When The Phantom of the Opera closed last year, after almost 14,000 performances, it ended its reign as the longest running production on Broadway. While it technically still holds the crown as Broadway’s longest running show (of all time), the move passed the mantle of longest running productions currently on Broadway to the 1996 revival…
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The true story behind Chicago is so fascinating that it still resonates a hundred years after the action. In 1924, Chicago was overrun by gangsters, with prohibition-era criminality infused with a smoky jazz background. On “murderess row” in Cook County, over a dozen women were waiting sentencing. One woman, Kitty Malm, dubbed by the newspapers…
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Each year, James Beard hands me some fresh FOMO on a silver platter. The USA’s most prestigious culinary institution works similar to Michelin but is generally broader in criteria. In the past, I’ve been much more satisfied with something that’s been James Beard-approved rather than just Michelin-approved. Now, that’s not to say Michelin isn’t reliable,…
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Full of murder, greed and that oh so seductive razzle dazzle, Broadway’s longest-running musical has found its way back to Australia for a limited season. Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two strong individuals with big aspirations who find themselves locked up and on trial for murder. When they learn of…
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The US Festival season is finally heating up again as Covid restrictions start to lift and that promised “Hot Vax Summer” becomes a reality in the Northern Hemisphere. With the last 15 months being live music free in most of the country, music fans are chomping at the bit to see their favourite bands perform…
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Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…
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The richness in Chicago’s historic cocktail scene is endless, and the innovation knows no bounds. Just go take a look of our roundup of cocktail recipes from some of the best bars in the Chi for a taste of just how diverse this city can get when it comes to bar hopping for some exceptional…
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Domestic travel is on the cusp of a resurgence with states across Australia beginning to relax lockdown measures. International travel? That’s a different story. With many countries around the world struggling in the fight against COVID-19, we’ve been given conflicting information on when international travel will resume to a sense of normalcy anytime soon. Some…
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Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…
Read More
Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…
Read More
Over the next four nights, Chicago’s iconic Lollapalooza will be transformed into a spectacular online festival with retrospective performances alongside intimate discussions and more than a handful of new, original performances by big-ticket acts. It’ll all be going down exclusively on YouTube, following the path of previous festival-streaming events but offering a deeper exploration to…
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During these unprecedented times, when staying at home is of the utmost importance, us here at The AU Review are going to be doing everything we can to help readers live their best lives, indoors. As with many other media companies who typically focus on getting folks out and about, we’re shifting to adapt to…
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House, blues, hip hop, gospel, and just about every other culturally important form of music you can think of. It’s all in the Windy City. And it’s everywhere, and anywhere, as it should be. Chicago is one of the most sacred cities in the world when it comes to music history. From legendary jazz clubs…
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In its 55th year of competition, the Chicago International Film Festival – the longest-running of its kind in the USA – once again acted as a beacon for cinephiles the world over, showcasing meaningful works across various genres and countries. Film festivals have long been considered some of the greatest and most impactful destination events…
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Travelling for arts festivals is one of the most enriching experiences an intrepid adventurer can have. Not only are you able to explore a destination as you normally would, and take in the many sights, sounds and experiences on offer, you also have access to a curated program brimming with creativity. Whether that means you’ve…
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A film like Just Mercy lays all cards on the table before it even starts. On the surface, it’s another entry in the long-line of righteous fury pointed at miscarried justice and a system unashamed by its own historical wrongdoings. And yes, that’s pretty much what it is, adapting the true story from a 2014…
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Candide, or absolute nihilism? Eastern European cinema has always had a nail-biting bleakness about it, but The Painted Bird may have just upended all others. This is a brutal hellscape somehow stretched into an adventure epic; as hard to look away from, as it is to watch in the first place. There’s little wonder as…
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One of the longest-running musicals in history, Chicago returns to our shores again, seemingly only a heartbeat since it’s the last production, which was in fact in 2009. As the show-to-end-all-shows, it seems interesting to have it return, in this mounting of the most recent Broadway production. However in our current era of reality and…
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The 15th edition of Lollapalooza in Chicago kicked off with the greatest weather you could ever ask for. The annual festival which always takes place on the first weekend of August is usually met with scorching sun, torrid temps, and severe threats of dehydration. But this year by the grace of the weather gods it…
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Our first look at the rehearsals for Chicago the musical playing at the Capitol Theatre this August and starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte as Roxie Hart, Alinta Chidzey as Velma Kelly and Casey Donovan as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton’
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I first sat down with Australian artist Fatai at SXSW 2018, where we spoke about her making her SXSW debut and getting comfortable in Chicago – the US city she calls home. Fast forward a year and the artist has returned to SXSW, with a brand new single “Road Less Traveled” in tow, and a…
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For those who haven’t heard about Chicago rapper Lucki, the 22 year old is one of the most promising underground rap talents in recent memory. First achieving notoriety in 2012 with his critically acclaimed project Alternative Trap establishing the 16 year old as a formidable rapper with a unique delivery style that has developed and…
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On Tuesday night, the Sydney Opera House was treated to one of the first Australian performances of Chicago rapper Saba, an incredibly talented rising star with a lot of hype surrounding his career to date. He was met with the warmest of welcomes from the packed Opera House, with energy and cheers greeting each changing…
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Teetering between the early-2018 release of an album, and his upcoming Australian tour, Saba is poised for a deserved spike in notoriety. A Chicago based rapper, cut from the same cloth as Chance the Rapper, Saba fell into the local indie rap scene in southern Chicago, acting as an antonym to the swirling popularity of…
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The stellar year for music that has been 2018 delivers once again with the new release from Chicago rapper Joey Purp. Off the strength of previous project iiiDrops (featuring the bouncy hit ‘Girls @‘ featuring Chance the Rapper) he’s released QUARTERTHING, a new album that shows incredible progression for the rising star. A member of the…
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Lollapalooza wrapped up in Chicago on Sunday with performances from the likes of Jack White, What So Not, Portugal the Man, Manchester Orchestra, Anderson East, Lykke Li, Morgan Saint, Superorganism, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Mikky Ekko. Our photographer Taylor Mithelman was on ground and brings us back these photos!
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Lollapalooza ended just as hot as it began in terms of temperature and excitement. Jack White led the bill competing against three very different options in Odesza, Excision and Playboy Carti. Threats of inclement weather forced some of the acts to begin earlier, but Jack White had his crowd ask God to hold off and…
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Lollapalooza aftershows can be tough tasks. Spending 10 hours in the hot sun if Grant Park can be exhausting and quite taxing. So then to turn around go across town and strap in for another 2 and a half hours of music can be quite the challenge. Luckily, Tank and the Bangas played a set Friday…
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The second day of Lollapalooza was jam packed with much variety and some of the hottest names in music today. The three headliners couldn’t have provided more variety and something for everyone. Dillon Francis played the EDM main stage Perry’s, while Bruno Mars and National played the main stages on the North and Souh ends…
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In today’s flight review, we travel on board United Airlines’ service from Chicago O’Hare International Airport – the world’s fourth busiest airport by passenger traffic – to Buffalo, New York, not too far from Niagara Falls and Toronto, Canada. Airline: United Airlines Route: Chicago O’Hare to Buffalo, New York – UA5177 Seat: Economy, 23D aisle…
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