with Kala, Natalie Abbott, Gracie Rowland, Nead Cristaudo, Alex Gonzales, and friends for a snippet from the “yet to be announced” emo-rock heist. The performance of “Creativity Is An Island showcased exceptional musicianship and a palpable musical love and collaboration between the group.

Kurt Kansley and Oli Lidert were missing in action, enjoying their time in Moulin Rouge, but Katie Staddon did them proud and then some with “More Than Words On A Page”. Katie’s vocal range is beyond comprehension, the melodies sublime. The swift shift from deep soul to angelic was out of this world.

Meg Rob took us on a solemn and sincere ride with “Step Into Infinity”, showcasing an ability to embody the characteristics of an introvert grappling with personal trauma, while knocking our socks of with some big belts. Those who saw Meg in Jagged Little Pill will be familiar with this ability to take an audience on a wonderful and surprising ride. Catch Meg’s show “Make It Queer” 25th-26th June at Loading Dock, Qtopia.

We finished with the cast and creatives from Nails 25th-27th June at The Eternity Playhouse. Created by Sophie Davis and Laura McDonald, and composer Harry Collins. This netball based comedic musical has a lot of balls (see what I did there?). Nead Cristaudo had us captivated as the coach, mixing brilliant comedic timing with powerful vocals.

Then the large ensemble cast and creatives from Nails finished us off on a high with Natalie’s gorgeous voice and some epic harmonies being the highlights of this final piece. It was an incredible finish to a night of unprecedented talents and not-to-be-missed new works! Make sure you catch these and as many Pridefest shows as you can this month. More than ever, we need to join together and support each other. Happy Pride!

To book tickets to Homo Grown, please visit https://tickets.qtopiasydney.com.au/Events/Homo-Grown.

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A Film About The Power Of Lies And Losing Oneself In Imagination

02/06/202602/06/2026 Steve Willems🥈🦉🎭🎬

Hsbc Spanish & Latin American Film Festival Rating

★★★★★

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The Captive (El Cautivo) is a Spanish language historical drama exploring the five years writer Miguel de Cervantes spent as a hostage of Moorish pirates in Algiers. Or so it says on the box. There is a lot more to it than that. Cervantes famously wrote Don Quixote, claimed to be the first modern novel and arguably the most important cultural text in Spanish history. While fighting the Ottomans in a Spanish fleet, Cervantes was heavily wounded, losing the use of his right arm. A few years later he was captured by Ottoman corsairs who held him captive in Algiers, hoping for a large ransom rather than selling him as a slave. Little is known about this time in Algiers, so writer and director Alejandro Amenábar has filled the gap using Cervantes’s own themes of invention and imagination.

The film starts with Cervantes (Julio Peña), having been captured amongst other Spanish sailors, lying about his social standing in order to be ransomed instead of being sold as a slave. As he struggles to cope with his captivity, Cervantes invents a narrative of escape that begins to merge with the diegetic reality of the film. This was done in such a way that soon I wasn't always sure what was meant to be ‘true’ and what was his fanciful imagination. Cervantes entertains fellow prisoners with stories of exotic princesses and heroic escapes, catching the attention of the corsair leader Hasán Bajá (Alessandro Borghi), an Italian who converted to Islam to escape slavery. They form a bond of friendship (and more) that causes outrage amongst the devout Catholic captives, threatening Cervantes’ chances of being ransomed by the Catholic envoys. Cervantes is rewarded for telling a pleasing story to Bajá with a day of freedom to explore the markets and city of Algiers. What he sees beyond the prison wall is then shared with the other captives.

The plot seemed slow and disjointed at first and the setup wasn’t overly clear. It was only when Amenábar began toying with reality that I settled into the narrative. The story is told in such a way that you are never quite sure what is meant to be an invention of Cervantes and what Amenabar wants us to accept as 'real.' I found myself doubting if any of the escape attempts, rewards, double-crossing initrigue, and intimate relationships were even actually happening and not just more of Cervantes’ own fanciful inventions. Characters are constantly lying right from the start, the heroes and villains alike, not only to save their own neck, but to create division or gain an advantage. There are many visual references to Don Quixote, too, like windmills and the Catholic envoy, where a tall, thin dignified older priest with a magnificent beard is accompanied by a short fat priest on a donkey, clearly signifying Quixote and Sancho Panza.

Like Don Quixote, The Captive is about the power of lies and losing oneself in imagination. This isn’t really an origin story about a famous writer, or an attempt at explaining history. This is a story about storytelling itself, and that is absolutely fascinating.

The Captive was seen as a media preview for the HSBC Spanish and Latin American Film Festival running through June to July.

https://spanishfilmfestival.com

To book tickets to Hsbc Spanish & Latin American Film Festival, please visit https://spanishfilmfestival.com/.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

31/05/202631/05/2026 From The Front Row🚀🦉🎭🎬

To Kill a Mockingbird Rating

★★★★★

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To step into the Genesian Theatre for their production of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is to be quietly unmoored from the present and drawn into the humid, moral gravity of the 1930s American South. Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic has long stood as a pillar of American literature—a piercing examination of the human conscience—and under the masterful stewardship of director Theo Hatzistergos, the weight of that legacy is handled with both reverence and raw, visceral power.

The staging is an act of immersive alchemy. By allowing actors to drift through the auditorium, Hatzistergos dissolves the barrier between stage and spectator. We are no longer mere observers; we are neighbors on the porch, witnesses to a small town’s slow decay into prejudice. The set, a skeletal Alabama street, breathes with the heat of a bygone era, creating a landscape where innocence is constantly besieged by the shadows of social caste.

At the heart of this storm is Barry Nielsen’s Atticus Finch, a performance defined by a quiet, towering dignity. He is the anchor in a sea of intolerance, teaching his children that character is the only true currency of a soul. Beside him, Brigid Jeffries gives a performance as Scout that is nothing short of transcendent; she captures the sharp edges of childhood curiosity and the dawning, painful awareness of an adult world’s cruelty with breathtaking authenticity.

The narrative pivots on the trial of Tom Robinson, rendered with shattering vulnerability by Ibrahim Conteh. When the verdict falls, it is not just a scene from a play; it is a profound wound inflicted upon the audience’s sense of justice. It reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to stand in the path of an oncoming storm when no one else will.

Yet, it is the title that lingers most poignantly in the air long after the final curtain. The mockingbird—that most fragile emblem of pure, selfless spirit—asks nothing of us but to listen to its song. It symbolizes the innocent, those who exist only to bring beauty into the world, and whose destruction is the ultimate mark of human failing. As the play unfolds, we are reminded that these "mockingbirds" are the keepers of our collective grace. To witness their harm is to lose a piece of our own humanity; to protect them is the only path toward redemption.

The Genesian Theatre has not merely produced a play; they have conjured a haunting, necessary mirror. We departed the theatre with a heavy heart, bruised by the injustice we witnessed, yet galvanized by the flicker of courage that remains. This is a production that does not let you look away, and in that gaze, we find the urgent reminder that kindness is a fragile, precious thing—one that must be guarded, defended, and cherished above all else.

To book tickets to To Kill a Mockingbird , please visit https://genesiantheatre.com.au/events/to-kill-a-mockingbird/.

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