What’s On Guide May '18

Arts Reviews

MELT: Festival of Queer Arts and CultureWhat'sBest inBrisbane

PROFILE

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PROFILE

MELT: Festival of Queer Arts and Culture returns from 17-27 May 2018 at Brisbane Powerhouse to celebrate Brisbane’s wonderfully diverse queer communities. Brisbane’s LGBTI+ voice is loud and clear, bursting with pride, humour, humanity and rebellion. The community is bounding towards equality in many vital aspects of life and MELT is a vehicle for these leaps. Don’t miss an exciting and colourful program of theatre, cabaret, dance, discussions, visual arts and music, including the return of the Briefs boys with Close Encounters, Paul Capsis taking on Quentin Crisp in Resident Alien, Brisbane’s premiere of cult musical BARE, Robert Webb and Benjamin Law discussing

MELT 17-27 May 2018

masculinity, Aly Loren sharing stories of human fluidity in Share My Blankets, and a free party paying homage to the legendary Leigh Bowery. Take part in this celebration of our diverse and creative LGBTI+ community. Book now brisbanepowerhouse.org.Brisbane Powerhouse thanks our MELT 2018 partners: Queensland Government, Herbert Smith Freehills, Queensland AIDS Council, JCDecaux, The Johnson (Art Series Hotel Group) and QNews.

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We Will Rock You26th May – 11th August 2018 Brisbane Arts Theatreartstheatre.com.au A small band of bohemians struggles to restore free expression of thought, fashion and live music in a distant future where everyone dresses, thinks and acts the same. We Will Rock You features 24 of Queen’s legendary hits including; We Are The Champions, Radio Ga Ga, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Somebody to Love, Killer Queen, Under Pressure Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites The Dust and of course, We Will Rock You.

Leave behind the crowds. Seen by over 16 million people in 28 countries, We Will Rock You returns to Brisbane on your favourite small stage, Brisbane Arts Theatre. There’ll be fat-bottomed girls, devils, queens and Bohemians all doing the fandango. Dress up and sing along. Be part of one of the greatest shows you’ll ever see!

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Briefs:Close Encounters23 May – 2 JunePowerhouse Theatre, Brisbane PowerhouseBriefs return to Brisbane with Close Encounters. They’ve come from the future to test the limits of masculinity and decency with their iconic brand of circus, drag, burlesque and comedy. Expect interstellar aerials, incredible artistry, sharp social commentary and warp-speed strippers from outer space. Prepare yourselves for a close encounter.

Restricted to ages 16 and over, look forward to colourful language, bare bodies and grown up content. This show sold out last year, so get your tickets before it sells out again. Book now at brisbanepowerhouse.org.

Presented by Brisbane Powerhouse. A Briefs Company production.

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4SeasonsExpressions Dance Companywith CCDC (Hong Kong)14 – 22 June 2018Playhouse, QPACwww.qpac.com.au 136 246 Expressions Dance Company (EDC) and Hong Kong’s City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) unite to present the Australian premiere of 4Seasons, a compelling triple bill showcasing stunning new contemporary dance works. These fresh new works created by Natalie Weir (Artistic Director, EDC), Dominic Wong (Assistant Artistic Director, CCDC) and Helpmann Award-winning

choreographer Kristina Chan bring together 20 dancers from the EDC and CCDC ensembles for a truly international event showcasing world-class artistry and exhilarating physicality. Featuring moments from celebrated minimalist composer Max Richter (Woolf Works, The Royal Ballet) melded with Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, this uplifting triple bill brings sublime choreography, dance, music and lighting to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).

Presented by EDC, CCDC and QPAC.

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PetrushkaQueensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra25 May 2018 7.30pmConservatorium TheatreUnder the baton of guest conductor Fabian Russell, the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra presents an exciting program including Ravel’s choreographic poem for orchestra La Valse, Debussy’s evocative Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun, inspired by the Stéphane Mallarmé poem, and Stravinsky’s iconic 1911 ballet Petrushka, which tells the story of love and jealousy

Originally a Ballet burlesque in 4 scenes, Petrushka tells the fanciful and ultimately heartbreaking story of unrequited love between 3 puppets. Stravinsky's score for Petrushka is one of the most magical in literature borrowing folk tunes, using bi-tonal chords and seductive melodies, stitched together with seamless orchestration. Working with the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra for the first time, Conductor Fabian Russell has an impressive career spanning 25 years within the Australian classical music industry as a conductor, Artistic Director, teacher and soloist.

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Disney’s Mulan JR19 May – 21 Jul 2018Brisbane Arts Theatreartstheatre.com.auBased on Disney’s Oscar-nominated film, Disney's Mulan JR. is a heart-warming celebration of culture, honour and the fighting spirit. With a girl-hero (who isn’t a princess), hit songs and a story packed with action, humour and heart, Disney's Mulan JR. brings ancient China to life with a modern take. The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous dragon sidekick, Mushu, to save the Emperor!

Defying the village matchmaker, Mulan takes up arms and disguises herself as a boy in order to spare her father from having to serve in the army. As the great battle with the Huns approaches, Mulan must choose between revealing her true identity as a girl or saving all of China with her clever plan. One of Australia’s busiest theatre companies, Brisbane Arts Theatre also inspires young performers in their Children’s Theatre Season, as the cast come and meet their adoring fans after each show. This is a 50-year tradition, much loved by generations of Brisbane audiences at the iconic theatre on Petrie Terrace.

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BAREMay 24th - June 2nd 2018Brisbane Powerhouse,Visy Theatre understudyproductions.comBARE - A contemporary pop rock LGBTQI musical follows a group of high school students at Catholic boarding school grappling with their sexuality. While being taught to repress their feelings, Peter and Jason have fallen in love. Jason, a popular athlete, fears losing his family, status and life as he knows it if he is discovered to be gay. As the group attempts to put on a production of Romeo and Juliet, tensions flare, self-doubt simmers, and God’s path seems more difficult to find than ever.

Featuring Jenny Woodward, one of QLD’s most loved and longest running television weather present-ers (ABC) playing Peter’s mother Claire. With an outstanding creative team and a stellar cast including fourteen of Brisbane’s best young per-formers, BARE will blow you away with its sung through score, youthful energy, heart pounding lyrics, and its utterly honest look at the dangers of baring your soul, and the consequences of continuing to hide.

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TheMathematics of LongingA life-affirming adventureof the sublime.2 – 23 June 2018laboite.com.auThe Mathematics of Longing is a poignant illustration of science and humanity, tackling first loves, love lost, family tragedy and the triumph of the human spirit through a series of vignettes. This production invites audiences to “think outside the square”, according to multi-award winner, and no stranger to La Boite, writer Suzie Miller.

Equal parts whimsical and sobering, The Mathematics of Longing is realised by a distinguished cross-disciplinary collective helmed by The Farm’s Kate Harman and Gavin Webber (The Ninth Wave; Tide), La Boite Artistic Director and CEO Todd MacDonald, and powerhouse performers Ngoc Phan (A Streetcar Named Desire; The Village) and Merlynn Tong (Blue Bones), with sound design by Regurgitator’s Ben Ely and set design by Brisbane-based visual artist Ross Manning. The Mathematics of Longing receives its world premiere at La Boite’s Roundhouse Theatre 2 - 23 June. Tickets from $30.

The Mathematics of Longing is a co-production with The Farm and The Uncertainty Principle. Production Partner Philip Bacon Galleries.

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Beautiful: The Carole King MusicalFrom 13 July 2018 Presented by Michael Cassel GroupQPAC’s Lyric Theatre Brisbane beautifulmusical.com.auBroadway sensation, BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL opens July 13 at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC.

The 1960’s in New York was an extraordinary moment in music history. Hundreds of songwriters followed their dreams to 1650 Broadway and the Brill building

in hope of writing a hit for the biggest acts in the industry. At 16, Carole King was one of those writers. Featuring hit songs including (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, I Feel The Earth Move, You’ve Got A Friend, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, and Locomotion, BEAUTIFUL tells the inspirational true story of Carole King’s remarkable rise from teenage songwriter to global superstar. She fought her way into the record business as a schoolgirl but it wasn’t until her personal life began to crack that she finally found her true voice and

went on to become one of the most successful solo artists in pop music history. With over 30 incredible hits from this great songwriting era, Beautiful is a guaranteed great night out that will make you laugh, cry and cheer for more!

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Until 15 July 20189.30am to 5.00pm dailyqm.qld.gov.auMind melting illusions, sensory sensations, playing with perception, and discovering the world inside your head are all part of the exhibition Perception Deception. Is what we see, hear and feel real? Challenge your sensory signals and explore how your brain perceives the things and people around you. Discover how people may perceive the same

thing in a different way and that reality is not what it seems. Test your balance while walking along a path wearing special glasses, make your arms feel like they are floating, see into infinity and watch a ball disappear in mid-air. Explore your visual, multisensory, social and audio-language perception. Perception Deception is the ultimate hands-on, minds-on exhibition of mind trickery to test and fool your perceptions.Book now and discover more at qm.qld.gov.auTickets: $5 per personQueensland MuseumCorner Melbourne and Grey St, South Brisbane

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Lifestyle: a sunshine state of mindOpen daily until21 October 2018Free exhibitionState Library of Queensland lifestyle.slq.qld.gov.au #SLQlifestyleShowcasing a range of State Library of Queensland’s rare and restricted collection items, the exhibition Lifestyle: a sunshine state of mind explores how Queenslanders have pursued meaningful and rewarding lives since the late 1800s. Participatory and thought-

provoking, it explores the myriad of ideas and identities that are quintessentially Queensland. Lifestyle delves into the quirks of the Queensland sensibility through the themes of wellbeing, home, expression, play, community and hope. The exhibition features a mesmerising collection of curios and heritage items including original artworks from Queensland’s early expressionist painters, quirky tourism posters from the 1950s, and vast collections of early home movies. Lifestyle: a sunshine state of mind takes the concept of lifestyle and the context of Queensland, and draws them together to present an interactive,

participatory exhibition against a unique sunshine state backdrop. In the process, it aims to challenge stereotypes, provoke thought and engagement, and shape ideas and stories about what the future of Queensland lifestyle might hold.

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UndercurrentsQueensland Youth SymphonyConductor John Curro AM MBE26 May 2018 7pm QPAC Concert Hall qyo.org.au/undercurrents

KATS-CHERNIN Night and Now Soloist Sally WalkerDEBUSSY La MerSHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5

Flautist Sally Walker joins the Queensland Youth Symphony to perform the virtuosic concerto, Night and Now, written especially for her by Elena Kats-Chernin. La Mer is one of Debussy’s most admired and enduring works. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 is the composer’s most popular symphony with a powerful and captivating musical language.

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra: Bach and His World 31 May 2018 7pm QPACmusicaviva.com.au/tafelmusikThis fascinating story uses a blend of spoken word, sound and stunning projected video to transport you to Eighteenth Century Europe. Discover the artisans who made Bach’s music possible on this journey from the moment of inspiration right through to performance. Returning to Australia with their new music director Elisa Citterio, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra cement their place as one of the world’s leading period music experts with this unique concert experience.

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