A-Z Blogging Challenge 2025 - E is for Entertainment

As I travel the world I take many photos that pique my interest, these could be lumped into a "peculiar category" ie. they are peculiar to my interests and may be different from what one usually sees in a collection of travel photos.

For the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge in 2025 my theme is Peculiar Pics. During April I invite you to join me for an online tour of Peculiar Pics from my digital albums. These will be sourced from my travels between April 2024 to March 2025.

Travel provides us with many opportunities to be educated, enthused and entertained. In this post I'll concentrate on some of the performances we have enjoyed in the past year.

A train ride took us to see Sister Act - Capitol Theatre, Sydney

We always include a show or two on our London itineraries.
Les Miserables - West End, London, England

What a hoot - Mrs Doubtfire - Shaftesbury Theatre, London, England

Kiss Me Kate - Barbican Centre, London, England

It was a kitschy show but a Strauss concert at Musikverein is a must in Vienna, Austria. 

Traditional Japanese Drumming Group
On board Seven Seas Explorer - Kobe, Japan

Morning Tea with Musicians - Tangier, Morocco

Divos and Divas Show - Seven Seas Splendor

Bagpipers welcome to Brittany - Lorient, France

Cirque du Soleil - Sydney, Australia

Traditional Indigenous Music - Arnhem Land, Australia

Local Tahitian Group - Newcastle, Australia

Busker - Cadiz, Spain

Buskers - Bilbao, Spain

Busker just before he was moved on by the police
Budapest, Hungary

It came our way

Great show at The Civic Theatre in Newcastle on Saturday. 

It's wonderful to see some of the major shows are heading north to our regional city. I'll certainly be supporting the next two musicals that are coming our way later in the year

Thanks to my daughter for taking me to see "Come from Away", a simple but engaging show that doesn't rely on glitzy costumes or spectacular sets to tell a story. 

I first saw the show several years ago in London because I didn't think it would make its way to Australia. It did come downunder and has been a huge success.

I enjoyed it as much the second time around.

Come from Away set at The Civic

Big Night Out

When some family members were unable to attend a local venue Lizottes they offered us their tickets for dinner and a show with The Whitlams. We accepted readily as I wanted to check out the venue and I'm always up for a night out.

One of our cheeky offspring asked if we had heard of  The Whitlams, and I said I'd heard of our former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his wife Margaret but didn't know much about this rock band.

On Tuesday evening we donned our glad rags and headed to Lizotte's, which is set up in an old theatre in Lambton, a suburb of Newcastle, NSW. It was a good venue for a live gig as it's small and most tables would afford a good view of the act up on stage. A much better option for seeing the Whitlams than a huge entertainment centre. We did feel a trifle overdressed as most of our fellow audience members were casually attired. Shorts and a tshirt for a dinner and show - really?

Lizottes - A former theatre

Music themed decor at Lizottes

Apparently our included dinner could be taken between 6pm and 8pm with the show starting at 9pm. We opted for a 7pm dinner; next time we will go later as we didn't need two hours for dinner. I was expecting rather ordinary fare so was delighted with the quality and presentation of our included main course and our shared entree (purchased), the wine we had was a decent drop and wasn't drastically overpriced.

Calamari Entree

Scotch Fillet Main course

We enjoyed the two hour show although we weren't familiar with most of the music and we couldn't understand the words due to poor diction (or sound quality). I was most, impressed with the vocalist/keyboard chap who appeared to be le leader of the band, I loved the energy, enthusiasm and energy of the drummer who put his heart and soul into every number. 

Keyboard/Vocalist

Drummer

I wouldn't know if the guitarists were good or not but the long-haired one was totally engaged and appeared to be enjoying himself. The other chap was a physical presence who just stood and played; I got the impression that this was just a job to him, there was no evidence of any passion or feeling.

Guitarist

Guitarist

And the verdict. We will be following the offerings from Lizottes and look forward to returning for future events. While we enjoyed The Whitlams they are not high on our list for a return gig.

Main Crouse

Had a wonderful day out in Sydney last Saturday taking advantage of a Christmas 2019 gift of tickets to a live show, Nine to Five. Thanks to Covid and the show being rescheduled we had to wait over two years to use our gift.

Our daughter accompanied us on our trip to Sydney which, because we used all the toll roads, only took us 90 minutes. That gave us time for a leisurely lunch at Capital Thai, a restaurant conveniently located next door to the Capitol Theatre. We enjoyed an appetiser and two Main Crouses from the menu.

I was rather nervous about attending a show in the city but was comforted by the Covid Plan the theatre had in place. We were able to enter the theatre early and we waited until most of the patrons had left before we made our departure.

Masked up and it wasn't Phantom of the Opera

The show was lively and colourful with good vocal performances and serious messages. Can you believe that one of the stars, Marina Prior, is now 58 years old? Was it really 30 years ago that we saw her play Christine Daaé in Phantom of the Opera? 

20 Something Snaps - On with the Show

Having been to my first live show in ages I spoilt myself with some reminiscences this evening. I love leaving reality behind and catching a show, while I am particularly fond of musicals I am happy to enjoy a light drama. 

Sometimes I even take a few photos inside or outside the theatre as a souvenir of an entertaining evening or afternoon. I am amazed at the photos I don't have, perhaps I just haven't labelled them.

I had forgotten about some of these shows but my memories of some will never fade.

Can't remember much about this one

Can't remember this one either

Didn't get to see Rock of Ages in London that time, we had to leave the theatre as there was a bomb scare. We managed to see it in Sydney

Saw this for a second time in London. Robert wasn't impressed

Saw this in Sydney with some grandchildren

Enjoyed this, the cast was excellent

Had to tick this classic off our list, it was good

Magnificent show

Loved this performed in the old Council Chamber

Hilarious slapstick

I don't understand the hype

Another Sydney show with grandchildren

We went to a Bollywood movie in Mumbai

I think I enjoyed this in NYC

First tim Book of Mormon in New York. Fabulous.

A spectacular show but the security man took my plastic drink bottle away

Michael Crawford was the drawcard

My kind of show

Didn't know what to expect - it was fantastic

Lloyd Webber at his best

Another Top show

Another classic I had to see. Hmm.

I would have enjoyed it more if there was enough legroom for my short legs. 

Beuatiful stylish production in the round

Book of Mormon - this time in London, Amazing show

A matinee to see Felicity Kendall - the show was ok.

Million Dollar Quartet in Chicago didn't impress

Can't remember the details, I think it was funny

Wonderful, energetic show