Kiss Me, Kate

Fifty years of musical theatre is quite an achievement for a small community arts organisation and Hills Musical Company will celebrate its anniversary in style with the revival of its first ever production, Kiss Me, Kate.

Based in Stirling, the company was formed in 1972 and since then has presented two shows a year – ranging from Shrek the Musical and High Fidelity, to Sweeney Todd and The Producers – at the historic Stirling Community Theatre.

Kiss Me, Kate, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, premiered on Broadway in 1948 and tells the story of a travelling theatre troupe’s musical rendition of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Hills Musical Company (HMC) selected the musical comedy as its first show in 1973 and it says the revived production ­will feature “lush ’50s costumes and a modern perspective of Shakespeare’s well known archetypes”. It will be presented with 22 performers and a full orchestra, from April 28 to May 7.

“Cole Porter’s music is catchy and the characters represent what it is to be a part of a theatre family… with the friendships and the fighting,” says director and HMC life member Hayley Horton. “It is a very fitting choice for the 50th celebrations and a joy to revisit a show with a contemporary perspective that has such meaning to the Hills Musical Company.”

Laura’s journey to recovery

Friends of former Adelaide Writers’ Week director Laura Kroetsch have launched a public fundraising page to support her long journey to recovery following major surgery and ongoing treatment for a rare and aggressive cancer.

Laura Kroetsch was most recently events manager at the History Trust of South Australia. Photo: History Trust

Kroetsch is a well-known figure in the South Australian arts and literary scene, having led Writers’ Week from 2011-2018. She is also a former curator of the OzAsia Festival’s writing and ideas program In Other Words and Dark Mofo’s Dark and Dangerous Thoughts, and was most recently events manager at the History Trust of South Australia.

Following her recent cancer diagnosis, Kroetsch had surgery on March 29 to remove her thyroid, a large part of her trachea and her larynx (voice box).

“This diagnosis means that Laura’s stock in trade, her voice, will be lost,” her friends say on the fundraising page.  “She will need to learn to live with a stoma and a voice prosthesis. The journey to recovery will be challenging and long. No doubt Laura’s contribution to the landscape of writing and ideas will continue. Ideas do not stop when the voice is silenced. In the meantime, Laura needs our help.”

So far, more than $30,000 has been raised through the chuffed.org page, with the money earmarked to assist with ongoing medical expenses, after-care and recovery. Donations can be made here.

Classic Coriole

Isolation and renewal are the themes of the first Coriole Music Festival to be presented by new artistic director Simon Cobcroft on May 20 and 21.

The program for the annual chamber music event at Coriole Vineyards in McLaren Vale was released this month and includes the premiere of new works by Australian composers Anne Cawrse and Gerard Brophy, alongside music by the likes of Rachmaninov, Bach, Schumann and Stravinsky.

“In 2023, as the world continues to emerge from the penumbral darkness of COVID, the Coriole Music Festival reflects on the consolation afforded by music during times of hardship and isolation, and the immense power of renewal and regeneration that music wields as we come together once more,” Cobcroft says.

Helen Ayres, Anna Goldsworthy and Simon Cobcroft perform at the 2022 Coriole Music Festival. Photo: Jamois

The 2023 festival comprises three concerts over two days (full program here), each followed by a meal in the Coriole vineyard. Preforming musicians include Lyrebird Trio, violin virtuoso Alexandra Osborne, pianists Daniel de Borah and Kristian Chong, Julia Grenfell (flute), Joshua Oates (oboe), Dean Newcombe (clarinet), Mark Gaydon (bassoon), Adrian Uren (french horn), Justin Julian (viola), Martin Alexander (viola), Sharon Grigoryan (cello) and Jonathan Coco (double bass).

Support for First Nations artists

The City of Adelaide is holding a drop-in session at the City Library on April 27 for people seeking more information and advice on its First Nations Creative Careers Grants.

The grants program, funded by the City of Adelaide and Arts SA, offers funding of up to $20,000 for South Australia-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, artisans and creatives, with the aim of increasing their participation in projects in the city. People at any stage of their career can apply.

Applications for the current round close on April 30, with program guidelines and details of the drop-in information session available here.

Value for Money

Contemporary dance fans should be in for a treat when Mparntwe/Alice Springs-based GUTS Dance Central brings Value for Money to Adelaide later this month.

GUTS is the only contemporary dance organisation of its type within a 1500km radius of Mparntwe and aims to promote work made in regional and remote Australia by a diverse cross-section of creatives. Its full-length production Value for Money is described as “a powerful physical exploration of the value we place on human lives and bodies” and features a score by Australian singer-songwriter Tom Snowdon.

Artback NT is supporting a national tour, with Australian Dance Theatre set to host the show’s Adelaide season at the Odeon Theatre in Norwood from April 27-29 (details here).

AGSA’s new chair

Former Lord Mayor of Adelaide and experienced arts leader Sandy Verschoor is taking on a new role as chair of the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Verschoor, who served as Lord Mayor from 2018-2022, has held a range of roles in the South Australian arts and culture sector, including CEO of the Adelaide Fringe and Adelaide Festival and executive producer of the Festival of Ideas.

“Her experience in curating and delivering events and festivals that draw people to our city and state will be a significant asset to the Art Gallery going forward,” Arts Minister Andrea Michaels said, announcing the appointment last weekend.

Green Room is a regular column for InReview, providing quick news for people interested, or involved, in South Australian arts and culture.

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