An Interesting Combination: Sven's Pizza

I didn't expect nordic pizza to be good, and I thought no pizza was worth a two-hour wait (thanks, State of Origin, for that). However, the ultimate goodness that is Moseley's closed (BOOO!) so it was time to look for a new pizza haunt. Plus, when we saw the menu, I figured a pizza named after a fertility god must be good - and to be honest, it was daaarn good.

The crust was very thin and it was amazingly tasty. However, I would order one pizza for myself next time. And I may skip on the salad - too mayo-ey.

Sven's Pizza - 4 and a half slices. 02 9664 9668.

A Different Experience: Spencer Tunick in Sydney 2010

Preface

I really have to say that I was not really going to attend Spencer Tunick. His art is amazing, but when my friends told me about a 4 am call, I was like "Heck no."

But as fate would have it, on the last night of February, I didn't sleep. Yes, ladies and gents, it was another one of those great insomnia rallies that I get from time to time. At around 2:30 am, I decided, why not?

I logged into my computer, found the login website, downloaded the model release forms and got ready for the most surreal Monday ever.

Spencer who?

For those of you not in the know, Spencer Tunick is an artist who takes pictures of famous landmarks filled with naked people. Yup, that's right... the guy who did this (link NSFW) and this (again, NSFW). Now his art at times tends to offend people who are affected by naked skin, but he is famous in the art world for pushing boundaries and I am personally a fan.

Now, when I got there, there were heaps of people queueing up to get their kit off. It took me an hour to get across five blocks that normally would take me 10 minutes. At first, I was fuming - I mean, this isn't the Philippines! What's going on???

When I got to the Opera House, it became quite clear. The turnout was massive! We are talking about more than 5,000 individuals cramming into the Sydney Opera House courtyard and spilling out into the Gardens. There were people everywhere and you could tell that people were pumped to be a part of this excellent installation.


I don't think the photo above accurately reflects the number of people there at such an ungodly hour - but this was taken in the gardens, and does not take into account the people in the courtyard or the ones still lining up near the bus stop - yes, we are talking about a *lot* of people here.

Sadly, the photo above was the only one I could take, because minutes after taking this, the announcer said that everyone in the garden group had to line up for the pic - which meant we were the first ones on the scene.

Which meant it was time to rock out with all our bits out. No slippers, no shirts, no headband, not even piercings (thank goodness I do not have any). We came out of the garden wearing nothing that we were not born with (I know this is an arguable point, but pfft).

When I first stepped out into the courtyard, I was greeted by the applause of the courtyard group (who had to wait for us, I guess) and the media. Yes, folks, the media were there with their megazoom lens (those things are evil) and the helicopters were buzzing overhead - yes, they too had their lenses on us.

At first, I came out with all the shame of Adam and Eve upon realising they were in fact naked. But after seeing everyone so comfortable with the skins they were born with, I decided to (ahem) let it all hang loose and just enjoy the feeling.

And it was an interesting feeling as well. There was a rush of knowing this is *tee*hee* inappropriate, but at the same time, it was liberating to have such freedom - to be yourself and not be wrapped in the glitzy things that advertising says we should have and should wear. To be in the presence of men and women who wanted to be a part of an art form that was bigger than themselves - well, it was humbling, unnerving and exciting at the same time.

Spencer himself was very gentle yet firm with what he wanted us to do. He was quite cautious with the look he was going for, and wanted everyone to have a good time. He apologised for taking so long to construct the shots, but did try to do it as fast as he can.

And this is where the bad part comes in: March 1 is the first day of autumn and boy, did we feel it. At one point, we were all facing the Opera House, and because I was near the base of the installation, I can pretty much see everyone from my vantage point. From the far end of the courtyard, I saw the wind picking up the hair of the ladies and a collective shiver came rushing through the crowd. It was like an invisible Mexican wave, except instead of flailing hands, you have groans and arghs and itssocold! And then he asked us all to lie down on the cold concrete floor, and we all started our nervous laughter until we realised Oh. He's not kidding.

But I have to admit: it was so worth it. It's very interesting seeing how an artist goes about his job, and he has a peculiar sense of humour to boot. At one point, he asked us to hug our partners & friends and when a wave of disbelief came over those of us who came stag, he said just grab someone and embrace them - cheek to cheek.

I was like, ummmm, uncomfortable.

But anyway, I did it... and yes, that was me in A Current Affair - bloody tabloid TV show. The only time I get to be aired on Australian TV and it is me, starkers, hugging some stranger while complaining about my own facial hair (and ACA termed my beard as itchy! HMPH! Excuse me! I do not itch! I tingle.)

Anyway, the only bad thing about the experience is that it was way too cold for it, and the parking station issue could have been better handled. I mean, one teller for around 3,000 cars. I'm sorry, but *duh* - Also, having not slept at all, I felt a bit lightheaded at one point and had to sit down while queueing for the teller. Didn't feel that good for the whole morning, really.

Having said that, from this experience, I can say that I have a better appreciation of my body now. You see all these guys in the street and they present themselves so well to the point that you feel like crap about yourself, and having spent my morning surround by some of Sydney's best bodies, I felt that I was alright. My body may not be the best prime beef in the market, but I wasn't too far off the mark. For once, I was ok with what I had - I know, how very Alanis.

Anyway, the Spencer Tunick experience - 4 and a half slices. Would do it again with a loved one and if it happened on a sunny day.

A Single Man: Something Old, Something New

I watched the advanced screening for A Single Man, Tom Ford's directorial debut. I was partially ready to hate this film because it's Tom Ford (I'm stupid that way), but love it at the same time because of the aspects of the film that mirror my own demons.

However, there is a lot of love about this film - the cameos (Lee Pace! Ginnifer Goodwin! Jon Hamm! Lee Pace! Aline Weber! Lee Pace!), the play on colours, the stylised... well, the stylised everything!!! Tom Ford definitely knows how to make things... pretty.

But sadly, there is a lot of pretty in this movie but little plot substance. Yes, there is great technique involved in making this film to come out the way it has, but there is nothing here that is new or exciting or innovative. It is, in fact, just a new twist/way of looking at an old story, and to be honest, a movie with such a simple plot line needs a bit more substance to keep people hooked on it. Because the plot was so straightforward, there were times when I looked at my watch, wondering when the story moves on. Maybe if I had known about the plot beforehand, I would have felt differently... or maybe if it had not been raining, I would have been more patient with the film. Who knows anymore...

Having said that, there is also strong acting in this film. Colin Firth and Julianne Moore are fantastic (as always) and Matthew Goode achieves greatness here. There are also small scenes in the film (case in point: Matthew and Colin on the sofa) that really resonate so well, simply because they act so honestly - a testimony on how well the actors can strut their stuff. The latter alone is enough to convince me to watch this film.

So what is the verdict? While I would not watch this movie again, I will definitely recommend it. There is a quiet sadness in this film that I have not seen in a lot of films nowadays, and points to Tom Ford for making it feel very real. I just wish the ending was different, but hey, life happens. Three slices.

A Not-So-Nice Awakening: A Review

(I know I should update this more often)

Spring Awakening is one of those shows that has gotten such a buzz from the theatre grapevine. I first heard about it because of its musical score which was done by Duncan Sheik (of On A High fame). It's quite rare for a pop star to cross over to theatre and still get valid affirmation from peers (and yes, he got a Tony award for it).

So, being the Tony whore that I am, I was quite excited when the Sydney Theatre Company decided to stage it in Australia, and I was most likely one of the first ones in the online queue. I got a pair of seats for the second row (guess who the eager beaver is!) and rocked up with all shimmering bells on.

Well.

First of all, don't sit in front. As a rule, I usually take the fifth row of a theatre so that I can see what is happening, but still be ok enough to see the entire set. The second row... just isn't far enough. With the lights flashing and all of that... ummm. No. Just no. We moved to the next level up after the first act and definitely much, much better.

Now - the musical itself. The female cast is fantastic and vocally, they were amazing. The harmonising was strong and overall, definitely noteworthy. The concept of characters blending in with the set is nothing new really - very Greek chorus, methinks - but the execution was very modern. The set itself was quite bare, but given that it was designed so that the characters can blend into it and mold it into the scenes, it was quite understandable. The lighting was good (as long as you don't stay in the second row), and I love the concept of the uneven lights. Tres chic, I thought. In the fact, if you look at each aspect of the production, it was well done.

Sadly, I don't think the parts of the production fit together. The lights, although nice, didn't do justice to the set, which was too deep to begin with, really. The actors didn't do well working with the set and didn't know how to place themselves in it. Worse, some of them acted like they have been doing this for far too long. While one can argue that the actors have been through heaps of rehearsals and such, an audience does not deserve a show where the actors are half-hearted in their efforts. Plus, it's the second show in their season, soooooo... no.

The saddest part about the production are the male singers. Some of them did a fairly decent job acting, but singing? Definitely not their forte. Plus, they were given choreography that made them stomp and all - while that covered up the horrid singing, it also made them pant a lot (understandably!). Tip: Pit chorus is your friend.

Actually, the choreography in this musical is fairly mind-boggling. Really, sometimes, you can just skip the interpretive dance. It just made it look very Year 12 Rock Eisteddfod reject.

Overall, this show isn't the sum of its parts. The direction was overall messy and didn't gel well with the entire production. It's like the actors were told to do something they didn't like and they are just going through the motions (some goose-stomping, even!). The microphone/rebellion imagery was nice in theory, but in practice, not so - and definitely not with actors who do not have stage stillness.

So what do I think? One and a half slices.

A Different Type of Hamlet: A Review

I watched Hamlet last night and... well, before anything else, I just want to say that I was craving this particular production because Sarah Blasko is in it. True to form, she did very very well, musically. There were several songs in the play which could only be described as haunting. I know it's not a musical, but still, yay for Sarah Blasko.

I totally get why people would queue up for Brendan Cowell. He is a very intense actor on stage and once he does his thing, he is on fire. It's just that he seems to be dancing to a different beat to everyone else. I knew this was a Sydney Theatre Company production, but he seems to be in Bell Shakespeare mode. And to be honest, there are times I wonder if Hamlet is being played by Brendan Cowell or his ego.

Mind you, I'm not saying this was a bad production. Far from it, really! The set design was yummy and their use of water in this production was ingenious and astounding. I rarely get to work with water on a set because it wreaks havoc on the set. So to see a production using water as a such a powerful symbol is very refreshing. AND! the music of Sarah Blasko is enough to warrant the admission price.

But I don't think I will strongly recommend this production. After the first act, some people on our right didn't come back for the second act. I think they were idiots for leaving, but a very, very small part of me was envious. 3/5 slices.

A Strange One: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Just came from "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea", and I do have to say that it was quite strangely spectacular. It is a mix of goth acting and multimedia and... and... you know, it's really hard to describe. For one, the description of "David Lynch meets Tim Burton" is quite accurate. The acting was superb and the mini-stories are quite ... interesting.

Imagine the video clip for "Tonight, Tonight" (Smashing Pumpkins) on stage, except the script was by Gabriel Garcia Marquez on serious drugs. Yeah, that's how I would describe it.

And there is audience participation - at least, for one fellow in the audience.

In a nutshell, 4 out of 5 slices.

A Good Leap of Faith: The Altar Boyz (A Review)

Just came back from Altar Boyz, a musical comedy about a Christian boyband. It was held in the Seymore Theatre, and I do have to say I came out of that fairly impressed. It is difficult to sing and dance for 1.45 hours, but I guess boy bands do it live in concerts, so yeah.

As expected, there are a few giggles and laughs at the expense of Catholics, but given the initial premise and all, it was nothing out of the ordinary. What I found surprising was the reaction of one of audience members. At the end of a song, he walked out with his wife in tow, yelling out "Blasphemy!"

I can see how he can find it offensive, but given that this is Australia, where people can take a piss out of themselves, I felt the reaction was pretty extreme. Still, the cast members handled the situation well, and actually managed to turn it to their advantage. No one else walked out after that, and admittedly, the cast energy turned up HEAPS.

Ironically, the man's act of putting down the show actually helped it.

So do I recommend it? As a Catholic, I thought it was funny - from the poke at First Communion mass rituals, to the play on the Catholic nursery rhymes, to the subtle Biblical references and all. It was funny for me, at least. Others might not feel the same way. Still, the energy of the cast members really helped pull the show.

Advice: Get something in the middle of Row F, for a little audience participation... or something in the first two rows for a little stage action.

Rating: 3.5/5 slices