Smorgasbord to suit all ages
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday October 22, 2009
Age will not be a barrier when it comes to planning some of your arty outings, writes Catharine Munro. Blaming the children is never advisable but when it comes to some of the arts events over the coming months, it may be forgivable. People as young as three are the beneficiaries of offerings from the stage and the classical music repertoire but their older companions may find them even more fun.In a bid by the Australian Chamber Orchestra to interest children from five in classical music, the first open-sky production of Saint Saens's The Carnival of the Animals will be launched in March at Taronga Zoo. Bookings through aco.com.au.A narrator for the verse, written by cartoonist Michael Leunig, has not been announced but its only other season was in 2000, when then rock star Peter Garrett performed it.For more vicarious appreciation of the arts, the Sydney Theatre Company's Actor on a Box shows are to be performed at the Richard Wherrett Studio in the Sydney Opera House. Henry Lawson's tale, The Loaded Dog, will run from April 13-17. Tony Mitton's The Red and White Spotted Handkerchief will run from July 6-10.Neil Armfield's Company B at the Belvoir St Theatre and the Theatre of Image is producing The Book of Everything. It's a show recommended for eight years upwards that "lets us into an adult's world of moral choice through a child's brilliant, growing imagination". Previews start on December 23 and the season runs until January 31. Bookings on 9699 3444.For closet pantomime lovers lucky enough to get in at the last minute, the Sydney Theatre Company is staging The Wizard of Oz, at Sydney Theatre from tomorrow to November 1. For those who miss out, STC is also offering Mr Freezy, a show about an ice-cream truck that "explores ideas of bravery, loss and belonging". Aimed at five-year-olds, it will run from June 25-July 10. Bookings can be made on sydneytheatre.com.au or on 9250 1777.Other STC offerings for young people include: The Beauty Queen of Leenane €“ ages 14 years and up €“ from February 19-March 13; The Comedy of Errors €“ 12 and up €“ from August 6-28; Nyuntu Ngali (You We Two) €“ 12 and up €“ from May 5-14; Burnt in Sydney €“ 13 and up €“ from May 24-28.On January 12, there's an audio tour of selected works from the entire collection of the Art Gallery of NSW. Targeted at children between five and 12, they may help parents and carers download the tour on an MP3 player (artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/kids) to avoid hiring an iPOD for $7.Teenagers who struggle with any whiff of culture may be enticed to see Bodytorque and the work of five young choreographers and five young designers. The Australian Ballet is also offering classic favourites, including Coppelia and The Nutcracker. Bookings for all can be made on 1300 369 741 and australianballet.com.au.The Art Gallery of NSW is also offering their children's holiday Indian dance perform-ances. The deities Ganesha, Krishna and Shiva are revealed through dance, music and stories each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from January 5-21 .
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald