A Hoax by Rick Viede

May 2012 at La Boite Theatre I attended one of the premiere performances of a new play by Rick Viede , award winning Australian playwright, performer, singer, actor and personality extraordinaire.

Director Lee Lewis 
Dramaturg Tahli Corin
Designer Renée Mulder
Design Assistant Melita Lee Yuen
Lighting Designer Jason Glenwright
Music, Sound & AV Designer Steve Toulmin

Cast

Charles Allen
Glenn Hazeldine
Sally McKenzie 

Shari Sebbens

'A Hoax' is a spot on observation of what is truth. Set in the world of personality and publishing it reveals a rather insecure writer who publishes supposedly biographical stories of a young abused Aboriginal girl. He hires an energetic nobody to play 'Nobody's Girl'. The tough alcoholic publisher manipulates, the gay black protege observes, encourages, exposes and succumbs to the lies and the girl lives the lie. A fantastic play which has received rave reviews and is a truly wonderful piece of theatre for four brilliant actors. 

One aside is that a few performances had to be cancelled to allow star Shari Sebbens to dash off to the Cannes Film Festival for her film 'Sapphires'

The author of this brilliant piece is Rick Viede. I first came across 'Richard' Viede in a 2002 film "Crazy Richard" (below) His extraordinary exuberance struck me and it was not until recently that I discovered him again as the performer Glace Chase and playwright Rick Viede. I made contact on Facebook as I am wont to do and am discovering what a talent he is. His plays have travelled to New York as well as various states here in Australia. A boy worth watching and a mind as sharp, relevant and poignant as one should expect from a great writer.

I had to include this oh so cute photo of Glace Chase.

All The Way - A Diary of Success http://glacechase.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/GlaceChase

Great Loss

RIP - Robin Gibb

22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012

Robin Gibb as I remember him. The young Bee Gees emigrated from Britain and grew up here in Brisbane. I remember a work friend telling me of when they were at school together he had a fight with Robin and big brother Barry beat him up to protect his younger brother. I also recall their appearances as very talented kids on TV here and then seeing them in concert when they were famous. We danced in the aisles way back then.

RIP - Dietrich Fischer Dieskau

28 May 1925 – 18 May 2012

German Baritone Dietrich Fischer Dieskau was one of the greatest and most famous singers of the Twentieth Century. He excelled in lieder and for me he was the first great baritone for whom I was in awe. I have many recordings of his beautiful lyric voice.

RIP - Donna Summer

December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012

One of the most indelible sounds of my youth. The soundtrack of my clubbing days when going out was happy and excessive.

Four Last Songs

Richard Georg Strauss: 11 June 1864 - 8 September 1949
For decades the song cycle of Richard Strauss known as 'Four Last Songs' has been at the summit of my idea of the most sublimely beautiful music ever written. Strauss died before these songs were premiered in London in 1950. It was not his intention to group the set of the three Hesse poems/songs together with that by Eichendorff, but this was the inspiration of his friend Ernst Roth to unite them as 'The Four Last Songs'. Roth was the chief editor of the musical publishers Boosey & Hawkes. Since Kirsten Flagstad first sang these, every soprano worth her salt wants one day to tackle these pieces when she thinks she is mature enough and ready. 
Many glancing here will know this work by heart, but I hope some novices will listen quietly to the four songs by different sopranos I have below and be overwhelmed.

Fruhling
This audio recording is by the divine lyric soprano Gundula Janowitz.
The lyrics are by Hermann Hesse
In dusky caverns I dreamed long of your trees and azure breezes, 
of your scents and birdsong.
Now you lie revealed in glitter and array, bathed in Light like a miracle before me.
You recognize me again, tenderly you beckon to me. 
Through all my limbs quivers your blissful presence.

September
Jessye Norman, who shines in everything she puts her voice and intellect to, live at the inaugural concert of the Salisbury Festival 1991 held at Salisbury Cathedral West Green.
The lyrics again by Hermann Hesse.
The garden is mourning
the rain sinks coolly into the flowers
Summer shudders
as it meets its end.
Leaf upon leaf drops golden
down from the lofty acacia.
Summer smiles, astonished and weak,
in the dying garden dream.
For a while still by the roses
it remains standing, yearning for peace.
Slowly it closes its large
eyes grown weary.

Beim Schlafengehen
The glorious Leontyne Price - Live in New York 1979
Words once again by Hermann Hesse.
Now that the day has made me so tired,
My dearest longings shall
Be accepted kindly by the starry night
Like a weary child.
Hands cease your activity,
Head forget all of your thoughts:
All my senses now
Will sink into slumber.
And my soul, unobserved,
Will float about on untrammelled wings
In the enchanted circle of the night,
Living a thousand fold more deeply.

Im Abendrot
Elizabeth Schwarzkopf has always been my favourite interpreter of these songs. Perhaps it is because hers was the first version I owned. This stunning live audio recording is with:-
The Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam
Conducted by George Szell at the Consertgebouw 19the June 1964
Lyrics this time by Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff.
We've gone through joy and crisis
Together, hand in hand,
And now we rest from wandering
Above the silent land.
The valleys slope around us,
The air is growing dark,
And dreamily, into the haze,
There still ascends two larks.
Come here, and let them flutter,
The time for sleep is soon.
We would not want to lose our way
In this great solitude.
O vast and silent peace!
So deep in twilight ruddiness,
We are so wander-weary - 
Could this perchance be death?

Exploring The Four Last Songs