Sydney Philharmonia Choir presents An Intimate Evening with Brahms

Updated: 06/02/2019

The latest season of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs is on this February with An Intimate Evening with Brahms, a concert that has been stripped back to voice and piano that pays tribute to Brahms’ legacy. Opening with a short program of solo songs and duets, ahead of a full choral performance of Brahms’ acclaimed and deeply personal Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem). It’ll be a classic music lovers’ dream. Recognised as one of the world’s most beautiful choral works and the composition that brought Brahms to the world’s attention, A German Requiem was ensured widespread appreciation when Brahms’ publisher insisted that he make an arrangement for piano duet, bringing all the vocal and orchestral parts together in a version that four hands could play at home, on one instrument. So now that it’s in Sydney, it’s one of the city’s must-see events – and just after the famed Sydney Festival wound-up recently, too. Complete with special vocal treats for the die-hards; soloists Emma Pearson and Sam Roberts-Smith will be in the mix, too, pitching in to a highly anticipated and incredibly moving chamber music presentation. The concert is a one-off, so get your tickets now for $39. It’s on 7pm Friday February 8, City Recital Hall, Sydney with the Sydney Philharmonia.

Category: ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, MUSIC, SYDNEY

Tags: Sydney orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs presents An Intimate Evening with Brahms, Sydney Philharmonic orchestra, THE F Sydney Philharmonia

Saturday Night Fever is coming to Sydney with sparkling new cast

by James Banham

Posted: 04/02/2019

The lol-times movie from the 70s that glued John Travolta in our minds with those killer dance moves is making it stage debut in Sydney this year with a brand new line-up. Australian theatre producer John Frost recently announced the leading performers and the rest of the cast of the iconic hit musicalSaturday Night Fever, which will premiere in Sydney at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from 27 March 2019. The production’s lead role of Tony Manero has gone to rising star Euan Doidge, Helpmann Award nominated for his role in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, after performing in Les Miserables, A Chorus Line and the Gordon Frost Organisation’s Grease and Legally Blonde. Needless to say, he’s up to the part. As Stephanie Mangano, the best dancer at the nightclub, will be Melanie Hawkins. Melanie has previously appeared in Singin’ In The Rain, Strictly Ballroom the Musical, King Kong Live on Stage and Rock of Ages. Paying homage to the classic movie, Saturday Night Fever will be packed with disco classics, including the Bee Gees’ greatest hits Stayin’ Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Night Fever, Tragedy and More Than A Woman. Saturday Night Fever tells the story of 19-year-old Tony Manero, a Brooklyn youth whose weekend is spent at the local discotheque, where life lights up on the disco floor. There, Tony luxuriates in the admiration of the crowd and a growing relationship with Stephanie Mangano, and where he can temporarily forget the realities of his life, including a dead-end job in a paint store and his gang of deadbeat friends. See more at the production’s website.

Category: ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY, THEATRE

Tags: John Travolta, Saturday Night Fever, Saturday Night Fever Sydney Lyric Theatre, Sydney Lyric Theatre, THE F Saturday Night Fever, the f sydney, THE F theatre

New restaurant in Darling Harbour: Flying Fish swims over to The Star

by James Banham

Posted: 03/02/2019

Since Flying Fish first splashed onto the dining scene back in 2004, it has become well regarded by Sydneysiders as one of the best waterside restaurants in the city, specialising in (yep, you guessed it) seasonal and delicious seafood. Now it’s taken up residence at The Star, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the beautiful Pyrmont Bay. The new digs have been modernised, with a fresher vibe than the former Jones Bay Wharf location. Walking into the restaurant, you’ll cross lush bespoke carpets, with subtle splashes of colour that pop against the dark and sophisticated furnishings, and crystal ball lights twinkling overhead. Executive chef Peter Robertson joins the Flying Fish team in its new location, which opened just last week. On offer were a veritable buffet of seafood delights. It’s impossible to have a “bad” dish at Flying Fish, but some our favourites were the Harvey Bay Scallop and the Black Pepper Style Butterflied Prawn. Our pick for dessert was (hands down) the melt-in-your-mouth Valrhona chocolate sundae, miso caramel and malt cream. When it came to the drinks, we sampled the “grammable” and vibrant Bondi House Fizz; lemon myrtle vodka with butterfly flower tea and agave, as well as the Flying Fish version of the Aperol Spritz, the East Bound and Down; apricot and quince spritz with Aperol and crisp cider. For wine drinkers, there’s a deliciously well-considered wine list with delectable drops from both local and international regions. See more of what’s on offer at the new digs at the Flying Fish website.

Category: AUSTRALIAN FOOD, CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Tags: Darling Harbour restaurants, Flying Fish Sydney, sydney restaurants, THE F Darling Harbour, THE F Flying Fish, the f sydney

Melburnian opera singers dominate the annual Mazda in the Domain, Sydney

by James Banham

Posted: 21/01/2019

Their voices soar so high, you can hear them from Circular Quay. And that’s the way we like it. Sydney’s annual Opera in the Domain has been going strong for 19 years now and doesn’t show any signs of stopping. They say 30k people come to hear some of the world’s most impressive voices belt out tunes up-to 300 years old. It’s quite the spectacle. Overtaking Sydney’s famed Domain public grounds, right next to the Sydney Harbour, singers primarily from Melbourne as well as around the world like mezzo soprano Sian Pendry (Melbourne), soprano Stacey Alleaume (Melbourne), soprano Anna-Louise Cole (Melbourne), tenor Shanul Sharma (Melbourne), tenor Diego Torre (Mexico) and baritone Jose Carbo (Argentina-Australia) performed beautifully, pieces by Puccini, Bizet and Rossini and many more. It even made the first large-scale public presentation of vocal clarity for two young up-and-comers, Anna-Louise Cole and Shanul Sharma, both of whom made their big-stage debut at the Sydney event. Mazda Australia is in its 16th year of sponsoring the Opera in the Domain as their way of enriching Australia’s cultural scene. By giving back to a community that has continued to support them and their business, Mazda is happy to support something quite unique for opera and quite unique to the rest of the world, right here in Australia. “An appreciation for art in its many forms is deeply embedded in Mazda’s DNA. From world class musical spectacles to groundbreaking gallery exhibits, we pledge support to a vast range of art initiatives, to help make these culturally enriching… Read More

Category: ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, OPERA, SYDNEY

Tags: Mazda, mazda australia, mazda opera in the domain, opera in the domain, sydney opera, the f opera

Best burgers in Sydney: 4 Pines Brewery on Crown Street, Surry Hills

by James Banham

Posted: 21/01/2019

When it comes to burgers, Sydney has drunk the koolade and joined the march toward the best of them – quite possibly in all of Oz. However, sitting atop that little pick of bread-sandwiched deliciousness is 4 Pines Brewery on Crown Street, Surry Hills. They’re new; rustic; open-aired and open-armed, welcoming-in locals and passers-by from all over the joint into their open-plan burger and beer bar for good times and general shenanigans. It’s a relaxed vibe – beers on tap, relaxed destressed wood tables, milk crate- type seats near the open bay window and a first floor bar for a more intimate thing, it’s nice. They sell their own beers, which come in a range of about 7+ from lighter, to heavier and hoppier. Regardless of your taste, they’re all nice. For those who’re not well-versed in beer, think lighter for day time, darker for night time. And what goes better with beer? Nothing but burgers. They’ve got a modest range, but hot damn, what they do, they do well. Pork burgers, chicken burgers, beef burgers; the works. There’s something about the brioche they use with the crispy factor they’ve managed to achieve on all their burgers and bits. And the best/most impressive thing? They’re all pumped out of a kitchen that’s half the size of your bedroom. Applause. They’ve even got a blokey coffee imbued beer – like the dude’s espresso martini – which has the flavour without the wiringly-good buzz of a decent smack of caffeine. Great for those who dig the flavour,… Read More

Category: AUSTRALIAN FOOD, CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Tags: 4 Pines Surry Hills, surry hills, Surry Hills beer, Surry Hills burgers, THE F 4 Pines, THE F 4 Pines Surry Hills

Angelo’s Cabarita debuts a brand-new look for the new year

by THE F

Posted: 16/01/2019

Angelo’s Cabarita first came in to being as a function centre. While it was the first stop for weddings and christenings for anyone seeking a bayside view of Cabarita, it may not have been number one on your list if you were looking for an afternoon glass of bubbles or an evening meal with the family – until now. Everything has had a re-vamp, from the interior to the menu to the wine list. While the venue has always been spacious, it’s now chic, warm, and welcoming, with bucketloads of natural light and a private dining space for those super-special occasions. A classically Australian menu takes nods of inspiration from Italy, with fresh seafood and pasture-fed cuts of meat taking prime position alongside creamy gnocchi, zucchini flowers, and the famous beetroot risotto (you really have to try it). The bar is fully-stocked with everything you need to sip and swill your way through a long, Italian-inspired lunch: kick things off with an Aperol spritz (or a negroni if you’re in the mood) and share a bottle or two of Prosecco, before finishing off with an Espresso Martini that will give you all the energy you need to make it back to the dock to catch the last ferry home. While Cabarita is admittedly more than a quick stroll away from the city, the journey is well worth it, especially if you’re travelling by water. Nobody in Sydney needs any excuse for a day out, especially when the weather is this good: but… Read More

Category: AUSTRALIAN FOOD, CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Burger wrappers in the NGV: Celebrate life’s banality with artist Darren Sylvester

by James Banham

Posted: 16/01/2019

The dude known for his consumption by consumerism who then turned it into art, Darren Sylvester, has an exhibition on at the National Gallery of Victoria from 1 March to 30 June 2019. From a pulsating coloured dance floor based on an Yves Saint Laurent makeup range, to a chaise lounge upholstered in cheeseburger wrapping, more than 70 of Darren Sylvester’s works – known for their pop culture and multinational brand references – will be on display at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV. The exhibition is called Darren Sylvester: Carve A Future, Devour Everything, Become Something and reveals the artist’s ongoing fascination with consumerism, the banality of everyday life, love and mortality, which he presents in a playful way. On show will be 43 of Sylvester’s hyper-colourful photographs, all an homage and commentary on pop culture, music and advertising as a way of exploring the ways in which everyday life is shaped by branding. Also, a gigantic YSL make up compact lit-up dancefloor interpretation will be one o the stars of the show, thanks to its colour scheme that is ‘proven’ by market research to appear flattering. Darren is a Melbourne man now, having made the move from Sydney in ’74. See his exhibition at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square, Melbourne from 1 March 2019 – 30 June 2019. Entry is free at NGV.MELBOURNE.

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, MELBOURNE

Tags: Australian arts blog, Darren Sylvester, melbourne arts, Melbourne arts blog, national gallery of victoria, ngv, Sydney arts blog, the f melbourne, THE F National Gallery of Victoria, the f ngv, the-f

Brexit be damned, Eurail lets you train it to England for cheaper

by James Banham

Updated: 16/01/2019

Eurail turns 60 in 2019 and to celebrate, they’re changing how you do Europe when you next travel. By sucking up the UK, Macedonia and Lithuania into their connected rails, Eurail has cast its net far and wide for everyone who’s wanting to go from the east to the west of Europe and beyond from now on. Oh, and it’s cheaper now, too. The updates to the Eurail portfolio mean there are now three different passes that include the Greek Islands Pass which lets travellers explore up to 53 different Greek Islands. In a nutshell, the changes mean tickets are significantly reduced for Global Pass fares, new countries are accessible with a Global Pass, and if you’re old, get excited because there are extend discounts to senior travellers. For the last 60 years, EurailPasses have enabled convenient, borderless rail travel across Europe. With over 1.7million Australians travelling to Europe each year, and of those 40,000 experiencing the diversity of Europe via one of the flexible rail passes, Eurail remains as popular today as it was in 1959. Eurail train passes can be bought from eurail.com.

Category: CITIES, FEATURES, LONDON, TRAVEL

Tags: Brexit, Brexit Eurail, Eurail expands, Eurail Greek Islands, Eurail new lines, Eurail THE F review, Eural, Eural Macedonia, THE F Brexit, THE F Eurail

What’s on at Canberra Good Food Month, March 2019

by James Banham

Posted: 15/01/2019

Canberra Good Food Month is back again and in 2019, is serving-up the goods, tastier than ever before. Following in the footsteps of its Melbourne and Sydney brother and sister, as well as its success of 2018, Canberra Good Food Month will hit the Capitol in March 2019. With all the typical Good Food Month events and happenings, this year’s iteration will be about celebrating three fine elements of cooking: cooking with fire, Asian inspiration and the young, emerging talent in Australian food. It’s all about putting Canberra on the ever-growing foodie pedestal. Here are three must-see events at Canberra Good Food Month: Adam Liaw’s Chinese-Australian Food Odyssey | Chairman & Yip | Friday 15 March, 6.30-10.30pm | Tickets $190 Adam Liaw will take food lovers on an edible history through the past, present and future of Chinese food in Australia with Kwok Keung Tung, head chef at Michelin-starred restaurant, Chairman Hong Kong. Ticket price includes a six-course dinner with matched wines. Fire at Dusk with Lennox Hastie & James Viles | Pialligo Estate | Saturday 9 March, 6.30pm-10pm | Tickets $160 Lennox Hastie (Firedoor) and James Viles (Biota Dining) will show off thier wood-fired grilling craft over the asado open fire-pit at the Asador Etxebarri (number six on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants), before opening Australia’s only fully wood fuelled restaurant. Ticket price includes a four-course dinner with matched wines, served with an arrival canape and cocktail. Young Chefs Lunch presented by Citi | Aubergine | Sunday 17 March, 12.30pm-3.00pm | Tickets $150 Three… Read More

Category: AUSTRALIAN FOOD, CANBERRA, CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE

Tags: adam liaw, canberra good food month, THE F Canberra, THE F Canberra Good Food Month

Joyce El-Khoury has joined Opera Australia in 2019 for La Boheme

by James Banham

Updated: 11/01/2019

Maria Callas is back! Well… not really, but, she may as well be if any of the articles out there about Canadian-Lebanese soprano, Joyce El-Khoury are anything to go by; she’s one of the most exciting new additions to Opera Australia this spring-summer season of 2019. Opening the season with Puccini’s classic La Boheme, El-Khoury will pick-up the role of Mimi, the innocent little bird who’s swept-up into the drama of the Bohemians in the thick of winter. Joyce headlines the cast of this season’s production, which has fast-proved to be an international explosion of some of the world’s finest singers. In addition to her debut to the Australian opera scene, Latvian soprano Maija Kovalevska will partner with El-Khoury on the role of Mimi, while Italian and Mexican tenors Ivan Magri and Diego Torre will shine in their portrayals of Rodolfo, the poet and male lead. With experience at The Met (NYC), Handa Opera (Sydney Harbour), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (London), The Bolshoi and Teatro Colon (Buenoa Aires) between them all, this production’s cast will leave large shoes to fill. Read more about how Diego Torre did something not many others can. This season’s production comes off the back of last season’s which culminated in a magical production of La Boheme at the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. Complete with snow and actual cars, the production was one for the memory books, only surely to be met in quality and transcendentalism with the addition of these stunning new international singers. See more and get your tickets… Read More

Category: ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, OPERA, SYDNEY

Tags: la boheme, la boheme opera australia, opera, opera australia, opera australia joyce el khoury, opera australia sydney