Lion King roars into Perth

A generation has been raised on the The Lion King film.

It's the enchanting Disney Broadway smash that has been seen by more than 80 million people worldwide - and now The Lion King is coming to Perth.

More than 20 years after the animated film stole our hearts and 18 years after the stage adaptation of Simba's story had its first New York run, The Lion King will play at the Crown Theatre for the from November 21.

Buyi Zama who plays Rafiki in the Lion King musical at South Mole, Fremantle. Picture: Iain Gillespie/ The West Australian

The Lion King, "reimagined" from the film by acclaimed director and costume designer Julie Taymor, tells the story of heartbroken lion cub Simba returning from exile to rise up against his evil uncle Scar and succeed his father Mufasa as king.

On the way he gets help from pals Zazu, Timon and Pumbaa, as well as childhood sweetheart Nala and spirit guide Rafiki.

The highest-grossing musical so far, the Lion King won six 1998 Tony Awards and boasts music by Elton John and Tim Rice, including the hit Circle of Life.

The Lion King's Rafiki at Cottesloe Beach. Picture: Simon Santi / The West Australian

Thomas Schumacher, one of the fathers of The Lion King and Disney's president of theatrical productions, has raved about New Zealand actor Nick Afoa, who plays adult Simba in the Australian production.

"That kid is glorious," he said. "His version of Endless Night moves me deeply."

Rob Collins, an indigenous actor from Darwin, has been celebrated for his role as Mufasa and Josh Quong Tart is a delectably detestable Scar. WA Academy of the Performing Arts alumni Nicholas Li and Bernard Angel are also in the cast.

Tickets go on pre-sale on June 15. Register at www.thelionking.com.au/perth

Source: https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/27219256/lion-king-roars-into-perth-for-first-time/

Two Major Conferences in Brisbane to Attract 3,900 Business Visitors

Brisbane expects to welcome 3,900 business visitors this month when it hosts two major conferences. 


The first of these, the RCOG World Congress 2015 – a joint event being co-hosted by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) – was held over several days earlier this week.
 
Meanwhile, the 40th IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP) 2015, starts Sunday (19 April).
 
The combined number of more than 3,900 delegates and conference exhibitors exceeded the combined target of 3,000 for both events.
 
The RCOG and RANZCOG events attracted participants from 47 countries, while ICASSP will see 90% of its delegates arriving from overseas.
 
General manager of Conventions and Business Events, Rob Nelson from the Brisbane Convention Bureau said the combined economic impact of both events would generate nearly AUS$12m for Brisbane.

“The convention bureau worked closely with the conference organisers to help attract more delegates to their events and ensure they have a memorable experience of our city,” Nelson said.

“We offered in-kind destination marketing support which included assistance promoting Brisbane to potential delegates, Brisbane Airport welcome signage, pre and post-event touring information, onsite tourist information at both conferences and Airtrain travel discounts for delegates to travel into the city.

“With the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre hosting both events, the RCOG/RANZCOG Event and ICASSP has offered another opportunity to showcase Brisbane’s excellent conference facilities.” 

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre General Manager Bob O’Keeffe said the economic, knowledge sharing, investment and tourism benefits of hosting such events presented enormous value to Brisbane and Queensland. 

“BCEC works with local experts and organisations such as RANZCOG and the IEEE Queensland community to win these large bids for Australia and to ensure that it is Brisbane that reaps the benefits," O'Keeffe said.

“BCEC works with its key convention partners, Tourism and Events Queensland and Brisbane Marketing, to secure these high-calibre conferences for Brisbane and Queensland.” 


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Aussie Wine Month at Palace Hotel Sydney

A Perfect Pairing

Food & Wine Evening, 6.30pm on Monday 18th May 2015

Enjoy a unique tasting event at Palace Hotel Sydney this May. Indulge in our chef’s selection of four tasting dishes accompanied by sommelier selected wines from the Robert Oatley Vineyards. Palace Hotel is teaming up with Robert Oatley Wines for an evening of gourmet food, fine wine and entertainment. Bookings are essential.

Tickets are $55 per person. Please book at Palace Hotel on (02) 9212 2111 or email

Pop Up Wine Bar

Every Friday in May from 5pm – 8pm

Palace Hotel Sydney will be showcasing Pocketwatch and Taltarni T Series wines every Friday evening for the month of May at their exclusive pop up wine bar. A selection of by the glass wines will be available at house wine prices between 5pm and 8pm.

A Food and Wine Affair

New Menu for May

Palace Hotel Sydney will be partnering with Robert Oatley wines this May to showcase their brand new menu accompanied by a selection of perfectly matched wines. This new menu will feature wines from the Pocketwatch series from the central ranges of NSW and WA, as well as the Taltarni T Series from Victoria

http://www.palacehotelsydney.com.au/2015/04/15/aussie-wine-month-at-palace-hotel-sydney

Anzac Day - April 25 2015, Sydney

In our ongoing commitment to Metro Hotel on Pitt’s corporate social responsibility program, in April on Anzac Day for the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli we have joined with our partners to be serving coffee and tea for before and after the dawn service at 1915 prices!

  

That is 10c a cup and the sales from this and any other donations made on the day, along with 50% of all food sales will be donated to Legacy Sydney to assist in their ongoing commitment to widows and widowers of our fallen heroes.

Private William Dalton Lycett; Nov 1890 – Apr 1975 Diary of his time at the front in the Dardenelles

"Sunday 25th April, 1915

Was awakened this morning about 4.30 a.m. by the sound of heavy firing. We were at the entrance to the Dardenelles and our fleet was bombarding the enemies forts and batteries, we were right in among our cruisers.

The first of the landing party went ashore about 7 a.m. and some hot fighting ensued. The "Lizzie" (Queen Elizabeth) put some of her big shells in and it was a magnificent sight, though awful.
Our fleet made the hills a hell of fire, a wonderful scene, none of our ships seemed
to be hit.

We steamed about 12 miles up the outside of the "Gallipoli" Peninsula about 10 a.m. and we expect to land here soon. Fleet is bombarding the coast all along. Some Australian troops landed at this point this morning and have been fighting all day.

The sound of rifles has not ceased, same with ships guns till about 8 p.m. Hydroplanes and an observation balloon have been up all day. No firing going on at present."

http://www.sydney.com/destinations/sydney/public-holidays/anzac-day

Dawn Service:

The Dawn service starts at 4:15am and the march (from 9:00am) walks straight past us (on Bathurst Street) - A Short Walk from Metro Hotel on Pitt

Metro Brasserie (Located next to Metro Hotel on Pitt)

Metro Brasserie will be open at 4:15am rising with Reveille for service of coffee and tea at 1915 prices of 10c a cup

Tea at 1915 prices of 10c a cup

Chef will be also preparing traditional homemade Anzac biscuits to enjoy during the morning
We will have continuous service up to and including the Anzac Day parade which passes by the hotel on its way to Hyde Park or until Midday

Dawn Service at Martin Place, Sydney

LEST WE FORGET!

The Rocky Horror Show @ Sydney Lyric Theatre from April 2015

The new Australian production of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show will play a limited season at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from April 2015.

Returning in the coveted role of Frank N Furter will be television and theatre star Craig McLachlan, fresh from shooting the title role in the third series of ABC TV’s top rating drama series The Doctor Blake Mysteries. Further cast members will be announced later this year. The new Australian production of The Rocky Horror Show has been nominated for Best Musical and Best Male Actor in a Musical (Craig McLachlan) at the 2014 Helpmann Awards, and received critical and popular acclaim. Craig McLachlan went on to win the 2014 Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Musical.

The Rocky Horror Show is a true classic and one of theatre’s most endearing and outrageously fun shows. It opened at London’s Royal Court Theatre on June 19, 1973, quickly developing a cult following, and was adapted into the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which has the longest-running release in film history. This iconic brand holds a unique place in theatre history, a show which has defied the decades and continued to grow in popularity. In 2010 the music of Rocky Horror was showcased in the smash hit TV show Glee, seen by over 20 million people worldwide. Rocky Horror even has its own postage stamp.

Millions of people all over the world have and continue to see productions of The Rocky Horror Show and sung along to classics like Sweet Transvestite, Dammit Janet, I Can Make You A Man, Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me, Over At The Frankenstein Place and of course The Time Warp.

‘STILL THE FUNNIEST AND SEXIEST SHOW AROUND’ - Evening Standard

Show Duration: Approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes (including interval)

Playing from 10 April 2015

Tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/The-Rocky-Horror-Show-tickets/artist/804241

NSW Waratahs vs Stormers Rubgy Union Match

Cheer on the NSW Waratahs as they take on the Western Province Stormers! Enjoy the thrill of attacking rugby as these two rivals battle it out at Allianz Stadium.

Bring the family and enjoy an action-packed night with plenty of activities for the kids including a free kids training clinic with Waratahs players and coaches. And to top it off three lucky adults from each clinic will win the opportunity to take part in the Volvo Half Time Challenge on field. Gates open at 6pm, with kick off for the main game at 7.30pm.

Have you got your tickets yet? Adult tickets from AUD22.00 and Family Passes from AUD44.00 (fees and charges apply - silver reserved seating conditions apply.) Enter password FAMILY when purchasing through Ticketek.


HOME GAME INFORMATION: WARATAHS V STORMERS, SATURDAY 11 APRIL 7.30PM, ALLIANZ STADIUM MOORE PARK
BUY TICKETS

Jump the queues and purchase your tickets online from Ticketek. 

Looking for the $44 Family Pass? Once on the Ticketek site, enter the password: FAMILY and select the silver seating category.

Volvo Pre Match Coaching Clinics
Volvo are hosting a free kids training clinic with Waratahs players and coaches before every home game, and giving out complimentary food and drink vouchers to parents (limited number)! And to top it off THREE lucky adults from each clinic will win the opportunity to take part in the Volvo Half Time Challenge on field. 

Transport information
For full information about getting to and from the game, please visit the transportnsw.info special event page for all information on getting to and from the game.

Event timing
5:30pm Forecourt box office opens (outside Gate A, near Driver Avenue)
6:00pm Gates open
6:10pm Junior games in stadium
6:30pm Womens NSW Blues v White Sevens
7:30pm kick off, Waratahs v. Stormers

Social media
Join the conversation using the dedicated gameday hashtags: #WARvSTO and #GoTahs
For more information: www.waratahs.com.au

Top Gear Festival Sydney Will Go Ahead

Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond are coming – but the show won't be called Top Gear and it will be indoors in Sydney and Melbourne.

The Top Gear Live Festival will go ahead in Australia and Jeremy Clarkson is coming, even though he has been sacked by the BBC from the hit TV show.

BBC Worldwide has agreed that the show can go on but without BBC or Top Gear branding.

A statement from BBC Worldwide said the shows would go ahead "so as not to disappoint the thousands of people around the world who have already purchased tickets. These events will not however feature any BBC Top Gear branding or content. We believe this is a sensible approach in the circumstances".

However, the dates have been moved from April to July and the event is now being held indoors rather than at a race track.

Two Melbourne shows have been added to the calendar but the change in dates is likely to leave interstate show-goers out of pocket when they rebook flights and accommodation.

"A decision has been made to reschedule the festival planned for Sydney in April until July of this year and will instead become an indoor arena show staged in both Melbourne on 18-19 July and Sydney on 25 -26 July," the BBC statement said.

It will be the first time all three presenters — Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May — will make the trek Down Under for the performance; the previous Australian Top Gear Live shows only had two of the three presenters, but always with Clarkson as the main host.

The BBC statement said: "We'd like to thank our ticket holders for their continued patience. The fans are the most important people to Jeremy, Richard and James so we're delighted to be able to say 'we're still coming'."

News Corp Australia understands organisers stood to lose millions of dollars — and thousands of fans would have been entitled to refunds — if the show did not go ahead as planned.

Organisers called it "a great solution for the fans".

A statement from Brand Events said ticket-holders will be able to exchange their old tickets for new ones after April 10.

"The new event...will be an arena format starring Jeremy, Richard and James - simply titled ‘Clarkson, Hammond and May Live', and they'll be staged in both Sydney and Melbourne," said a bulletin from Brand Events.

Organisers say they are making “appropriate provisions” to ensure the BBC is not brought into "disrepute" by the presenters during the live shows.

News Corp Australia understands any content directly related to or inspired by Top Gear TV will not be part of the live events, which means The Stig, clips from the TV show and the theme music cannot be used.

Meanwhile, the BBC says the TV show’s future “is not in doubt”.

“We have committed to its renewal and return in good shape in 2016,” said a BBC statement.

Organisers said cancellation of the live show “was always an option” but they didn’t want to disappoint more than 100,000 fans who’d bought tickets.

The consortium insists forging ahead with the show was not a money-grabbing exercise, claiming the priority is to “simply cover costs”.

Exisiting ticket holders will have the choice of swapping for tickets to the new shows, or they will be refunded.

Prices and details for the new shows will be available after April 10.

Organisers said new tickets would only be released after existing ticket holders had an opportunity to swap their entry passes to the new shows.

View Source for more information about this event.