Pas de Quatre

Slippers, 314/365
Slippers, 314/365

Tonight at ballet we learned the one of the steps from the dance below. We had a cracker time in our groups of four firstly getting our arms crossed correctly and then of course moving at the same speed. It was one of the most enjoyable routines I’ve done so far.

What made it even more special was the fact that on Friday last week I watched the Royal Ballet’s 2009 production of Swan Lake as part of the film festival that QPAC presented. Sigh. I think I could watch that over and over again.

Suddenly Single

Suddenly Single A couple of weeks ago whilst browsing the QPAC website to see what was upcoming, I stumbled across Suddenly Single on the events calendar. It was billed as a new musical from two Brisbane writers. Tickets were $15. Straight away it ticked three boxes in the reasons why to go column. Last Friday, I had a bite to eat and headed off to QPAC for a night of song and comedic drama about the single life.

What the QPAC website didn’t mention is that that the performance was actually a workshop performance. Whilst I loved the show and will go see it again when it is in full production. I was relatively disappointed when I started reading the program and was advised that it was a workshop performance. I still would have gone if it had been advertised as that but these expectations I had for the show had to be quickly taken down a few levels. Those expectations were most certainly exceeded. From how the program read, rehearsals had only begun the week prior to the performance and that there will be a final script rewrite before the “real” production is staged.

The cast of six (three ladies and three gentlemen) arrived on stage in their blacks with script books in hand and burst into the title song Workin’ Out Your Life and for the next X hours and Y minutes they developed as characters and became seemingly more “at home” in their roles. It was also interesting to see how their voices changed as well, in the first act the ladies sitting beside me had picked one of the men as the better singer of the men but then come the second half, one of the others seemed the better singer. That was interesting. The role of Mary was played by Judy Hainsworth and oh her voice was just gorgeous, it was sweet and deep at the same time. If in the semi-distant future a musical called Suddenly Single comes your way, go check it out!

Water and Fireworks, a dangerous combination

I am sitting at my desk, looking out at the bottle brush, waiting for the family of possums who live in the tree to wake up and start their evening’s play and I just glanced at the corner of my desk and caught my eye on the brochure from the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra concert I went to about ten days ago and thought I really should write about that.

I have every intention of catching the train to QPAC in my refined orchestra listening clothes but time very much got the better of me and the shawl I wanted to wear was at Mum’s place so I ended up driving but I wasn’t going to pay for parking! I parked on the street outside Gambaros at South Brisbane and walked the streets of South Brisbane in my finery instead.

They played three of the Water Music Suites first (D major, HWV 349; G major and minor, HWV 348; F, HWV 348). Which was a reasonable treat but I fully admit I dozed on and off through it (just like I always do in the first half of any performance). After the interval it was time for what I was just begging to see, Music for the Royal Fireworks. The females in the orchestra had changed outfits from black tops with purple skirts to black dresses of a wide variety of styles. It was everything I thought it was going to be and more. The opening strains had me sitting upright in my seat, eyes sparkling as I watched the various sections joining in.

I have no shame in admitting that one of the reasons that I like Music for the Royal Fireworks so much is that at the first concert for the king it featured a nice large number of bassoons ( the superior instrument) and oboes.

It was so great seeing the cellists playing cellos with no endpins, just holding it between their knees. It was also humorous watching the various horn players (all with no valves) constantly empting the spit. One of the cool things was the theorbo player, I had never seen one before it was quite interesting to watch. The funniest thing though was watching the Paul Dyer the founder/artistic director/harpsichord player get really excited during sections and get up from his bench and play with great vigour. It was a fantastic night and I am going to keep an eye out next year to see what the Orchestra offers on their next tour away from Sydney.