Told through the lens of LEGO® animation, turn up the volume on your imagination and witness the evolution of one of music’s most innovative minds.

Featuring Pharrell Williams, Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg, Piece by Piece will be released in Aussie cinemas this December!
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Told through the lens of LEGO® animation, turn up the volume on your imagination and witness the evolution of one of music’s most innovative minds.

Featuring Pharrell Williams, Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg, Piece By Piece will be released in Aussie Cinemas December 5!
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU/

Set in the world of the theatre, both big and small we get to know the crazy menagerie of animated animals that make up the cast of a work put on by Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey). A talent scout Suki (Chelsea Peretti) who works for super promotor Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Cannavale) sees the production and is unimpressed. This sets Buster on a path to eventually putting the musical on in the big smoke. A thinly disguised Las Vegas-like town called Redshore City.

With an insane set design set in outer space and uninhibited by an actual budget limitation and with colours that almost sear the retinas it is visually impressive. The character animations and actions remain in the PG world and present no problems for younger minds to fully grasp. It does teach a few worthy lessons involving friendship and dedication to one’s dreams along the way.

Who would have thought that one of 2021’s most entertaining musicals would be comprised of animated animals voiced by some of Hollywood’s best-known actors and ready to break into song and dance at any moment? It’s difficult to not get involved

Rob Hudson
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Buster (Oscar® winner Matthew McConaughey) and his cast have turned the New Moon Theater into a local hit, but Buster has his eyes on a bigger prize: Debuting a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City.

But with no connections, Buster and his cast—including harried mother pig Rosita (Oscar® winner Reese Witherspoon), rocker porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson), earnest gorilla Johnny (Taron Egerton), shy elephant Meena (Tori Kelly) and, of course, porcine provocateur extraordinaire Gunter (Nick Kroll)—have to sneak their way into the world-famous Crystal Entertainment offices, run by a ruthless mogul wolf named Jimmy Crystal (Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale).

In a desperate attempt to get Mr. Crystal’s attention, Gunter spontaneously pitches an outrageous idea that Buster quickly runs with, promising that their new show will star lion rock legend Clay Calloway (Bono). Problem is, Buster has never met Clay, an artist who shut himself away from the world more than a decade ago after the loss of his wife and hasn’t been seen since.

As Gunter helps Buster dream up an out-of-this-world theatrical masterpiece, and the pressure (and sinister threats) from Mr. Crystal mount, Buster embarks on a quest to find Clay and persuade him to return to the stage. What begins as Buster’s dream of big-time success becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.

Sing 2 is written and directed by acclaimed returning filmmaker Garth Jennings and features, in addition to Bono’s and Cannavale’s roles, new characters played by music superstars Pharrell Williams and Halsey, Black Panther’s Letitia Wright, and comedians Eric Andre and Chelsea Peretti.

The film is produced by visionary Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Janet Healy. Sing 2 combines dozens of classic rock and pop hit songs, electrifying performances, breathtaking artistry, and Illumination’s signature humor and heart into the definitive feel-good cinematic event of the year.
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The bright holiday colours absolutely jump off the screen and the wild Rube Goldberg inventions in Grinch’s cave and the set design show a heightened level of detail. Benedict Cumberbatch is the voice behind the unfriendly one and modulates his voice to good effect. A serious rendition this is not.

The story while being a familiar one, is still worthy of retelling as this time of year brings as much loneliness to some as it does happiness. Making people aware of the pitfalls that can occur during this festive season is a good thing.

The filmmakers (including Scott Mosier, long time producer of Kevin Smith projects) do an admirable job of bringing an old story to a new market. At our screening the audience was chock full of young children and the film keep them fully engaged and content throughout.

Rob Hudson
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The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heartwarming, and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.

Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. With a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs, the Grinch only sees his neighbors in Whoville when he runs out of food.

Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger, brighter, and louder celebrations. When the Whos declare they are going to make Christmas three times bigger this year, the Grinch …
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This Australian exclusive is fresh from its premiere in Dallas in May and ahead of its New York premiere in November.

Rules Of The Game, based loosely on Pirandello, is a multidisciplinary work for eight dancers – some of the most gifted of their generation – featuring dance, video and sculpture.

This is dance as visual art.

Bokaer is the youngest dancer to ever join Merce Cunningham’s company and is Robert Wilson’s regular choreographic collaborator. His crisp, elegant aesthetic is a sculptural accompaniment to Arsham’s offbeat, architectural environments and Williams’ first-ever orchestral score for theatre or dance.

Rules Of The Game is performed with two earlier works: RECESS (2010), Bokaer’s signature solo, and Why Patterns (2011), a series of choreographed games featuring 5,000 ping pong balls.

Rules of the Game
Brisbane Festival
14 – 17 September 2016
Brisbane Powerhouse – Powerhouse Theatre
www.brisbanefestival.com.au

Williams is an incredibly busy individual and with all his forays into both music production and fashion, it has taken him over seven years to release solo album number two, Girl. All his recognizable flourishes are intact and there are hooks everywhere (of both music composition and sound effects nature). The most obvious starting point is the Oscar nominated song Happy.

Happy pulls out all the stops with a great handclap hook and background harmonies that help the song float right out of your speakers. Speakers that are now turned up so loud everyone into the neighbourhood gets a taste, wanted or not. The production on this song as well as the remaining nine songs is so sonically well placed, you can literally not find a point where it sounds too loud. Trust me I tried.

Longevity for music like this comes from not just a sonic sheen but also from a lyrical depth and for a man so surrounded by members of the female persuasion, he remains both interested in and respectful of the fairer sex. He name checks some great women in history and never lets his libido descend in cliché rap histrionics. It’s a strong work from a real talent and funky to boot.

Rob Hudson
www.pharrellwilliams.com