Pyrmont

SOCIAL SPY** OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD YOU GUYS… LEGALLY BLONDE OPENING NIGHT

Beeeeennnnnddddddd and snap!

Last week Sydney Social 101 was invited to attend and review the Opening Performance of Sydney’s Legally Blonde The Musical! The international award-winning hit has arrived in Australia, playing now at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre.

I am going to begin by saying (just in case you don’t read to the end) that is by far and away one of the most fun, energetic, gripping musicals I’ve ever seen! I would recommend it without hesitation! It’s literally like watching the movie, but with music, and better!

Sydney has welcomed the musical after Legally Blonde ran for three triumphant years in the West End, over two years on Broadway and is currently on a major UK tour. The winner of seven major awards including the coveted Best New Musical 2011(Olivier Awards) this all singing, all dancing romantic comedy is about knowing who you are and showing what you’ve got!

Sydney’s VIPs came out to celebrate the opening night in style! Guests included The Veronicas, Natalie Braithwaite and Australian Idol 2011 winner Reece Mastin to name a few.

All Socials credited to photographer Matt Watson

College sweetheart and homecoming queen Elle Woods can handle anything. So when her boyfriend, Warner, dumps her for someone serious, Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and heads for Harvard Law School to win him back. With some help from new-found friends Paulette and Emmett plus her Chihuahua, Bruiser, she learns that it’s so much betterto be smart.

 

Based on the hit movie of the same name starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde the Musical is the award-winning London and Broadway sensation created by a top-of-their-class creative team, led by Tony Award-winning director and Olivier Award-nominated choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray). This funny, feel good musical comedy will be the highlight of your year. Legally Blonde the Musical will take you from the social whirl of California Campus life to Harvard’s Halls of Justice with Australia’s brightest new heroine (and of course, her Chihuahua, Bruiser). The verdict? This much fun shouldn’t be legal!

David Harris as Emmett, Cameron Daddo as Prof Callahan and Lucy Durack as Elle in LEGALLY BLONDE (c) Jeff Busby

The all star Australian cast includes Lucy Durack (Wicked) as Elle Woods, Rob Mills (Young Talent Time) as Warner, David Harris (Miss Saigon) as Emmett, Helen Dallimore (The Wharf Revue) as Paulette, Erika Heynatz (Next Top Model) as Brooke Wyndham and Cameron Daddo (Big River, Packed to the Rafters) as Professor Callahan.

Erika Heynatz as Brooke skipping in LEGALLY BLONDE (c) Jeff Busby

Legally Blondeis produced by Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group and John Frost, in association with MGM ON STAGE, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber.

 

Howard Panter, joint Chief Executive and Creative Director of Ambassador Theatre Group said, “Legally Blonde The Musical has been a roaring success on both sides of the Atlantic, critically acclaimed, getting standing ovations night after night, and record repeat business. I have no doubt Australia will take Legally Blondeinto their hearts as well and have an Elle of a party at the theatre. I am thrilled that Legally Blonde The Musical, the success story from Broadway and London has come to Australia, and that I am producing it with John Frost in our first collaboration.”

David Harris as Emmett and Lucy Durack as Elle in LEGALLY BLONDE (c) Jeff Busby

John Frost is excited to be co-producing Legally Blonde. “This show is 100% pure entertainment, and I know Sydney will fall in love with the show as much as I have. I’m delighted to be working with Howard Panter for the first time, and to be presenting my third major musical in 2012 at the beautiful Lyric Theatre.”

 

The Australian Premiere of this award-winning Broadway and West End sensation was secured for Sydney with the assistance of the NSW Government through Destination NSW and the City of Sydney.

 

Legally Blonde is the funniest and most fabulous musical around. The best show in town, case closed.

 

(FIVE STARS) “The best legal high in town. A Triumph!” – Time Out

(FIVE STARS) “Perfection. Ridiculously Enjoyable” – The Independent

”Legally Blonde simply blows other musicals out of the water. Sensational” – The Sun

 

legallyblonde.com.au

facebook.com/legallyblondemusical

@legallyblondeoz

 

Venue:                                                  Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star

Season:                                                To January 27, 2013

Performance Times:                           Tues 7pm, Wed–Sat 8pm, Matinees Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm & Sun 3pm

Price:                                                    $75.90 – $139.90

Bookings:                                            1300 795 267 or ticketmaster.com.au

Groups of 12 or more (02) 8240 2290

Sunday Blues Sessions at Rock Lily

Three major blues artists to headline throughout May, June and July

The Star’s live music bar, Rock Lily, is hosting blues sessions each Sunday in May, June and July from 2pm-6pm, with each month featuring a different headline resident artist.

 

The first resident is renowned blues artist Steve Clisby and his band, The Steve Clisby Blues Experience, performing each Sunday in May from 2pm-6pm. The Steve Clisby Blues Experience delivers pure velvet sounds with Steve Clisby on vocals, Bill Risby on keyboard, Kere Buchannon on drums, Alex Hewetson on bass, Jonathan Pease on guitar and Adrian Cunningham on saxophone.

 

June will see Little Nina featuring Tina Harrod take to the stage every Sunday afternoon, while The Continental Robert Blues Party will perform each Sunday in July.

 

Rock Lily showcases the best established and emerging Australian music acts, plus features a number of international performers. Rock Lily has an inviting, warm décor, and is stocked with one of the largest selections of tequila in Australia.

 

For more information or enquiries, visit http://www.star.com.au or 1800 700 700.

 

Entry is complimentary and no bookings are required.

will.i.am to perform at Marquee – The Star, Sydney’s public opening

The Star and internationally acclaimed nightclub operators, Tao Group, today announced that DJ, songwriter and producer, will.i.am from Black Eyed Peas fame, will take to the decks at the official public opening of Marquee – The Star, Sydney on Saturday March 31 2012.

This event marks the first opportunity for club-goers to experience Marquee – The Star and signals the beginning of many more impressive acts soon to be announced to feature on the nightclub’s exciting, ongoing program.

 

Tao Group, which has partnered with The Star’s parent company, Echo Entertainment, will open its first venture outside of the United States with Marquee – The Star, Sydney and is the force behind the world renowned LAVO in New York and Las Vegas, TAO Las Vegas and Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas .

 

The recently opened Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, boasts an impressive roster of resident DJ’s, including Kaskade, Red Foo from LMFAO, Erick Morillo and DJ Vice.

 

Marquee – The Star, Sydney, will be located on the entire top tier of The Star’s new Pirrama Road harbour side entrance, commanding expansive views of Sydney Harbour and the city skyline. With nearly 20,000 square feet of floor space, and a capacity for 1200 people, the venue is designed to house three distinct spaces within the one venue to cater for different tastes and moods.

 

The Main Room will feature a 30 foot projection stage with an LED DJ booth and two dance floors.  In contrast, a stylish library-style room will offer an intimate lounge experience, accentuated by a working fireplace. Club-goers will come across the Boom Box, with a separate DJ, state-of-the-art sound system and outdoor patio.  There is also a chill-out area with unparalleled views of the Sydney skyline.

 

Furnished with dynamic and unique interiors, the venue will have a retail store and separate VIP entrance for quick entry from street level.

 

The Star has recently undergone an $870 million redevelopment and expansion to become a one-of-a-kind entertainment destination. The Star offers more than 20 restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and cafes, a new five star boutique lifestyle hotel called The Darling, a 16 room day spa, a luxury retail collection, and upscale gaming areas.

Part of Echo Entertainment Group, it currently employs over 4,000 staff across gaming, hospitality and other specialist industries. The redevelopment has created over 700 new jobs, as well as employed over 1,200 contractors throughout its construction. Attracting visitors to Sydney from around the world, The Star currently injects more than $150 million into local, Australian and international economies across a large variety of industry sectors.

Restaurant Review: Sokyo – The Star

I’m often looking for new hidden eateries in Sydney, I’m not precious when it comes to food type – I love Thai, Tapas, Italian, Indian, Malaysian and of course Japanese!

 

So imagine my sheer delight when I was asked to come and check out Sokyo in The Star! My partner and I were invited to sample the $49 lunch menu – and might I just add… YUM!!!

We arrived at the cool restaurant, it was a hot 33 degrees outside, and as we were ushered to our table we could see the chefs working away in the kitchen, a quality I like.

The lunch menu is as follows (all include green salad and Miso soup):

I opted for the Tuna Umami for my Sashimi started dish, which was amazing. The tune literally melted in my mouth and there were so many flavours! I’m not normally a fan of raw fish, I remember once in Moscow I mistook a cube of tuna for a cube of water melon – less than idea (if I’m honest I think I’ve only just got over it!)

For my Tempura course I selected the Cuttlefish, this is also a dish that I wouldn’t normally select from a menu, but I figured I need to live a little and break outside my facade as a creature of habit! It reminded me of scampi that you get back in the UK, battered fish with aioli dressing. The fish was so tender and I have to be honest I was left wanting more. (Note the food is amazing, but if you’re looking for a filling hearty meal, this probably isn’t the choice for you).

The main, oh the main, the Lamb Chop Maple Miso – A culinary delight! The lamb literally falls of the bone! It was so tasty, but again a little shy on the portion size.

All in all I would recommend Sokyo if you have a client in town that you’re looking to impress, or if you have a date on the weekend and you’re looking too hit the dance floor after and don’t want to be too full. The lunch menu works out at around $70 per person if you have a cocktail and soft drink, which isn’t somewhere you’d want to visit daily due to the price, but in terms of food quality – it’s the perfect lunch/ dinner destination for that something special!

Hakuna Matata, What a wonderful phrase

I found out this morning that the amazing musical: The Lion King is coming to Sydney and I could not be more excited. I first saw the film when I was a dot, I fell in love with it straight away!

Even when I was Nine years old and my dance company gave me the dubious honour of playing Pumbaa (yes the warthog) it’s so glamorous darling!

I was lucky enough to see the musical on Broadway, NY in January 2006 at the Amsterdam Theatre, it was magical! The costumes are breathtaking and you actually feel like you’re watching the film. So imagine my complete delight when I found out that the show was coming Down Under!

The Lion King will return to Sydney in 2013. This might seem like a long way away, however from my experience, when you’re in Australia the time literally flys by!

This isn’t the first time that the stage show has been here as it finished up in Sydney in 2005 after running for two years and playing to 1.35 million people.

It will reopen at the Capitol Theatre in December next year.

Tourism minister George Souris said a new generation of young families is ready to enjoy the musical.

“It’s the most successful musical in the world and it exceeded all expectation in 2003,” he told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

Mr Souris said the 2013 production was expected to attract 500,000 visitors from interstate and overseas, generating $36 million for NSW.

He said visitors who came to watch the show would also take part in other activities in the city.

“If they came right now, they’d go to the Picasso exhibition, they’d go to the Harry Potter exhibition, they would have enjoyed the Festival of Sydney,” Mr Souris said.

“They may have even enjoyed the cricket season against India.

“All of that drives tourism and the importance of having a premier run in your state cannot be overestimated.”

Thomas Schumacher, Disney’s president of theatrical productions, said although the musical had premiered in 1997, enormous demand for it continues worldwide.

“It’s still going to be new to the audience that see it for the first time,” Mr Schumacher told reporters via videolink from New York.

“Then of course there’s the people that want to come back to it.

“We get many more requests around the world for productions of The Lion King that we can’t accommodate or in fact are interested in accommodating.”

Since opening in America in 1997, there have been 19 production of the musical around the world.

It’s estimated to have been seen by 63 million people and grossed more than $4.7 billion, impressive huh?!

The Sydney production is predicted to run for about eight months.

 

Source: AAP

Celebrate Valentine’s Day at The Star

We all know that Sydney, and the rest of the world is gearing up for that little day of the year that has the world’s population divided – Valentine’s Day. Over the next few days I’ll be providing suggestions as to what to do on this day that, well quite frankly should be called ‘Vegemite’ Day or ‘Marmite’ Day (depending on which side of the pond you’re from!)

For those of you that are planning to visit Sydney, I’m sure you’re inundated with suggestions for hotels, suburbs to stay in and places to visit whilst your here. Well here if you’re here over February and you’re looking for a little something extra special to do with your other half whilst Down Under – Look no further…

Sydney has recently welcomed a brand new, one-of-a-kind leisure and entertainment venue, The Star.

The Star is located in Pyrmont, just over the other side of the Pyrmont bridge (across from the city side of Darling Harbour), you can access The Star via the mono rail – but I honestly think it’s such a nice walk, if the suns out, get your walking boots (by walking boots I mean flip flops, thongs etc).

The Star will celebrate Valentine’s Day this year with a number of romantic packages across its new restaurants, bars and five-star boutique lifestyle hotel.  Read on for more details.

 

‘BE MY DARLING’ HOTEL PACKAGES

 

Sydney’s newest five-star boutique lifestyle hotel, The Darling, will celebrate Valentine’s Day with two ‘Be My Darling’ packages for stays during the month of February. In addition to the 171 luxurious rooms and suites, The Darling also features a 16 treatment room spa offering a range of Asian and European inspired treatments, including couple’s massages. Guests of The Darling can also enjoy an outdoor infinity pool, plus Molton Brown amenities and a customised pillow menu in every room.

 

Darling Room package

Receive overnight accommodation in a Darling Room, in-room breakfast for two and two cocktails in Sokyo Bar for $359 for Sunday to Thursday stays. A weekend surcharge applies.

 

Jewel Suite package

Receive overnight accommodation in a luxurious Jewel Suite, in-room breakfast for two, two cocktails in Sokyo Bar, plus an indulgent couple’s massage at the spa. The Jewel Suite package is $759 for Sunday to Thursday stays. A weekend surcharge applies.

 

 

To book a ‘Be My Darling’ package, please contact The Darling reservations on 1800 800 830 or visit www.thedarling.com.au.

If you’re not looking for somewhere to rest your head (amongst other things I’m sure) The Star offers plenty of amazing eateries that boast some of the most well reviewed cuisines from across Sydney. Be sure to book ahead however, as I can imagine that The Star will be a popular choice this Valentines Day.

RESTAURANTS

Balla

Popular Italian chef, Stefano Manfredi, has prepared a special Valentine’s Day experience at his modern Milanese restaurant. Guests will enjoy a five course degustation showcasing Manfredi’s signature cuisine paired with superb harbour views for $125 per person, plus matching wines or beverages on consumption.

Sokyo

Contemporary Japanese restaurant, Sokyo, will serve a seven course Omakase menu for $110 per person, plus matching wines or beverages on consumption. Guests will also receive a Valentine’s Day gift, including a chocolate petite four.

 

BLACK by ezard

Complete with magnificent harbour views, the contemporary grill will feature a five course degustation menu by award-winning chef Teage Ezard for $130 per person, plus matching wines or beverages on consumption. Guests will also receive a Valentine’s Day gift, including a chocolate petite four.

 

Bistro 80

Serving Bistro classics and favourites, Bistro 80 has prepared a special three course Valentine’s Day menu for $95 per person, plus matching wines or beverages on consumption. Guests of Bistro 80 will also receive canapés on arrival plus a Valentine’s Day gift, including a chocolate petite four.

 

To book one of The Star’s Valentine’s Day restaurant packages, please contact 1800 700 700 or for more details visit www.star.com.au

There really is something to suit everybody’s needs here, if a sit down dinner isn’t what you’re looking for, why not head to one of the venue’s bars.

BARS

 

Cherry

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with stunning views of the Harbour Bridge in The Star’s beautifully designed cocktail bar, Cherry. Special ‘love potion’ cocktails will be on offer for $10 between Saturday 11 and Tuesday 14 February.

Rock Lily

Sydney’s live music hub will play host to an ‘I love Myself’ party on Saturday 11 February, including ‘anti-Valentine’s Day’ themeing and live music. Entertainment begins at 7pm, featuring Jamie Lindsay Trio, Kitsch78 and the Black Diamond Hearts. No cover charge applies.

More post to follow with regards to inspiration this Valentine’s Day, if you have any suggestions, please feel free to post below.

I hope to have a selection for everyone across Sydney with for all budgets and circumstances.

Thanks for reading!

L x