Queenie & Peanut

 These days it is frowned on to have animals at the Circus.  Not sure if it is too different from a zoo. I guess zoo animals are not performing but are just observed.  In any case we took Asher to a Circus inside the State Theatre.  They spent the first hour putting up the tent and the second hour they were in their costumes for the show.  Asher was the perfect age to be amazed by all the action.  It was a big day with trains to and fro as well as lunch while floating on the Yarra.  The customary side shows were there and trapeze artists but the highlight was the elephants.  Altogether there were 7 puppeteers for two elephants all while Asher had the best view from her booster seat.

TinkerBell flies again

 For the 2nd time we were off to the spiegeltent to see Peter Pan go toe to toe with Capn Hook.  We had a better view from the third row than from the reserved booth at the back.  Estelle was very enthralled with the whole thing and paid attention for most of the hour.  Afterwards she took to the Ferris wheel as easy as you like.  She is a bit of a daredevil.  The adults enjoyed the show just as much as the kids. Estelle has been picking strawberries and lemons with me out the back. She ate most of the strawbs and bit into the lemon rind.  Now that's a flavour full.

strawberry feels 

tink does her tink

Look at that

Never Land in Wonderland

 We have been to the Spiegeltent on a few occasions and this time it was for the kids.  The classic Peter Pan was on with six performers who were mostly acrobats but who did get out the guitars towards the end.  Asher and Evie were a good age for thisd show and when Capt Hook got eaten by the Crocodile Evie puts up her hands like "Where did he go?"   The pub meal afterwards was probably just a bit to long for Asher but Evie had a good afternoon sleep earlier so she was ready for anything, although I don't think she was to impressed by the ferris wheel she went on.

decking out the deck chairs

Ferris Wheeling

A make believe booth

Tinker Bell

down ward dog

Kate Ceberano belts it out

Its not bad when you can wander down to the local park at Barwon Heads and there is a big tent near the SeaChange bridge. It was a sold out show with around 600 to 700 of us inside to hear Kate Ceberano. This was a good rollicking rolling show with Aussie tunes of hers and covers of Divinyls. She paid tribute to Chrissie Amphlett especially being a singer from Geelong.  Throw in a pub meal before hand just across the road and you  have a good night out.

House of Mirrors

Spiegels & Wonderlands

Seems there are a number of these shows that spring up over summer. Maybe they are the new circus given that the traditional animal acts are getting pressure to close down.  We first went to a spiegeltent  at least 15 yar back on top of the casino roof, so they can't be a new thing.  I have tickets to Ocean Grove but I did a quick panic as there is another tent in Geelong not to mention the ones in Melbourne. 

Harry Potter Full Time

Other than Shakespeare a while back, this is the first time we have been to a show that was not a musical. The story is intricately wound into the previous books even though it is set years later when Harry is an adult. If there is time travel involved then anything goes.  It is a long show probably a bit too long. Nevertheless it was a good one and well worth the $1000 we spent on it.

Still not sure what a boy is doing in a nest with wings

Harry Half Time

We left at 10:00am for the drive to Rydges in Exhibition St.  They have included the evening meal and a full breakfast as well as the parking and a room upgrade. It is two minutes walk from the Princess Theatre and we haven't tried the roof top pool yet.  So far Harry's son Albus is trying to live up to the Potter name.  I think Moaning Myrtle has stolen the show.  I was nodding off for a short spell during the show. HA get it.  We have had a short nap and need to get down stairs for the tea break as the Time Turners are ticking.

Does JK Rowling get a cut of merchandise?

Paris Underground

We had some French culture last night but before that we spied a car pull up out the front in driving rain.  Two very fit looking people laboriously got changed into wetsuits for a swim. They had a number plate that said France.  Last night we went to the Pomme de Terre  (Potatoe Shed)  for a French themed show and these two swimmers were in it.  Not only that we were sitting next to a French woman and her Belgian husband.  The show was part dance, magic, singing, burlesque, acrobatics and stand up comedy.  Bring your own snacks.  The show could have been better with live music.

Foyer

French Swimmers

Host

Femmes

Rock Bang

Took the Ferry at 9:00 am for Docklands.  Spent a leisurely two hours making our way to the Downstairs Restaurant. Spent some time wandering in the SouthBank DFO which we had not been into before.  We met James and Heidi at the Downstairs for lunch which I can recommend. They gave us the first round on the house.  This was situated quite close to the MaltHouse Theatre. The Show revolved around a duo from Berlin who were an all singing all musical pair teamed up with  the antics of Circus Oz.  It was a Spiegeltent type of show and good fun.  Got back at 8:00 pm so I need to put my feet up.

Old and New

Downstairs

RockBang

Malthouse

Down a Rabbit Hole

I have never been inside the ACMI in the Fed Square.  We were getting out of the rain more than anything, as our tickets had expired at 9:30 but they let us in at 11:30 anyway. This was similar to overseas experiences, where we have arrived but missed our time slot, like for the statue of David but they let us in late there as well.  This was the better activity from yesterday. The hole was a rounded hole at the top but on the other side it was a descending staircase.  A slide would have been better. After that Alice's wonderland opened up. The theme was the many times that A in W had been filmed over the years and the techniques used.  The ACMI had their own version of the Mad Hatter's tea party and it was a full immersion 3D virtual reality party but without the 3D goggles.

No Head

Drink Me

Look but don't touch

Cheshire

Speakeasy HQ

The 60th birthday outings have continued but we did not pick the best day weather wise. Yesterday was 20 but today was 13 with no wind but with a cold rain. We brought umbrellas but still got wet at least three times.  The Speakeasy has been in Flinders St for 2 years now. It's not the best show in town but still worth a look and don't expect to be filled with food if you take the High Tea option as the emphasis is on the vaudeville not on the food.  And we skipped lunch beforehand. No phasements.  We met a couple from the Light side who'd come from Safety Beach for the show. Small World as they are good friends with the Dawes.

This old bank is Vaudeville on top

And below is the Vault another small venue

MSO

Started off the day with a ferry ride to Docklands. This was a good way to get to the city at $14.50 p/p.  We met  up with James and Heidi at the Transport Bar. We had been mulling over the possible days activities but there was no way we would have guessed a concert by the MSO playing the sound track to West Side Story while we were watching the film at the same time. They are sneaky but Debbie loved it.  It reminded me of the time we were at the Sydney Opera House.  The timing between orchestra and film was spot on.  It's still debatable who won, the Jets or the Sharks.  We moved on to the Imperial Rooftop bar and then had a very good South American barbecue restaurant and a few drinks along the way.  Debbie is now asleep in the Sheraton bathtub.

Jeannie Pratt inducted as life member of the MSO

Leone was the third bar of the day

Aladdin

Disney are known for very strict employment requirements. You almost have to be a saint before you can work for them. This might be why the entire cast of Aladdin was imported from the US.  How did they make that flying carpet fly?  Some of it was literally smoke and mirror.  Sir Richard Burton was an English adventurer who I have mentioned on this blog previously. He disguised himself as a muslim and brought back a 1001 Arabian Nights.

Golden Orchids

Chinese Christmas Tree

In Genie Ous

Pop Up Globe

This is one of the best shows to go to.  We went to the Melbourne Theatre Company once for a show but this one has the added atmosphere of the pit.  The actors include the groundlings in the show requiring answers from them in order for the show to proceed.  The "As You Like It " play is very funny, more so in the mannerisms and delivery of the actors with much slapstick humour. Some of the language has been updated but it pays to know the story thoroughly beforehand.  There are two companies in residence and this one is the all male edition.  Being in the audience with a beard is interesting.

Groundlings Unite

Close action

In the forest

As You Like it

The Rolling Stones suggested "You don't always get what you want" but in this play Shakespeare goes the other way in that everyone present got what they deserved or what they wanted 'as they liked it'.   This is one of those crazy comedies where disguised women, as men, are getting involved in love triangles where four couples were married at the end, after the madness was ironed out.  There are a lot of songs in the text so I think Shakespeare is really having a go at a musical here but there are only lyrics in the text so maybe the music score does not get published.  It is said that Shakespeare played Adam the longtime servant in Orlando's household so maybe he saw himself as the faithful servant to the audience.  It will be interesting to see how the POP UP company treat this play.

Blacksmiths forging ahead

Rode to the blacksmith festival today.  It was close by right on the bike track in Footscray. There is a permanent Blacksmith works there but for this show they spread out and take over the road.  One of our PB staffers helped to organise the event.  The sunshine was warm and when you add to it around 20 coal burning gas fired furnaces then this is a hot place and dangerous, including stamping machines, blow torches and hot anvils.

Nick's Bar

Griffiths & Baird

Stamping a hot bar

Lets get Kinky

The Kinky Boots show is a riot.  All singing all dancing and the boots have to be red. This is the first show that I have seen without previously knowing something about it. Either there was a film version or hit songs have been heard on the radio or the writer has a Weber like persona. Even though Cyndi Lauper is well known. However the shoe show is a winner. At one stage the tranny is talking to the audience of a retirement home and he really was talking to that audience in a 1:00pm matinee timeslot.

RED

The Sex is in the Heel

Bohemians Arise

Down with GlobalSoft music generators.  I have lamented previously on this blog about the lack of rock bands coming through. May be Disturbed could start something going. The Queen collaboration with Ben Elton is a good night out. I suspect most of the cast weren't born when Freddie was strutting.  The Regent Theatre has lots of leg room with intermission champagne. WhoolyDhoolyJulie found a Long Room over the road in the old Georges shoppe, not to be confused with The Long Room at the MCG. In this Long Room it is happy hour until 7:00pm and tapas style food when you want it.

Scaramouche