Flying in my gondola

Who is  Khaled Khalafalla , and why is he happy exactly? Born in Saudi Arabia to Egyptian parents, Khaled  may discuss identity exploration, and his own fitting-in challenges in everyday Australian culture, but he possesses that special something which Aussies are renown around the globe for, the ability to take a jab at oneself, and everyone else around them. Khaled  successfully pokes fun at his culture, and everyone else’s, carefully walking that dreaded ‘gone too far’ line, and never crossing it. But one thing is for sure, no one is spared in the process. Front row or back row audience members; if  Khaled  makes eye contact with you, you’re becoming part of the show. Fear not though, Khaled  is charismatic and funny, not irritating and offensive. On the night I attended, the award-winning  Khaled , actually started out a little lukewarm, and laughed a bit too hard at his own jokes, and just when it seemed as though perhaps we were going...

Gitanos music ambassadors to the world,  The Gipsy Kings , kicked off their 2015 world tour in Australia, with a stop at The Palais Theatre in St. Kilda, which is where I, along with the most culturally diverse audience ever, got to enjoy their amazing music (to the left of me, Chileans, in front, French, to the right, Greek, in the back, Japanese). The Gipsy Kings , composed of two families, the Reyes from Arles and the Baliardos from Montpellier, France, have been performing since the 1960s, in theatres such as Carnegie Hall in New York, and for the likes of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Brigitte Bardot, among others. Their first album,  Gipsy Kings , was released more than twenty years later in 1987, featuring familiar flamenco-like music and vocals with a twist, with which they literally took the world by storm. The Gipsy Kings ’ roots are from Catalonia, Spain, so it’s no surprise that their music should have the same source of inspiration, but it’s been reinvented a...

Watching a stand-up comedian perform, always makes me envious of his/her talent to get people laughing, but when a comedian is successfully delivering his material to an audience in a foreign language, and is still able to generate laughs, that’s pretty damn incredible. Such is the case with Venezuelan-born  Ivan   Aristeguieta . Aristeguieta , a successful Brew Master (this explains his passion for beer) turned full-time comedian, migrated to Adelaide three years ago, and became an Australian Permanent Resident this past September. Since arriving down under,  Aristeguieta  has taken on the challenge of becoming part of the comedy tapestry of Australia, performing solely in English. Anyone else would be discouraged to do so, but  Aristeguieta  has risen to the challenge. Comparing any foreign country to Australia can be fun, but seeing that Venezuela is such a polar opposite of Aristeguieta ’s new home, it makes for some hilarious story telling, and a new ...

Written by  Gordana Andjelic-Davila      Friday, 27 March 2015 16:22 Laughter, it's said, is the best medicine. Research has concluded that laughter reduces pain, brings down blood sugar levels and relieves stress. If this is true, then last night’s performances by comedian Russell Peters  and opening act  Gregg Rogell , cured all sorts of ailments, with the exception being sore cheeks. Canadian-Indian comedian  Russell Peters  was born and raised in Toronto, and, according to his recanting, he was clueless as to what career path he should pursue, until one day, he was thinking out loud to a friend, saying that he needed a job which would allow him to sleep all day, and work only a couple of hours in the evening. His friend suggested he become a comedian, so he went for it. Fast forward 26 years,  Peters  has been entertaining packed houses internationally longer than, some of his audience members have been walking the Earth, as he...

The Brunswick Music Festival , nearly three decades old and still one of Australia's most diverse and colourful festivals, has come to town, with many free and ticketed concerts and events, which are sure to impress even the most seasoned festival goer. I was fortunate to experience three (actually four, including Radical Son ) very different shows, which form part of the rich tapestry of the Brunswick Music Festival . Margaret Leng Tan Margaret Leng Tan caught my attention, because of the most unusual musical instrument(s) which she features in her repertoire.  Classically trained, Tan is revered as one of the most formidable pianists in modern music. In 1971 Tan became the first woman to earn a Doctorate in Musical Arts from New York’s Juilliard School. In 1981 Tan met John Cage, an American composer and pioneer of non-standard use of musical instruments, who influenced Tan ’s musical style, and can be credited for her consequent exploration and eventual p...

Photos – Belinda Strodder www.dancephotography.net.au After its huge success as a Disney animated film,  The Lion King  was reintroduced to audiences in 1997 as a musical, with music by  Elton John  and lyrics by  Tim Rice , along with  Hans Zimmer’s  musical score and choral arrangements by  Lebo M . Today,  The Lion King  musical is Broadway’s fourth longest-running show in history, and by grossing more than $1 billion, it is also the highest grossing Broadway production of all time. The Lion King  musical is similar to the original animated feature but it is not a verbatim interpretation, although this does not in any way hinder the storyline. Instead, the live performance is embellished by shadow south-east Asian puppetry, African-inspired intricate masks and costumes, nature details donned by actors, and elaborate mobile scenery. It all comes together so seamlessly, and might even look simple at times, but it is a display of ...

As if they stepped out of a fashion catalogue, the quartet who compose  Band of Magicians  – Justin Flom, Justin Willman, Nate Staniforth  and  James Galea  – look, talk and act completely different than any other visual illusionists out there. With the exception of the intro, the show was devoid of stereotypical laser, smoke and half naked magician’s assistants, it was obvious that  Band of Magicians  was going to take an alternate route to entertaining an eagerly awaiting Melbourne audience at the Crown’s Palms theatre. Sharing some magic secrets and showcasing an array of familiar tricks, gave the audience the illusion (yes, pun intended) of a somewhat predictable show – this of course was intentional so that the performance could experience a crescendo of sorts, and gradually increase its ooh-ah factor to a full-on awe level, causing the attendees to burst out in cheer. Besides performing as a team, each one of the magicians also dazzled with...