What to do with the last days of winter, especially to avoid those nasty August winds, but head for the theatre..?
Casting around for a good cast, google advises Mozart’s Magic Flute, playing at Her Majesty’s in Adelaide. One of the most famous operas ever written, premiering in a suburban Viennese theatre in 1791, featuring flutes, bells, and life affirming lyrics – The Magic Flute is still one of the world’s most popular operas, a mere 235 years later. The genius composer died only two months after opening night, but even then he would have known he had a hit on his hands with his comic opera, full of mythical characters and goodies winning over the baddies.
The Adelaide show is a touring production, which started in Hong Kong. Even if you weren’t an opera buff, the toe tapping music, coupled with an up to the minute setting (an underground metro), and the fast plot twists, makes this Magic Flute an easy listen. Amusing English translations of the spoken dialogue throughout the show bring over the message that love will find you eventually, especially if you give a little yourself. But, don’t trust everything women say….that baddie Queen gives women in power a bad reputation. The show features two Australian opera specialists, the athletic and handsome (aren’t they always?) tenor, Nicholas Jones, as Tamino, and the hilarious Helena Dix, as First Lady, doing the nasty bidding of that fairytale-esq baddie, the Queen of the Night. The commanding appearance and resonant bass voice of Teddie Tahu Rhodes, striding out in a glowing white top hat in Act 2, seals this night out as a sparkler.
To work up to the 2 hour 40 minute show that evening, some exercise during the day was called for. Something energetic enough to beat the chilly temps and grey skies in late August in Adelaide. Highly recommended is the bike path from the central city to the Adelaide Hills. The track is fully sealed, and a dream on e-bikes: a cruisy ride alongside the Torrens River, under the fresh eucalyptus scent from towering gums, weaving in and out of the many dog walkers and joggers on the path. This time of year also delivers an abundance of gorgeous, glowing wattles, drooping their delicate golden glow onto the path.
It’s never difficult to find good dining options in Adelaide. But it was still a very pleasant surprise to find a touch of Valencia, mid way along the bike path. A hearty paella lunch, and goat cheese salad, finished off with an authentic basque cheesecake, was ideal for fuelling up mid way through the strenuous day @casa.picapica. Still in continental mode, an old favourite and great spot for after show drinks and hearty French winter fare is the cosy Le Pas Sage off Hindmarsh Square. Lepassage.com.au
The next day it’s time to head north from some more culture. 40 years since it first toured Australia, Cats is back. The inimitable Todd McKenney stands out in this production at Sydney’s Theatre Royal, playing both Asparagus the Theatre Cat and Bustopher Jones. It’s hard to pick one’s favourite feline in this show, as all the performances are stellar, including the acrobatic Mistoffelees, the sexy Rum Tum Tugger, the naughty Macavity, and the snooty Skimbleshanks. This musical has stood the test of time thanks to its costuming (those cats are so lifelike from head to toe); the libretto – which is from a poetry book by TS Eliot; and the astonishing dancing – none better than the high energy routine from Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie. Cats is touring to Brisbane in February. Www.qpac.com.au
To finish a cultural week-end in style, where better than the Sydney Opera House? And who better, than the gypsy rebel and seductress, Carmen? Bizet’s spanish rhythms coursing through this high energy opera draw one into the surprisingly contemporary story – that of a love triangle that culminates in a tragic murder. Its a red blooded show full of castanets, fearful tarot readings, and high tempers – interspersed with those memorable and well known tunes: the foot stomping “Habanera” at the start of the show, the majestic Toreador Song, and the “Sequidilla” folk dance. This of-the-moment Carmen, plays in Sydney until September 19.
Looking for dining options in Sydney, try out some of the city’s trademark dark and cosy wine bars: The Clam Bar in Bridge Street for insanely good seafood pasta; the newly opened underground hotspot, Neptune’s Grotto; or to keep the mood going after a show, head to the noisy and hectic late night space, The Caterpillar Club in Pitt Street.