http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/hume-promises-a-wild-ride-complete-with-hamlet-in-mud/2009/11/04/1257247660466.html
LINDY HUME unveiled the program to her first Sydney Festival last
night, promising ''a wild ride'' of performances, partying and serious
reflection about the pursuit of happiness.
Hume has sought to
expand the reach of the festival - whose popularity burgeoned during
the four years it was programmed by Fergus Linehan - by setting up an
inner-west hub and forming an alliance with the University of Sydney.
''I
was determined to continue the support of hot independent artists and
theatre visionaries,'' says Hume, who will direct the next three
festivals.
''The program is an eclectic mix [and] aims to
develop a deeper connection with artists from the Asia-Pacific region
and meaningful partnerships with indigenous cultures. These things take
time.''
Highlights include the US soul legend Al Green, who headlines Festival First
Night; the Oscar-winning Indian composer A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) in a
free concert at Parramatta Park;
a concert staging of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex and Symphony of Psalms,
by the provocative American director Peter Sellars; a brazen version of
Giselle by Ireland's Fabulous Beast; and Rogue's Gallery, a concert of
pirate ballads and sea songs conceived by Johnny Depp and featuring
Marianne Faithfull, Tim Robbins, Baby Gramps, Sarah Blasko and New York
Dolls singer David Johansen. A German production of Hamlet also
promises to startle with six actors, mud, gunshots and smoke.
Tickets to Rogue's Gallery on the Opera House forecourt cost $145 and
$135 and premium seats to Sellar's double bill are $189. There will,
however, be standing-room tickets for $50 at the Opera House Concert
Hall in a festival that prides itself on accessibility and reach.
Tickets
to many productions, both Australian and international, cost between
$40 and $70. Hume has revived the performance series, About an Hour, at
the Seymour Centre, at which tickets to all shows are $30.
The
festival boasts an impressive free outdoor program, including The
Manganiyar Seduction from India inspired by the windows of Amsterdam's
red light district and showcasing 43 Rajasthani musicians. Opera in the
Domain will also return to the festival umbrella with a performance of
Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide starring Paul McDermott, Emma
Matthews, David Hobson and Judi Connelli.
The NSW Premier and
Arts Minister, Nathan Rees, announced an additional $1.75 million for
Festival First Night yesterday, lifting the Government's total funding
of the annual event to $5 million.
Rahman fever
His Music ~ My Mother Tongue
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