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No Day Like Today to See Rent: The Musical

02/10/2025 Linda Lokhee🏆💎🔥🦉🎭

Rent Rating

★★★★★

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A legendary rock opera is coming to the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House, ready to electrify the audience. Opening on September 30, 2025, Rent the Musical will run for one month and showcases an exceptionally talented cast portraying a group of young, struggling artists living in Manhattan’s Alphabet City in the East Village.

Set in the early 1992, composer and lyricist Jonathan Larson’s retelling of Puccini’s La Boheme explores battles with poverty and gentrification, love, addiction and the fear and impact of the AIDS epidemic. Yet amongst all of the hardships in their lives, this is ultimately a musical about hope, strength and passion. This group of characters discover the importance of connection and community, living in the moment (“No Day Like Today”) and to measure life in love (“Seasons of Love”).

Larson left a lasting legacy by openly featuring love themes between two gay couples and a duet between queer characters on a Broadway stage when the show first premiered in 1996. This milestone in queer representation in musicals deeply resonated with audiences.

With themes such as the hardships of trying to make ends meet, as well as the coming together of friends when it’s most needed, director Shaun Rennie says, “this show, like what Jesus Christ Superstar was in the 70s and what Hamilton was for that generation, Rent really is a show that spoke directly to the youthful MTV generation.” Now, a new generation of people will fall in love with Rent The Musical.

Larson wrote the book and subsequent multi-Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning musical for his friends but tragically passed away unexpectedly aged 36 from an aneurysm on the eve of his off-Broadway premiere. Despite this, the musical was performed the following night in his honour. Rennie, along with the cast, ensemble and crew, say that they continue to pay tribute to Larson nightly throughout this Sydney production.

Rennie has assembled an experienced and talented cast, all of whom have come from musical greats such as Jesus Christ Superstar (Tana Laga’aia, Calista Nelmes, Henry Rollo), & Juliet (Jesse Dutlow) and Hadestown (Imani Williams) Tina Turner (Kristin Paulse), Dear Evan Hansen (Harry Targett) and Hamilton (Googoorewon Knox). They all have strong voices that are needed for belting out some of Rent’s rock opera songs.

For the preview media call attended today, I got a small glimpse into Rent and I can see that it will be an eye opening full production. The staging is detailed, with revolving movements and the backdrop of typical NYC apartments flanked by the metal criss cross jigsaw of fire escapes. The lighting by Paul Jackson is moody and atmospheric. The moment the first note is played with the opening song, the ensemble moves together as one. They are all dynamic! The musical arrangements by Steve Skinner and the choreography by Bree Tipoki are beautifully fluid. It is a large ensemble and there are so many moving characters singing and dancing, all with perfect sharp dance angles and flashes of energy. For anyone who has never seen Rent before, or for fans who know that “525,600 minutes … a year in the life of friends”, this is going to be one fantastic musical not to be missed this Spring inside the Sydney Opera House.

Season run: September 30 - November 1 2025
Run Time: 2 hours and 35 minutes including interval
Tickets: www.opera.org.au/productions/rent-sydney

To book tickets to Rent, please visit https://opera.org.au/productions/rent-sydney/.

Photographer: Neil Bennett

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RUINS / أطالل

29/09/2025 Georgia Drewe🆕

Ruins Rating

★★★★★

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RUINS / أطالل

Ruins / أطالل at the Seymour Centre is a stunningly realised masterpiece of movement from Clockfire Theatre Company, devised by Emily Ayoub and Madeline Baghurst.

The play was described by the creatives as a love letter to Lebanon and the Arab Diaspora, and it's clear from the very first seconds of the play that the love runs deep. Ruins / أطالل creates an utterly beautiful depiction of a deeply human story that at times conveyed the liveliness and beauty of Lebanon and then, at other times, took an unflinching look at the realities of war.

Ruins / أطالل is one of the most important and relevant pieces to come to life in the current Australian theatre landscape. It's a powerful story, exploring the complexities of grief and family, migration and sacrifice, and the power of memory. The subject matter is handled with sensitivity and emotion, creating a story that feels authentic and honest.

Amelia is grieving the sudden loss of her father, and takes a solo trip to Lebanon that they'd planned to take together. Alongside her journey, we see her fathers last trip to Lebanon as a young man, and see how their stories intertwine in an intensely emotional journey through time and place.

Ruins is brought to life by an incredible cast of actors that deserved every second of the standing ovation they received at the end of the play. Randa Sayed is an emotional powerhouse as Amelia, delivering an incredible performance full of vulnerability and power. Moments of humour perfectly balance the grief, delivered with perfect comedic timing by Adeeb Razzouk and Piumi Wijesundara, both of whom were able to switch deftly between humour and heartbreak at a moments notice. Tony Poli brings a groundedness and charm to his character with a remarkable performance. Youssef Sabet is spectacularly energetic, carrying his roles with ease, and Madeline Baghurst displays some of the best movement work I've ever seen.

Movement drove every minute of this play and created a world that invited the audience to connect. The ensemble created worlds with their movement, and had a synchronicity onstage that felt almost musical.

The set is stripped back and immediately intriguing, bursting with dimension. The raised stage is removed, making the most of the space and creating a sense of the vast in the intimate theatre space. Sheer fabric with rounded archways cut out of them pair beautifully with video projections to create a vivid environment that brings the story to life without distracting from the main elements of the story. Transformation is a key part of the genius of this set design, with minimal props and set pieces inventively used to convey a multitude of spaces.

Projections and music were beautiful accompaniments to the action onstage, and the live flute performances were a gorgeous addition to the beautifully designed soundscapes.

The language was a beautiful mix of English and Arabic, that elicited the sense of musicality within the language. Projected subtitles make it accessible for non- Arabic speakers, but even the scenes that weren't given subtitles felt accessible through movement and tone.

Ruins / أطالل is exquisitely moving, and utterly devastating, full of flawlessly executed movement pieces, creating something transcendently beautiful.

Ruins / أطالل is playing at the Seymour Centre until October 18th.

To book tickets to Ruins, please visit https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/ruins/.

Photographer: Geoff Maggee

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Toe Tap and Sing - Side by Side by Sondheim

28/09/2025 Linda Lokhee🏆💎🔥🦉🎭

Side By Side By Sondheim Rating

★★★★★

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Genesian Theatre Company’s “Side by Side by Sondheim” showcased music from one of the most influential minds of musical theatre, Stephen Sondheim. He had a gift of creating distinct characters, via his witty wordplay and catchy music and drawing you in their world. This was a toe-tapping and energetic evening of musical theatre celebration.

From their opening number “Comedy Tonight” (from “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” 1962), until the closing song, “Side by Side by Side” (from “Company” 1970), I was reminded of the golden age of music in movies and musicals; a period when soundtracks were filled with memorable, timeless songs that really captured the emotions and stories on stage. I was transported back to that era by watching and listening to the outstanding performances of the Genesian Theatre cast. Martin Hong was one of the featured soloists and his steady, smooth voice, easy-going mannerisms and smile portrayed a boyish crooner charm akin to Cary Grant. One of the highlights of the evening for me was his beautifully emotive performance of Losing My Mind (from “Follies”1971).

Director Declan Moore and Music Director Ben Fan created a strong sense of nostalgia on stage, a complete evening where patrons were surrounded by the sounds and styles that defined a special period in musical history. The included songs by Sondheim were in the form of a revue, a collection of songs from 1957 and spanning the next two decades, rather than a performance of one of this musicals with characters and a plot. As a result, the talented featured soloists were able to showcase their expertise in becoming several vastly different characters, often flipping from one character to another quickly.

An example of this is when Sarah Dolan brought us into the mind of an acutely panic stricken bride-to-be with her auctioneer-like, expert mile-a-minute performance in the song Getting Married Today (from “Company”). This harried performance contrasted with her gentle rendition of Little Lamb (from “Gypsy” 1959), where her character Louise is a young girl, singing a lonely song to her plush toys on her birthday.

Kimberly Yuzon had an impressive vocal range, showcasing control and versatility. Her clear and expressive voice allowed her to convey the emotive tone of the songs to the audience. One of my favourite songs was her rendition of Send in the Clowns (from “A Little Night Music”1973) which was performed with heartfelt emotion.

Elizabeth MacGregor was equally at ease on stage, showcasing a truly beautiful voice. Alongside her solo performances, she sang with harmonious clarity alongside her fellow cast members. Her flawlessly precise and tongue-twisting rendition of "The Boy From…" (from “The Mad Show” 1966) was unforgettable and had the audience laughing. It was remarkable how she managed to keep a straight face while delivering the chorus of this lyrically challenging song!

It was a joy to see the pianist, Lindsay Partridge accompanying the actors visible on-stage for the whole of the show, instead of being in the pit below the stage or behind a curtain. He performed each song flawlessly with heart, his deft fingers no doubt flying with expertise across the keys.

Barry Neilson played the Narrator, who introduced each song and gave the audience some background information on the origins of the song. Barry played different roles, and his expressions on stage were notable and amusing. Being a revue, there were many songs which involved the cast to sing together. It was a joy to watch their interactions with each other and they appeared to be having a lot of fun.

Catherine McKinnon’s costume design for the 5 cast members and pianist Lindsay Partridge had a red and black theme, a clever choice of duo simplicity as the glitz and sparkle of sequins shone like diamonds under the lights. The bright globes, and silver dropped curtains that lit up the stage was a nice touch reminiscent of those glamorous Hollywood times of the past, a fitting view from co-lighting designers Michael Schell and Cian Byrne.

The Genesian Theatre Company has crafted an experience that is not only entertaining but also a profoundly meaningful tribute to Mr Sondheim. If it were possible, I would recommend hosting a special evening where the audience could attend dressed in tuxedos and dazzling sequinned, sparkling gowns—it would be the perfect complement to this extraordinary show!

Side By Side By Sondheim is playing at The Genesian Theatre, 2b Gordon St, Rozelle.
Season: 26 September - 1 November 2025

Tickets can be purchased via the following link:
www.genesiantheatre.com.au/events/side-by-side-by-sondheim

To book tickets to Side By Side By Sondheim, please visit https://genesiantheatre.com.au/events/side-by-side-by-sondheim/.

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A Bold and Breathtaking Culmination of Art Forms

27/09/2025 Chantal Harrison Writer🥈🎭😂

BiPolar Express Rating

★★★★★

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As a community theatre director, I often stress the importance of teamwork and that no player reaches their best without the shared journey and uplifting of every member of the cast, often to eye rolls. However, Bipolar Express is a gleaming example of a powerful ensemble who are the backbone and heart of the story. It’s only now as I sit down to write this, having just read the program, that I ascertained how many creatives were among this ensemble cast including choreographer, Avalon Ormiston, and producer, Phaedra Brown, which doesn’t surprise me considering what a stellar example of full-bodied togetherness that this piece is.

Anton played by writer, Bianca Yeung, is on a train to meet an estranged friend when she has a manic episode. The train is depicted with a simple yet vibrant set consisting of three double floodlights, and cane chairs with the iconic Sydney Transit blue squiggly velvet seats. Anton is desperately trying to remain upright as she sends voice-notes to friend, Mish, not knowing if Mish will be meeting her at the other end.

The ensemble weave and move around her, engaging in conversations that begin as small talk and progress into more interesting musings. Anton has a bouquet of orange flowers that become more disheveled as she unravels. They are the motif that anchors the passage of time. The set is changed with rhythm and poetry by the actors throughout the show.

The story moves between the present train delay and the past story of Mish and Anton. We discover that Mish was the keeper of Anton’s secrets, she was the one with the directives for what to do and when, and she was often the keeper of this part of Anton. We see the complications of these assigned roles between the two, and how it impacts their friendship over time.

To describe and adequately give voice and understanding to a complex mental health diagnosis such as Bipolar would be incredibly difficult in words, that is where the powerful art of movement and dance breathtakingly fill in some of those gaps. For example; the ensemble close in around Anton during a portrayal of exhaustion. She tries to creep out, reach out and even tries to free Mish in these moments, but she is unheard as she is swallowed by “The Others”.

Sound and light design take a huge amount of credit as a device in this piece as well. We are stagnant and trapped along with Anton in the darkness and we are pulled into the jubilance of the bright highs punctuated by poppy, boppy, music.

It is abundantly clear this piece has involved all creatives building, supporting and creating deep intimacy, which in turn made it inevitable that the audience become deeply invested and intertwined.

It’s a bold and breath-taking culmination of art forms that does great justice to shining some light on an important lived experience. I highly recommend supporting this work.

To book tickets to BiPolar Express, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/bipolar-express/.

Photographer: Nat Cartney

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