Author(s): Limelight

Magazines and Journals

Cover story- The Dismissal It's time! Prepare yourself for the rollicking, new musical about the 1975 dismissal of Gough Whitlam, co-produced by Sydney Theatre Company, Squabbalogic and Canberra Theatre Centre. We talk to Jay James-Moody, Blake Erickson and Laura Murphy, who wrote the all-singing, all-dancing, all-mud-slinging show, and Matthew Whittet who plays the narrator Norman Gunston.

Feature- Camille Saint-Saëns died 100 years ago in December. He is largely known today for his Organ Symphony, The Carnival of the Animals and his opera Samson and Delilah. Clive Paget examines why the rest of his music is not performed more often and argues that his oeuvre deserves more credit than it gets.

Article- Every year dozens of new musical works are premiered in Australia, but many are never performed again. Shamistha de Soysa looks at why, and suggests ways to change the tune.

Interview- Composer/conductor Richard Mills tells us about his new opera The Butterfly Lovers, based on a famous Chinese tale about doomed lovers who find freedom when they are transformed into butterflies.

Reviews- Our experienced critics cover the latest live concerts, operas, plays and dance productions including the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra's Poet of the Violin featuring Swiss-Iranian Baroque violinist Leila Schayegh; The Phantom of the Opera presented by Opera Australia; Harlequinade at The Australian Ballet; and Anthony Weigh's play Sunday about Sunday Reed (who founded Melbourne's Heide Museum of Modern Art) at Melbourne Theatre Company.

On Stage, On Air and Online- We preview live performances, livestreams, cinema screenings, digital events and radio highlights to look out for this month.