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Pretty Woman: The Musical, at the Regent Theatre
There is so much joy in Pretty Woman: The Musical. I adore what the collaborators have done with the beloved story of the Hollywood sex worker and the wealthy businessman. It is based on the 1990 feel good romance, written by J. F. Lawton and directed by Garry Marshall, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Photos by Daniel Boud The book of the musical is by Marshall and Lawton, with an original score in a rich variety of genres. Gone is the soundtrack from the movi
Alex First
45 minutes ago3 min read


Heartbreak Hotel, at Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne
Breaking up is hard to do. So it goes, as Karin McCracken and Simon Leary put on a most entertaining sketch comedy show, peppered with science and some musical numbers. In so doing, they unpack the angst associated with broken relationships. In character, she struggles big time to put the past in the past. It is about staying mired in the why, trawling over what could have and should have been. Photos by Lewis Ferris The vignettes are interspersed with McCracken’s co
Alex First
23 hours ago3 min read


The Odyssey (M) – 172 minutes
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is an epic retelling of one of the oldest surviving works of ancient Greek literature. Homer composed the poem Odyssey in the 8th or 7th centuries BC. It concerns the exploits of the king of Ithaca, Odysseus (Matt Damon), as he attempts to make his way home many years after the Trojan War. The war itself lasted a decade, and then another decade passed, during which time he and his crew encountered many otherworldly and natural obstacles.
Alex First
1 day ago2 min read


Bring It On!, The Musical (theatrical.), at the National Theatre
Lively, colourful and energetic, Bring It On!, The Musical focuses on the competitive world of cheerleading. Debuting in the US in 2011, the Tony award nominated musical was inspired by the 2000 film of the same name, written by Jessica Bendinger and starring Kirsten Dunst. The music is by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, lyrics by Amanda Green and Miranda and book by Jeff Whitty. Photos by Natalie Edge Photography On her last day of junior year, 17-year-old Campbell Dav
Alex First
5 days ago3 min read


Árru - 95 minutes
Beautifully shot in Sápmi, the traditional homeland of the Sámi, the indigenous people of the Arctic, Árru is a slow burn, intense drama about deeply buried trauma. It concerns a family of reindeer herders whose ancestral land and livelihood is being threatened by a copper mining project. Single mother Maia (Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska) and her taciturn, chain-smoking brother Dánel (Simon Issát Marainen) are losing the battle. So, Maia calls on her older brother, the chari
Alex First
6 days ago2 min read


Evil Dead Burn (R) – 110 minutes
This is one for stalwarts of the horror gore genre because it doesn’t hold back – in short, it is tense and traumatising. Demonic carnage is unleashed to terrorise a French woman who has married into an American family. Alice (Souheila Yacoub) is with her husband, restaurateur William (George Pullar), to celebrate Will’s younger brother, Joseph’s (Hunter Doohan) birthday. Also with them is Joseph’s girlfriend, Thya (Luciane Buchanan) when an argument between Will and Ali
Alex First
Jul 92 min read


Moana (PG) – 115 minutes
Fun, colourful and emotionally resonant comes this live action reimaging of the popular Polynesian-based 2016 Disney movie Moana. The story remains the same, but its execution is a whole lot more difficult. Yet, the studio has pushed all the right buttons. This is the tale of young leader in the making, Moana (Catherine Lagaʻaia). She is the daughter of island chief Tui (John Tui) and his wife, Sina (Frankie Adams) and they live on the glorious, lush island of Motunui.
Alex First
Jul 93 min read


TYCHO! Beyond the Baton - 95 minutes
From Hungarian child prodigy to feted Australian musical genius, Tommy Tycho led a stimulating and adventurous life, overcoming a series of setbacks. He is front and centre in a fascinating, illuminating and stimulating documentary, titled TYCHO! Beyond the Baton, written and directed by Stephan Wellink. Tommy was born into an upper middle-class family in Budapest on 11th April, 1928. His father was general manager of what constituted the electricity commission, while his
Alex First
Jul 63 min read


The Last Resort, at the Nordic Film Festival
The global refugee crisis is brought into sharp focus in a tightly wound, suspenseful drama based around a family holiday. The attention is on Danish school teacher Mikkel (Esben Smed) and his workaholic health ministry official wife, Louise (Danica Curcic). They have taken their two young daughters, 11-year-old Sille (Sif Lucca Gersby) and Ella (Chili Olivia Jensen), six, away to a resort on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. Heading home one night along a dark road,
Alex First
Jul 52 min read


Smithsonian Starstruck (Fever), at Level 1, 206 Bourke Street, Melbourne
With so many stars and planets in the universe, why is Earth the only one we know of so far that can support a preponderance of human life? That is a question answered categorically in the interactive and immersive virtual reality experience Smithsonian Starstruck. Developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is an invitation to explore distant galaxies. In fact, there is an abundance of information, coupled w
Alex First
Jul 42 min read
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