Eight Days: What's On In Sydney

Events in Sydney March 23-30 2015!

Sunday March 23

J-pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has also been making a splash on the Western music scene for her catchy ditties like Candy Candy and the outlandish fashion sense that has led her to be dubbed Japan's answer to Lady Gaga.

Tonight's gig had to be moved to the larger venue of the Roundhouse to meet demand. 7pm, UNSW Roundhouse, Anzac Parade, Kensington, $70.70, 132 849, ticketek.com.au.


It's the final day for the Indian cultural festival Holi Mahotsav and it's going out in vibrant style with Colours Day. Visitors can buy plates of brightly hued powder to take part in the traditional practice of colour throwing. Sunday, 11am-7pm, Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, free, holimahotsav.com.au. 

Monday March 24

Street-art exhibition From the Streets (running until April 27) is displaying some of the most cutting-edge pieces from locally and around the globe. Particularly worth a look is the hyper-vivid and dynamic work of Sydney artist Shannon Crees. 11am-4pm, M Contemporary, 37 Ocean Street, Woollahra, free, mcontemp.com.


Tuesday March 25

Previews have begun for the much-anticipated Strictly Ballroom the Musical (running until June 29). The theatrical production promises to be a dazzling affair with Baz Luhrmann directing stars Thomas Lacey and Phoebe Panaretos in the tale of a dancer who flouts convention. 8pm, Sydney Lyric Theatre, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont, $50-$120, 1300 795 267, ticketmaster.com.au.


Wednesday March 26

The Audi Festival of German Films (running until April 10) is kicking off with the opening night flick Banklady, based on the true story of West Germany's first female bank robber, Gisela Werler, who caused chaos in the 1960s. Star Nadeshda Brennicke will be a guest of the festival. 6.30pm, Chauvel Cinema, 249 Oxford Street, Paddington, $60, goethe.de/ozfilmfest.

Thursday March 27

Inspired by Nikolai Gogol's play of the same name, The Government Inspector was devised by director Simon Stone and his cast as a last-minute replacement when Belvoir lost the rights to The Philadelphia Story. The comedy-of-errors plot mimics real life as it follows an ensemble of actors given a new play only weeks before opening night. 8pm, Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills, $48, 9699 3444, belvoir.com.au. Runs until May 18.

Friday March 28

The CropFest pop-up is setting up a night of culinary masterclasses to create a fruit and vegetable feast while also fighting food waste. Aaron Teece and Richard Robinson, head chefs at Studio Neon, are on board to teach how to best respect the farm-direct produce, with any leftovers going to feed the disadvantaged through OzHarvest. 5.30pm-10pm, St Mary's Cathedral Square, St Marys Road, city, $25, youthfoodmovement.org.au/cropfest.


Saturday March 29

For this year's Earth Hour catch a screening of the documentary It's Lights Out for the Reef at this candle-lit family picnic. There will also be a live performance from Newcastle folk band Benjalu and a candle installation created at Manly Cove. 6pm-9.30pm, Manly Council Chambers Forecourt, 1 Belgrave Street, Manly, free, earthhour.org.au.

Sunday March 30

Feminist festival All About Women will take over Sydney Opera House for a day of discussion and empowerment. International guests include cartoonist Alison Bechdel, author Lucy Siegle and activist Ilwad Elman. 8.30am-9pm, Opera House, from $25, 9250 7777, sydneyoperahouse.com.

Hot spot

Inner-city families should get along to the opening of Jubilee Park, a new playground designed by landscape architect Sue Barnsley with a sandpit, swings and handcrafted cubby house. Lord Mayor Clover Moore will officially launch the space on Saturday with free entertainment and refreshments. Saturday, 11am-1pm, Jubilee Park, corner of Eglinton and Northcote roads, Glebe, free, cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/whatson.

Next week

Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Bernadette Peters is dipping into her vast songbook to perform selections from Stephen Sondheim and Rodgers and Hammerstein. April 2-4, Theatre Royal, 108 King Street, city, $109-$129, 1300 723 038, ticketmaster.com.au.

Next month
Arch funnyman Julian Clary will pack his case full of double entendres for the Sydney Comedy Festival. His show Position Vacant: Apply Within has him on the hunt for a suitable husband. April 22, State Theatre, 49 Market Street, city, $69.90, 136 100, sydneycomedyfest.com.au.

Out of your comfort zone

It's the return of Meat Free Week from March 24 to 30. Give up the steaks, sausages and seafood for seven days to raise funds for charities including Bowel Cancer Australia, The Australian Conservation Foundation and Voiceless. See meatfreeweek.org to learn more and get meat-free recipes from Simon Bryant and Bill Granger. - See more at: http://sydneycbdhotels.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/eight-days-whats-on-in-sydney.html#sthash.G8FNdXxM.dpuf

The Black Keys 2015 Australian Tour

The Black Keys return to Australia off the back of their successful 8th full-length album Turn Blue.

As part of the Turn Blue World Tour, the band will perform in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide. They will also headline Bluesfest Byron Bay and will be the first artists to play at the inaugural Rolling Green events, from A Day On The Green promoter Roundhouse Entertainment, at wineries in Victoria’s Yarra Valley and the Hunter Valley NSW.

The tour celebrates the duo’s success with Turn Blue, which debuted on both the Billboard 200 and ARIA Charts at Number 1 and is the band’s highest charting album to date internationally. The album debuted in Top 5 and Top 10 charts worldwide with the first single “Fever” sitting at the top of radio lists. Their latest single “Gotta Get Away” can currently be heard on the airwaves.

The album was produced by Danger Mouse and The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. Turn Blue follows the critically and commercially acclaimed album El Camino which is now certified double platinum in Australia. El Camino spawned the huge hits “Lonely Boy” and “Gold On The Ceiling” and also saw the band take home three Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album.

Date: Friday, 10 April 2015

Start time: 8:00pm

Where: Qantas Credit Union Arena

Address: 35 Harbour Street, Darling Harbour NSW 2000

Tickets: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=BLACKKEY15&v=MCO

Source: www.qantascreditunionarena.com.au/Events/Events%20Detail/The_Black_Keys.aspx

Sydney to Steal Melbourne Grand Prix Under $180 Million Plan by Premier Mike Baird

Formula 1 Race Car in Sydney -Image: Joseph Gale

AN audacious bid to bring the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix to Sydney and possibly race it across the Harbour Bridge will be launched by a ­­­re-elected Baird government.

Premier Mike Baird will today announce that, if ­­re-elected on March 28, work would start on taking the Grand Prix off Melbourne.

Mr Baird would establish a bid team featuring Rod ­McGeoch, who led Sydney’s successful 2000 Olympics bid, and former News Corp CEO John Hartigan, the chairman of Destination NSW. The team would report to government by the end of the year on the economics of the race.

It is understood the Premier is interested in a minimum three-year bid which would cost NSW taxpayers up to $180 million to stage the event.

One option is for the event to race across the Harbour Bridge, back through the ­Cahill Expressway past the Conservatorium of Music and then down Bridge Street on to York Street in an approximately 5km circuit — about the same length as that of ­Melbourne’s Albert Park.

If the bridge were used, chicanes would have to be installed to ensure the cars went slower because the shape of the bridge’s road surface would otherwise cause the cars to lift up.

The CBD would be shut down for the race, which would see F1 stars such as ­Australia’s Red Bull ace Daniel Ricciardo doing high-speed battle over the harbour.

It is understood the ­government has plans to set up a street circuit similar to ­Monaco and Singapore.

The key would be to feature the Harbour Bridge and Opera House as part of the race to a worldwide television audience.

A public holiday would likely be created on the Friday of the event, if it came to Sydney, to get everyone into the spirit.

Mr McGeoch and Mr Hartigan will examine all aspects of a potential bid — including cost to taxpayers, benefits to the economy, infrastructure implications and potential routes. The Australian Grand Prix runs in March, with this year’s race run this weekend.

Daniel Ricciardo driving at the 2014 Australian Formula One Grand Prix - Source Dailytelegraph.com.au

Victoria’s contract expires in 2020 but a decision on an Australian host city is expected to be made by the Formula One governing body in 2018.

The bid would take ­advantage of the fact that the man who helped negotiate its transfer from Adelaide to ­Melbourne in 1996, Ron ­Walker, has just stood down as head of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

“I want the Formula One to come to Sydney, because no other city in the world could provide a more spectacular backdrop for this event,” Premier Mike Baird said.

“We know this event is watched by up to 30 million people around the world, and securing the Grand Prix would put our already successful events strategy in pole position.

“But we need to get all the facts, before we move to bid stage. Rod McGeoch and John Hartigan are the right people to make this happen.”

Last month, the government announced it would top up its major events budget by $123 million if elected with hopes for an American National Football League (NFL) game, another Major League Baseball game, a National Basketball Association game or the F1 for Sydney. The extra money would take the major events budget to $643 million.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews ordered his major events teams to reconsider how his state attracts events after the NSW government successfully snared more than 130 sporting, cultural and lifestyle events in 2014, injecting more than $500 million into the state.

The 2014 Australian Grand Prix drew an ­attendance of 314,900.

The Grand Prix moved to Melbourne in 1996 after 10 years in Adelaide but it has always attracted ­controversy, especially from the residents near the Albert Park circuit.

View Source Article

Les Miserables at Capitol Theatre Sydney | Arrives Next Week!

Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production of Boublil & Schönberg's legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES, will open at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre in March 2015.

The new production features glorious modernised staging, orchestrations and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. It has been praised by critics, fans and new audiences, breaking box office records internationally and inspiring filmmakers to make the outstandingly successful movie which went on to win 3 Oscar’s®, 3 Golden Globes® and 4 BAFTAs.

Playing the iconic role of Jean Valjean is established actor and musical theatre star Simon Gleeson. NIDA-trained Hayden Tee will play Valjean’s lifelong antagonist Javert while starring as Fantine is Patrice Tipoki. Playing Madame Thénardier is Lara Mulcahy and joining her in the role of Monsieur Thénardier is Australian theatre and cabaret favourite, Trevor Ashley.

Recent WAAPA graduates Kerrie Anne Greenland and Emily Langridge play Eponineand Cosette respectively. Chris Durling takes on the role of the passionate student leader of the revolution, Enjolras and Euan Doidge plays Marius the love struck revolutionary.

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century revolutionary France, LES MISÉRABLES is a much loved blockbuster musical which has been seen by over 65 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 22 languages, LES MISÉRABLES is undisputedly one of the most popular musicals of all time. Having won more than 100 major awards around the world it has been hailed as the most stirring, moving musical ever.

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, it is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream”, “On My Own”, “Stars”, “Bring Him Home”, “Do You Hear the People Sing?”, “One Day More”, “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, “Master of the House” and many more.

This new production of LES MISÉRABLES made a triumphant return to Broadway earlier this year.

“Refreshing, rethought and every bit as epic.” Chicago Tribune
“A sizzling Les Mis for the 21st century ...” The Huffington Post

Metro Hotel Sydney Central is offering an ideal Capitol Theatre Show Accommodation Hot Deal

View more information about this show at Capitol Theatre

Sydney Secures Multi-Year Deal for Seven's World Series

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Sydney Secures Multi-Year Deal for Seven's World Series

The Australian Rugby Union today announced Sydney will be the home of the Australian leg of the Sevens World Series for the next four years from the 2015-16 season.

The Sydney Sevens will take place at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park, with dates of the event to be confirmed by World Rugby at the end of the month.

Currently in its 16th season, the Sevens World Series consists of nine tournaments held around the world, in which national Sevens teams compete for World Series points at each round. Fast-paced and thrilling, the inaugural Sydney Sevens will take place just a matter of months before Rugby Sevens makes its debut at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "With excitement increasing ahead of Rio 2016, the World Rugby Sevens Series has been going from strength to strength, proving a hit with fans, broadcasters and sponsors around the globe with its winning blend of compelling and competitive action, global destinations and festival atmosphere.

“Sydney is one of the world’s iconic cities, a sports-mad city with an exceptional record of attracting and hosting major events like Rugby World Cup and the Olympic Games. Sydney’s inclusion within a stellar Series hosting line-up is exciting for players and fans and underscores the strength of the rugby sevens brand in the global sporting marketplace.

“I have no doubt that the Sydney Sevens will inspire new audiences and participants and contribute to the continued strong growth of the game in Australia and around the world.”

ARU CEO Bill Pulver said: “We are thrilled to be able to bring Rugby Sevens to Sydney. We truly believe that Sydney has the potential to match the excitement surrounding tournaments like Hong Kong, Twickenham and Wellington in terms of event experience and crowd numbers.

“Sydney is an iconic city known across the world for its cultural diversity, outdoor lifestyle and stunning tourist attractions. It is a terrific fit for an event that traditionally attracts an audience from a variety of different nationalities and backgrounds.

“There is little doubt the area in and around Moore Park lends itself to Rugby Sevens. We had a stadium record crowd at Allianz Stadium in June with plenty of exciting Test Rugby on the field, and wonderful off-field entertainment at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

“Growing Rugby, particularly the Sevens format of our game, is critical to our long-term objectives as we strive to ignite passion in the next generation of players and fans. Globally, the game is in an exciting spot with Rugby Sevens part of the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 program.”

The NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, submitted the successful bid to the ARU.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Troy Grant, said the event would be a great addition to the Sydney events calendar.

“This announcement means the Sevens World Series now comes to the home of Australian sport, Sydney, and our Harbour City joins a host of iconic cities as a host venue for one of the world’s most exciting and entertaining annual sporting events,” Mr Grant said.

“With a large number of travelling fans expected, the Sydney Sevens will provide a major boost to the local economy, and assist in the NSW Government’s goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020.”

Australian Director of Rugby Sevens Geraint John, said: “I have already experienced first-hand the passion Sydneysiders have for Rugby, whether it be through their support for the national team, their state or club Rugby.

“I speak on behalf of the entire Men’s Sevens program when I say that we are looking forward immensely to playing in front of our home crowd in Sydney. It is always a thrill to play in front of your own people. I have attended plenty of Rugby across the world – both as a player and coach - and I truly believe Sydney will rival the very best of them.”

Olivia Wirth, Group Executive Brand, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Qantas, said: “As the Official Partner of the ARU and the naming rights partner of the Australian Men’s and Women’s Sevens teams, we are very excited that Sydney will feature on the World Rugby Sevens Series calendar. This is great news for Australian tourism and the wider sporting community. We look forward to helping fans from around the world cheer on their teams and enjoy all that Australia has to offer.”

The Sydney Sevens is supported by the New South Wales Government, through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

Taste of Sydney 2015

Taste of Sydney, in partnership with Electrolux returns to Centennial Park this March 12th-15th to serve up Sydney’s Unmissable Foodie Garden Party.

Rub shoulders with Sydney’s top chefs and like minded foodies as you graze through your dream tasting menu designed by Sydney’s latest, greatest and hottest restaurants. Test your culinary skills in hands on cooking classes, join a round table discussion with the city’s movers and shakers, sample wines in premium tastings or simply relax with a glass of bubbly and soak up the festival atmosphere. With all that’s on, Taste of Sydney offers a full foodie experience that celebrates Sydney’s unique dining scene.

Taste of Sydney is a stunning celebration of Sydney’s unique and progressive dining scene. Over four indulgent days the city’s latest, greatest and hottest restaurants will each fashion together 3-4 exquisite signature dishes in ‘taste’ sized portions, allowing you to create your dream tasting menu at the ultimate foodie festival.

About Taste

Choose dishes from Sydney’s hottest restaurants and mingle with award-winning chefs and like-minded foodies as you browse through hand-picked premium food and drink producers, take part in one of the many interactive foodie attractions or simply relax and enjoy live entertainment in the stunning surrounds of Centennial Park.

How Does It All Work?

Taste of Sydney operates much like a restaurant with lunch and dinner services. There are 6 sessions running over the 4 days, each lasting between 4 – 5 hours (session dependent) to give you time to enjoy your pick of over 60 restaurant dishes, browse the artisan stalls and enjoy the many attractions. Tickets are valid for one session only, click here to pick the session of your choice!

Source: www.tasteofsydney.com.au

Glenn Miller Orchestra Concert Spectacular | Sydney Melbourne

The Glenn Miller Orchestra returns by overwhelming popular demand for this concert spectacular, to honour the year of the ANZAC Centenary. 

Featuring America’s finest musicians together with the Moonlight Serenade Singers and The Broadway Swing Dancers, the concert will pay tribute to the spirit of ANZAC including a special feature of music and songs from the years of the Great War. 

All the famous Glenn Miller classics will be performed by the Orchestra playing the original music arrangements; timeless icons of American culture such as Chattanooga Choo Choo, A String Of Pearls, Tuxedo Junction, Moonlight Serenade, Little Brown Jug and the greatest Miller hit of all time, In The Mood.

Remembering the Centenary of Anzac

It is fitting that the Glenn Miller Orchestra is returning in 2015, the year of the Centenary of Anzac. 

Major Glenn Miller served in the United States Army Air Force from 1942 until his untimely death on December 15th 1944 when he was travelling to entertain US troops in France; his aircraft disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel. 

Glenn Miller recorded many memorable hots from the 1914 to 1918 period which the orchestra will perform in tribute to the ANZACS. 

‘My Buddy’ – ‘Over There’ – ‘Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag’ – ‘If You Were The Only Girl In The World’ and many more. 

THE UNFORGETTABLE MUSIC OF THE 1940’S FROM THE GOLDEN ERA OF SWING

“An evening of nostalgia…unforgettable music; an absolutely brilliant concert” 
– The Australian Stage

Show Venues and Dates:

May 31st, 2015 WIN Entertainment Centre, NSW 2PM Glenn Miller Orchestra

June 20th, 2015 State Theatre, Sydney, NSW 2PM Glenn Miller Orchestra

June 20th, 2015 State Theatre, Sydney, NSW 7.30PM Glenn Miller Orchestra

Friday June 05, 2015 Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall 7.30PM Glenn Miller Orchestra

Saturday June 13, 2015 Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall 2.30PM Glenn Miller Orchestra

Find out more and purchase tickets to this event at Ticket Master