Cirque Du Soleil Totem | Australian Tour

Cirque du Soleil returns to Australia with a spectacular show presented under the much-loved blue and yellow Big Top. 

TOTEM traces the awe-inspiring journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. 

The cast features 45 performing artists from 16 countries specialising in many breathtaking acrobatic acts. TOTEM marks Cirque du Soleil’s second collaboration with acclaimed theatre and film director Robert Lepage following KÁ at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. 

Somewhere between science and legend, TOTEM explores the ties that bind mankind to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential.

SHOW DATES:

Sydney, NSW	Opens on October 28, 2014
Melbourne, VI	Opens on January 21, 2015
Brisbane, QL	Opens on April 10, 2015
Adelaide, SA	Opens on June 11, 2015
Perth, WA	Opens on July 31, 2015

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Metro Hotels have ideal nearby Show Accommodation  in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth

Sydney Morning Herald Review of Totem | Cirque Du Soleil

Every night during Cirque du Soleil's performance of Totem, Pascal Sioui, the head of automation, straps a chunky black and yellow box to his right hip. In its centre is a big red button surrounded by three words: "Stop Stop Stop"

Sioui, in charge of "everything that moves", has not had to push the button many times. In his 15 years with the world's biggest and best-known circus company, only two shows have been cancelled.

"I would say I have looked after about 4000 performances in 95 cities," he says, tapping his iPad screen to make the set's 4500-kilogram mirrored hydraulic bridge rise like a scorpion's tail.  "We stopped the show in Washington because the wind was picking up and it was too dangerous to use the tent. Safety is No. 1." 

Totem's close-knit troupe of 120 cast and crew  from 14 countries features people who perform and create astounding, gravity-defying acts of visual and physical wizardry. It also includes coaches, creative artists, physiotherapists, cooks and technicians.

But when you have presented a show 1500 times in 25 cities during four years of touring, with three more to come, another priority creeps in: how to keep everyone, including accompanying spouses and children, happy and sane on such an epic theatrical roadtrip.

With the American, Dutch and British legs of the tour completed, Cirque du Soleil performed Totem - it's 26th show - in Auckland in September.  On October 28, it begins a 10-month Australian tour in Sydney before moving to Asia for two years.

The Rolling Stones | Live in Sydney

The Rolling Stones today confirmed the rescheduled dates and venues for the postponed Australian and New Zealand leg of their ’14 On Fire’ Tour.

Ticket holders who are able to attend the rescheduled date need take no action, their existing ticket will remain valid and their location within the venue will remain unchanged.

Fans unable to attend the new shows are asked to secure a refund from their original point of purchase prior to 5pm (local time to the venue) on Monday 28 April, 2014. Refunds can be secured through:

Sydney | Ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849

Lead-up to the Tour Down Under:

Production manager Dale Skjerseth - who has been involved with the band since 1994 - says it takes a lot of work to get everything perfect.

"We’ll be up to around 200 (people) working today, tomorrow, up to the prep for the show and then of course the building will expand. Security ushers, and all the rest of the staff will come in," Dale said on Wednesday afternoon.

"It’s a well oiled machine but we all have to get the joints moving."

Dale says the crew won’t know the specifics of the set list until moments before the show starts.

"They’ve been rehearsing so many songs, we really don’t know what it’s going to be… Of course there will be the favourites and the things added in and stuff they haven’t done,"

"They look back at what they did before years ago when they played here. They think about it and it’s just gotten better every time they’ve gone out."

Promoter Tony Cochrane also confirmed that Jimmy Barnes will be healthy enough to support the Stones after the Cold Chisel singer underwent back surgery last month.

Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting Sydney

Australia's largest city is the jumping off point from exploring the country's vast landscape.  It's  also the city with the most inbound flights from North America. 

Here are some essential tips to plan and enjoy your visit.

Airfare tips

October to March is Sydney's busiest tourism period, when the weather is most pleasant. Airfares are cheaper for travel during Australia's winter months (the North American summer), and higher for the Australian summer, with the southern hemisphere's spring and fall being shoulder season. 

Getting through the airport

U.S. citizens must get an electronic visa online at least two weeks before travel https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETA/etas.jsp for AUD $20. If you have an "electronic passport" with a microchip, look for the kiosks at immigration for a quicker entry into the country. You need to fill out an immigration card on entry, as well uponleaving the country. The train from the airport costs $21, round-trip.

Getting around the city

Sydney is very walkable—it's basically flat, with no hills to climb, and the streets are well marked. (Warning: pedestrians do not jaywalk, and police are not hesitant to fine you for doing so.)  Newsstands sell the recently introduced Opal Card, a stored-value transit card similar to London's Oyster Card and the cheapest and most convenient way to access public transportation. The daily maximum you'll pay for travel is capped at $15 for adults, $7.50 for children, or $60/$30 for a weeks' worth of travel, which includes busses, trains and ferries. As for taxis, they are metered and in egalitarian Sydney, where everyone is a "mate," people still ride in the front seat with the driver. Uber has come to town, and is gaining popularity. 

Recommended hotels

As with airfares, hotel rates go down in winter (the North American summer). The highest rated lodgings with the most reviews, according to TripAdvisor.com, are two serviced apartments rather than hotels: Merton Serviced Apartments Campbell Street and its sister property Merton Serviced Apartments World Tower. Accommodations include full kitchens and washer/dryers. In the luxury category, the 155-room Sydney Park Hyatt gets top marks, but the prices are a splurge (in the $700 per night range). But perhaps the best value, say TripAdvisor groupies, is the Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbor, which recently advertised rates at $160 per night.

Top eats

There's no "traditional" Australian or Sydney dish or cuisine other than, perhaps, "shrimp on the barbie," made famous by actor Paul Hogan's appearances in those tourism television ads. But Sydney now has a considerable food culture, even though it's only been in existence for about 30 years. Australian beef is an especially tasty option, and you'll find lamb dishes on many menus. For fine dining, two highly recommended options are Nomad, 16 Foster Street in Surry Hills, with its Mediterranean-inspired menu sourced with local Australian ingredients, and long-running Rockpool, now in a new location at 11 Bridge Street in the Central Business District, where chef Neal Perry also provides tasty menus for Qantas.

Top attractions

Tours of the Sydney Opera House (sydneyoperahouse.com/tours), which, amazingly, took 17 years to build, are extremely popular and a great photo opportunity. The standard tour takes one hour, while the backstage option lasts two hours. For many who do it, climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge is a highlight of their trip. Do it at sunrise or twilight and, of course, bring a camera. Even jaded locals are amazed by the experience.

 Annual festivals

Every January the Sydney Festival brings stages around 400 contemporary cultural performances: around140 events performed by more than 1000 artists in more than 30 venues. In October, the annual Good Food Monthhttp://www.goodfood.com.au brings street food festivals and other culinary events to Sydney.

Off the beaten track

 Don't be confused when Sydneysiders talk about "suburbs"—these are what you and I call "neighborhoods," inner-city enclaves similar to Sunnyside, Queens in New York City and there are hundreds of them; they include virtually anything outside the Central Business District. For an unusual insider's tour of "emerging" 'hoods such as Redfern and Darlington and hidden scenic spots that few tourists see, in a beautifully restored 1964 Holden sedan, sign up with My Sydney Detour, a unique private tour run by native son Richard Graham. A half-day tour costs $299 for up to three people and includes lunch.

One thing to bring back (that you can't find anywhere else)

Tim Tam Chocolate Biscuits. According to the company, 1 in every 2 Australian households has a packet on hand. Lambskin rugs are also popular shopping finds, although you can often get them at IKEA for less.http://www.arnotts.com.au/our-products/products/arnotts-tim-tam.aspx

 Exchange rate

The U.S. dollar currently fetches 1.14 Australian dollars.

Tipping

Tips are not customary nor are they expected, perhaps because the minimum wage is $17 an hour.

Electricity

Voltage is 220, and you will need both an outlet adaptor and a voltage converter if you're using appliances without built-in converters (you don't want to fry your curling iron or WaterPik). Even many top hotels, airport lounges and other venues lack 110-volt outlets, although they usually provide adaptors on request or you can get them from housekeeping, but it's best to bring your own.

Useful apps

Locals give high marks to the TimeOut Sydney and Australia Good Food Guide apps. The Sydney Official Guide app from Destination New South Wales is also highly rated. Arrivo Sydney (Android) and NextThere (iTunes) are useful public transit apps.

Useful websites

Destination New South Wales http://www.destinationnsw.com.au/

Airfare listings to Sydney

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/cheap-flights/to-sydney-australia/1941/

Qantas http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/home/am/en

Air New Zealand

http://www.airnewzealand.com/

Virgin Australia

http://www.virginaustralia.com/us/en/specials-offers/flight-specials/view-best-fares/

TripAdvisor Things to Do in Sydney

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g255060-Activities-Sydney_New_South_Wales.html

UFC Fight Night SAT 8TH November | Sydney, Australia

The fans and the fighters demanded it, and on November 8 in Sydney, Australia.

The UFC FIGHT PASS main event will be a five-round clash of middleweight contenders, as Luke Rockhold meets heated rival Michael Bisping.

The number five ranked Rockhold, a former Strikeforce champion, is coming off back-to-back finishes of Costas Philippou and Tim Boetsch, and he is promising another quick end when he faces Manchester, England's Bisping, a perennial contender who got back in the win column with an impressive August stoppage of Cung Le in Macao.

EVENT DETAILS: SAT 8 NOV 2014 11:30AM

Jake Matthews:

Jake Matthews has only been in the UFC octagon for 13 minutes and 16 seconds but he already feels he belongs.

“It won’t be long before I’m top 10. I can just feel it,” Matthews said as he prepared for his lightweight showdown against Brazil’s Vagner Rocha at UFC Fight Night in Sydney on November 7.

“I feel I belong at the UFC level and beyond. What I learnt in the Ultimate Fighter house ... I’ve increased my skill level and I know what to do.

“When you get to this level and everyone’s a black belt and everyone’s a good wrestler and a good striker, you have to be ready.

“I know all the UFC fighters in the lightweight division and I think I’m one of the most well rounded fighters.”

Epping’s Matthews, dubbed “The Celtic Kid”, understands he faces a supreme test against “Ceara”.

Rocha submitted Cody McKenzie in Round 2 of UFC Fight Night in New Orleans in 2011, but had defeats either side of that bout against Jonathan Brookins and the highly ranked Donald Cerrone.

“He’s fought in the UFC before, so that’s why it’s a step up,” Matthews said.

“He’s had three fights — won one and lost a couple — so he has experience but I’m super confident. I see it being a first-round finish with this guy. I’m a lot bigger, I’m a lot stronger and he’s coming off an injury and he hasn’t fought in over a year, so he’ll have a bit of cage rust.

Sydney Festival 2015 Line-up Announced

The Sydney Festival has launched its 2015 program — the third under Belgian born director Lieven Bertels — and it’s certainly big with 179 events delivering 490 performances in the central Sydney area and Parramatta covering circus, theatre, dance music, film and visual arts from January 8-26.

About half of these performances are free which means its $18 million budget has to go a long way.

“We only get 35% from public sources and the rest comes from box office and sponsorhsip,” says Bertels who has been critical of how far  the budget has to stretch to stage its free concerts in The Domain.

Bertels says he has found an “elegant solution” to the problem courtesy of new sponsors and has added an extra free concert in The Domain to increase it to four events.

The issue of arts sponsorship in arts management has been a hot button issue this year after the Sydney Biennale and Transfield controversy and Bertels says it’s one that everyone need be aware since the Biennale dumped its sponsor after the demands of participating artists.

“It’s a healthy debate to have. It’s one of those issues that we have to increasingly have to deal with as we look at sponsorship and philanthropy more and more when public funding is static.”

Bertels immediate challenge now, as it has always been for every Sydney Festival director, is to deliver a broad festival that appeal to locals, visitors, tourists and families on school holidays.

“It needs to be a lot of things to a lot of people,” he says, adding that Sydneysiders are always “very honest” in their feedback. “It’s great that Sydneysiders are very eloquent and they are also a very curious audience.”

Bertels’ festival approach is to introduce new names and “make introductions” as well as commission new Australian work. “We’ve commissioned 30 new Australian works over my three years”, he says.

His philosophy also includes getting out of the artists’ way once the commission is secured.

“We (festival directors) are not artists and you have to step aside.”

You can see the full program here but highlights include:

Actress Charlotte Rampling and cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton will combine Sylvia Plath’s poetry and composer Benjamin Britten’s music.

Circus performer James Thierrée  is back in Sydney with Tabac Rouge with his largest work so far combining his skills as an acrobat, musician, dancer, actor, and choreographer.

Australian theatre maker Kate Mulvany is premiering Masquerade by Kit Williams for chidren and adults.

Kiss & Cry  – a dance work with a difference as two sets of hands perform a romance with cinematic projections and tiny sets.

Indian director Roysten Abel’s  The Kitchen, combines music and food with dishes made on stage from within the musicians’ instruments.

Nigerian synth pioneer William Onyeabor’s  Atomic Bomb! The Music of William Onyeaborwith a line-up  that includes Gotye, Sinkane, Money Mark (Beastie Boys), Luke Jenner(The Rapture), Alexis Taylor(Hot Chip), Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem) and Mahotella Queens.

Brazil’s Seu Jorge whose pop covers and original songs combine samba, reggae, Brazilian pop and electronics.

A screening of The Artist with its score performed live by the Sydney Symphony Orchestraand conducted by Ernst Van Tiel with composer Ludovic Bource on piano.

Hyde Park’s Festival Village will see 40 contemporary music performances and not one, but two spiegeltents.

The Domain with four concerts which includes shows by Seu Jorge, William Barton on didgeridoo with the SSO, an operatic concert from Opera Australia and  Beat the Drum: Celebrating 40 years of Triple J featuring Hilltop Hoods, The Presets, The Cat Empire, The Preatures, You Am I and more.

Sydney Festival 2015 Event Map

With the weather heating up and the line up just announced, it’s time to jump on board the Sydney Festival train!

From the city centre to the Greater West, we’ve planned an action packed eighteen days, with something for everyone this summer.

We’ve come up with a new way to explore your Festival – decide on your own route: interchange, take an express or multiple trips on your Multipack.

View all events - http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2015/all

India’s Narendra Modi to Star at Sydney’s Allphones Arena

Since becoming prime minister, Narendra Modi has performed in New York’s storied Madison Square Garden and played drums on stage in Japan.

His next big-ticket venue: Sydney’s Allphones Arena this November.

Mr. Modi will address what is expected to be a sell-out crowd at the 21,000-seat venue in Australia’s financial and commercial capital on Nov. 17 during his four-day trip to the country for the G20 summit in Brisbane.

Organizers say it will eclipse the prime minister’s biggest gig so far, when he spoke to a crowd of 18,000 people, mostly Indian-Americans, at Madison Square Garden on Sept. 28.

“This will be bigger and better,” said Balesh Singh Dhankhar one of the organizers of the reception for Mr. Modi. The Allphones Arena, built for the 2000 Olympics, “has more grandeur” than Madison Square Garden, he added.

The stadium in Manhattan is famous for hosting some of the biggest names in entertainment, like the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and “The Fight of the Century” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

The Allphone Arena also hosts musical acts and boxing matches. In the same month as Mr. Modi’s visit, The Rolling Stones and Katy Perry will play the arena and an Ultimate Fighting Championship event will take place there. 

Australia is home to around 350,000 people who were born in India, according to the latest census data from 2011. 

That was a 90% increase on the number recorded in the census in 2006, but a tenth the size of the Indian-American community in the United States.

After Mr. Modi’s speech in New York, people in Australia began asking when he would come here, said Mr. Dhankhar, a spokesman for the Indian Australian Community Foundation that is helping put on the event that was conceived only three weeks ago.

Some 14,000 people have registered in the first two and a half days of registration, according to the organizers. It will be broadcast live on Indian television channels.

“We invited Mr. Modi and said the Indian diaspora in Australia is very eager to see him,” Mr. Dhankhar added.

Tickets for the Sydney event are free and the show will start around 5.30p.m., but further details of the spectacle are under wraps right now, Mr. Dhankhar said. 

“There are a number of cultural and exciting events before the speech that would be a surprise for the audience in India and Australia. These will be wider and more surprising that at Madison Square Gardens.”

Club Swizzle | Sydney Opera House January 2014

Leave your coat and your hang-ups at the door and let the hardest working middle-aged man in show business lead you to your table.

The scent of last night’s revelry hangs in the air, hinting at what’s to come. Oh, if only you knew. This is Club Swizzle, and tonight, like every night, will be unlike any other.

After three sell-out seasons of La Soiree at the Sydney Opera House, and a rampaging run around the world, its creators return this summer with a brand new show. Loose, raw and glorious, Club Swizzle is a night of demented entertainment where the crazy gets kicked up a notch.

In the depths of the Opera House Studio, the most depraved and devious souls in show business gather around a bar where legends are made. It’s a melee of obscene cabaret, outrageous acrobatics and infectious revelry, all backed by a band with a repertoire as big as their bar tab.

Hanging onto the reigns of the chaos is Murray Hill; the man who “puts the ‘king’ back in f#*king funny”. Direct from New York, Mr Showbiz himself will corral this rollicking bevy of entertainers and keep things (only just) this side of decent.

With no stage, no rules and no regrets, there’s no place quite like it. So order yourself something stiff and get ready to dive into the deep end of debauchery at Club Swizzle.

The doors open early so come and join us for a cheeky drink at the bar pre-show .

Note: Drinks packages will be available for sale in late November.

Club Swizzle is being performed from 09 January 2015 to 15th February 2015

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Food and Fashion Markets in Sydney

No matter where you're staying in Sydney, take time to visit one of the city's lively markets.

Head to The Rocks to enjoy a colourful market scene in the area’s quaint cobblestone laneways. Sample a wide range of Australian-made gourmet produce at The Rocks Foodies Market held every Friday.  Numerous food stalls will delight your tastebuds with everything from Turkish gozleme to barbequed salmon, and gourmet sausages to mini cupcakes. The Rocks Markets are held every Saturday and Sunday and feature more than 200 stalls. Discover emerging designers of fashion and accessories, locally-produced homewares, and original photography, art and crafts.

The city's biggest produce market is the Sydney Markets, incorporating the Sydney Growers Market, Sydney Flower Market and Sydney Produce Market which is located at Flemington. With a history that reaches back as far as 1788, these markets have something for everyone, and a family-friendly atmosphere. Close to Sydney Olympic Park, the Sydney Markets at Flemington are easily accessed by bus, train, or car.

Paddy's Markets at Haymarket is another great option, located near Chinatown. Open from Thursday to Sunday every week, these colourful markets are only a short stroll from Darling Harbour and Pyrmont.

Alternatively, if you're looking for a funky inner-city market showcasing Sydney's artistic side, Glebe Markets, Rozelle Weekend Markets, and Paddington Markets offer handmade jewellery, vintage clothing, second hand books, records, shoes, furniture and more. Open every Saturday, these markets are perfect for anyone with a creative streak.

And if you're staying near Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach, the Bondi Markets are held every Sunday in the beachfront grounds of Bondi Beach Public School. Not only will you find arts, crafts, jewellery, homewares, furniture and clothes galore, but this is the place to discover Australia's hottest new designers. Come and enjoy the friendly seaside atmosphere all while enjoying a delicious sausage sizzle at one of Sydney's most beautiful locations.

Outside the city, there are Farmers' Markets being held regularly around country NSW. Sample the locally-grown produce and delights such as wine, cheese and honey from the areas around Mudgee, Orange, Dubbo, and Wagga Wagga, all while enjoying the fresh air and beautiful scenery. 

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Tourism Set to Cash In On Big Summer For International Sport

An unprecedented summer of international sport is set to boost Canberra's tourist numbers after a major decline in business stays and spending in the past year.

With seven Asian Cup football games including a quarter final, three cricket World Cup games and an extra one day International in November, Canberra's tourism boss expected locals to be joined by a mass of regional and international visitors for the sporting feast.

VisitCanberra director Ian Hill said it would be the strongest summer of sport the city had enjoyed. 

"Two absolutely world class events, and I certainly know tickets for those cricket World Cup games have been selling really well."

The National Visitor Survey released last month showed visitor nights were down 790,000 in the domestic business sector for the year to June, a drop of 37.5 per cent. Overall domestic nights were down 16.4 per cent and expenditure down 11.4 per cent, or $14 million. 

International visitor nights also fell 12 per cent, or 570,000 nights, in the same period, with expenditure down 6 per cent.

Mr Hill said the tourism authority was working closely with hoteliers and organisations elsewhere to help them package and promote events.  

"One of those [Asian Cup] games is a China [vs] Korea game; China don't play in Sydney and there's a big group of Chinese background people who live in Sydney, so we're working with some of the multicultural media in Sydney," he said. 

The tourism chief said the key to maximising the windfall for Canberra was ensuring visitors saw other attractions  during their stay, and a rejuvenated cultural and hotel scene would help.

"Places like Braddon are important, Lonsdale Street Roasters is an important place, New Acton, and with new hotels like Hotel Hotel, Peppers has just rebranded, we've seen QT do a fit out at Rydges, the Kurrajong is about to reopen after being refitted – a great location for visitors in the Parliamentary Triangle. I think visitors are seeing a new side of Canberra," Mr Hill said. 

Mr Hill said stories on last week's OECD finding that Canberra was the world's best city to live in,  trumpeted in the New York Times and elsewhere, helped spread the word. 

The Australian Hotels Association ACT recently told ABC TV that occupancy rates were at about 65 per cent, down from the same time last year, but investment was strong, with another 500-600 hotel rooms available by mid-next year.