JOHN Denver, one of America’s most treasured musical icons, is brought to life in an Australian written and produced show starring Rick Price and The Colorado Quartet.
Rick Price as John Denver
OF his 24 albums released on the RCA label during his lifetime, 14 were certified gold, but Denver’s private life was not so golden. Written by Australian Jim McPherson, author of the Johnny Cash show ‘The Man in Black’, ‘The John Denver Story’ includes songs like ‘Thank God I’m a Country Boy’, ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ and ‘Rocky Mountain High.’ Today, Thursday, 21 May at 8pm in The Playhouse, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.
ACT Latin American Seniors Inc. are celebrating their 25th anniversary this Saturday May 23 from 7-11pm in St Johns’ Hall Church, corner of Constitution Avenue and Anzac Park, Reid, with a Latin Fiesta to raise money for their activities. There’ll be a family ambience, dancing performances from Baila Chile, Momposina Colombia and Manquehue Chile, and music by Sabor Latino. Bookings to Aida at 0401 7677 69 or Gabby at 0421 3436 18 or tickets at the door.
NEWCASTLE Youth Orchestra
NEWCASTLE Youth Orchestra are in town at 3pm on this Saturday 23 May to present a concert at St Paul’s Manuka featuring the premiere of the first movement of “Symphony in A minor” (subtitled “Earth”) a work by Canberra oboist Christopher Pantelidis, who studied at Hawker College, played with Canberra Youth Orchestra and worked with the Young Music Society, before moving to Newcastle to complete his tertiary studies in Music at the University of Newcastle. The concert also introduces audiences of all ages to the orchestra with works by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Bartok. Tickets at the door.
Richard Parrish, Tapestry (detail) Kiln formed glass
THE Glass Workshop at the ANU has American artist and architect Richard Parrish in Canberra. Parrish operates a studio for kiln-glass in Montana, USA, and teaches kiln-forming classes around the world. He’s at the Lecture Theatre, School of Art, ANU today, Thursday 21 May, at 5.30pm to talk about his practice, ideas and experiences. Afterwards everyone’s heading for a drink at the Wig and Pen in Llewellyn Hall.
The Marvellous Miz Demeanours
THOSE wonderfully wacky vocalists, the Marvellous Miz Demeanours, present “Play with that!” this Saturday May 23 at the Canberra Southern Cross Club 92-96 Corinna Street, Woden. The Miz Demeanours are vocalists MizChief (Karen Strahan), MizHap (Gaye Reid), MizConduct (Jill Walsh) and MizGiving (Lisa McClelland) supported by vocalist/pianist John Hill and drummer Ben Schumann and they’re inspired by the likes of Bette Midler, Duke Ellington, Liza Minnelli and Rosemary Clooney Tickets at the club or bookings to premier.ticketek.com.au
VANUATU may be off the front page but it’s still rebuilding after the devastation of Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam in March. There’s a Band Aid fundraising concert for Vanuatu People with Disability featuring Zambezi Sounds, this Saturday 23 May at 8pm in the Polish White Eagle Club David St Turner. Tickets at the door.
THE Drill Hall Gallery at the ANU has “Australian Paintings from the James and Jacqui Erskine Collection” officially opening today Thursday 21 May 2015 at 6pm. The show runs until 28 June, 12 – 5pm Wednesday to Sunday. This Friday 22 May at 12 noon James Erskine will be in conversation with Terence Maloon.
THIS Saturday, 23 May in Wesley Music Centre at 2pm, Alicia Crossley presents “Alchemy”, featuring works that have been transformed into masterpieces for the recorder, ranging from Bach’s famous Cello Suite No. 1 to the “avant-pop” stylings of JacobTV. Bookings to trybooking.com/GYUW or at the door.
Camilla Blunden, photo Lorna Sim
CAMILLA Blunden’s new one-woman play about ageing, “All This Living” devised through focus groups with older women is a solo piece, developed through The Street’s Hive program. She tells the story of Jay, a self-styled “invisible shrinking woman”. At The Street Theatre, until May 31, bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.
THE 14th annual Audi festival of German films, is coming up at Palace Cinemas until May 31. In its 14th annual season, the festival is aimed to showcase the breadth, dynamism and creativity of the German film industry. All details at goethe.de and bookings to palacecinemas.com.au
WESLEY Music Scholars’ Autumn Concert is coming up this Sunday 24 May at 3pm in Wesley Music Centre with performers Mia Huang, on piano, Helena Popovic, on violin; Louise Keast, cello & voice, Jade McFaul, voice; Dominic Hill , on cello and Jonathan Lee, on organ. Tickets at the door.
Karin Schaupp , photo Monty Coles
GUITAR virtuoso, Karin Schaupp joins actor/director, Tama Matheson to present “Don Juan”, a tale about the outrageous Lord Byron and his hero, the seducer Don Juan. Matheson is currently director of Classic Productions Theatre Company in Brisbane, and artistic director of the Brisbane Shakespeare Festival. At The Street Theatre, Saturday 23 May at 8pm, bookings to www.thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.
Hazel Edwards
HAZEL Edwards, author of many books for children, including “There’s a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake”, will be ‘Hippopotomusing’ about her new memoir, “Not just a piece of cake – Being an Author” from 5pm – 7.30pm this Friday, May 22, at ALIA House 9 Napier Close, Deakin.. There will be time to speak with Edwards over refreshments, ask questions and have books signed. We will also have a display of items from the Archives’ research collection relating to her work. Booking is essential to trishmilne@gmail.com
Dam 2014, paint on cardboard
ANNIKA Harding’s “DAMN” is an exhibition of paintings on cardboard exploring landscapes in stages of destruction, construction and activity. CCAS Director David Broker says, “Harding’s landscape paintings on cardboard reflect an unsettling space between beauty and degradation. This is some of Annika’s best contentious environmental work yet.” At Canberra Contemporary Art Space, City Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Corner London Circuit and Hobart Place, until June 27, Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm Saturday 9am to 1pm.
The tenors
‘FIVE Fabulous Tenors’ is entrepreneur Carl Rafferty’s latest ‘Opera by Candlelight’ venture at Albert Hall and runs Friday/Saturday/Sunday May 22/23/24. There’ll be the ‘Drinking Song’ from “The Student Prince” and the biggest, highest and mightiest rendition of ‘Nessun Dorma’ you can imagine. For details visit http://operabycandlelight.net/five-fabulous-tenors-All seats $80, including champagne supper on Friday and Sunday, and a selection of good wine with your booking for the Saturday Banquet (groups of 4 or more). Bookings to raffertycarl@internode.on.net
photograph by photojournalist David Hancock
AN exhibition of photographs by Darwin photojournalist David Hancock is at Nishi Gallery in New Acton, a collaboration with Warddeken Land Management Limited, which manages the 13,000 square kilometres Warddeken Indigenous Protected area, where only a small percentage of many thousands of rock art images have been recorded. The images in the show, which opens at 6pm this Friday 22 May and runs until June 14, tell us what indigenous artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries found fascinating or amusing in observing explorers, gold miners, buffalo hunters and their animals and technologies. The Show will be opened by Warddeken Director and leader of the Nabarlek Band Terah Guymala, together with Gavin Namarnylk, representing the Mok clan of his grandfather Lofty Bardayal Nadjamerrek.
Claire Primrose work
KERRY Johns’ landscape paintings in her current show entitled ‘Forest Subjective’ at Form Studio and Gallery, in Aurora St Queanbeyan. And runs with an exhibition of works by gallery owner Claire Primrose. Runs until 31 May, weekdays 9.30-2.30 and weekends 10-4.
THE Salt Room, a brand new curated series of poetry evenings presented by BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! and Ainslie & Gorman Arts Centres. The first of these takes place tomorrow, Friday, 22 May. Unlike a poetry slam, which moves at a fast pace in a noisy bar, The Salt Room will take place in a more intimate setting that focuses solely on the poetry. Producer and poet Andrew Galan will be performing on the night.
Drawings by Michaela Laurie
“FAR horizons” is an exhibition of mixed media drawings by Michaela Laurie showing until 14 June at Humble House Gallery, 93 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick Wed-Sun 10am – 4pm. “My current art practice involves “painting’ with coloured pencils combined with pen and ink on 300gsm watercolour paper. I love the immediacy of working with pencils,” the artist says.
GRANDE’S cafe in The Lawns in Manuka is exhibiting some of Pamela Scott-Child’s new drawings and collages based on the bush landscape around Lilli Pilli on the south coast. The exhibition “The Landscape-the way I see it” runs until June 16.
Gosia Orzechowska, Untitled. Mixed media on canvas
TUGGERANONG Arts Centre presents an all-female cast of artists in “Identities and From Far and Beyond,” an exhibition featuring works by Gosia Orzechowska and Claire Wastiaux. The works and exhibition title reflect the diverse backgrounds of Orzechowska (originally from Poland), and Wastiaux (from France). As well, there is “Identities,” a group exhibition presented by the Embassy of Ecuador of works by 6 artists, Christine Chemin, Ximena Coello, Alba Lucia Erazo Almeida, Maria Augusta Fernandez de Cordova, Salome Lalama and Elizabeth Taipe, from the Achala Art Collective. Both exhibitions continue until May 30.
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