Have a wickedly deco time in Melbourne

Two major attractions are enticing art and theatre lovers to Melbourne as winter gradually yields to spring.

The blockbuster exhibition Art Deco 1910-1939 will continue at the National Gallery of Victoria until October 5.

And WICKED, the hot Broadway musical, is now pulling them in at the Regent Theatre.

Even before it opened on June 27 WICKED had made A$15m in advance bookings.

It recounts the untold story of the witches of Oz before Dorothy dropped in – they're the wicked witch of the west Elphaba, played by Amanda Harrison, and the good witch Glinda played by Lucy Durack.

Some of the best moments come from former Australian Idol contestants Anthony Callea as a munchkin and Rob Mills, playing the handsome and wealthy party boy prince Fiyero.

Known for her role in Prisoner, Maggie Kirkpatrick is Madame Morrible, headmistress of Shiz University, who definitely has a dark side. And Rob Guest is the Wizard of Oz.

You have to guess who becomes the Lion, the Straw Man and the Tin Man.

The set, lighting and costumes – all very green – reflect the huge amount of money – $12 million ($NZ14.87 million – spent on the production.

But while the story is rather convoluted and at times the production surprisingly flat – especially when you recall the magic of The Wizard of Oz – WICKED's received rave reviews.

One of Australia's great theatres, the Regent, described as "Hollywood extravaganza", is well worth a visit, especially if you are a lover of grandiose interior decor.

And so is the Forum Theatre, on the corner of Flinders and Russell Streets, which opened in February 1929. It features a Moorish Revival exterior, with minarets and a clock tower and inside there's reproductions of Greco-Roman statues and a sky-blue ceiling decorated with small stars.

It's one of the venues for the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) which presents a diverse range of contemporary cinema.

It also hosts Coopers Festival Lounge, a cool place to hang out either before or after a movie.

And if you love Art Deco in particular, head over the to the NGV to see its hugely popular exhibition.

While according to a spokeswoman, WICKED is having an open-ended season and is going so well they're not even thinking about moving it to another Australian city, the Art Deco exhibition is exclusive to the Victorian capital, coming from London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

It explores the evolution and flowering of Art Deco, which erupted around the time of World War 1, reaching across every form of creative endeavour, including painting, jewellery, fashion, industrial design, film, architecture, automotive design, photography and furniture.

But the exhibition does particularly feature ceramics, glassware and furniture.

"This exhibition is the first to explore Art Deco as a global phenomenon which affected cities as far apart as Paris, New York, Bombay, Shanghai and, of course, Melbourne," NGV Director Gerard Vaughan says.

IF YOU GO

Rydges Melbourne is in the centre of Melbourne's vibrant theatre and entertainment district. 186 Exhibition St, Melbourne. Visit Rydges.com.

Locanda Cucina at Rydges Melbourne opened recently and offers a complete Italian gourmet experience. Visit Locanda.com.au.

WICKED - The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz: Regent Theatre. Wednesdays to Saturdays. Visit Wickedthemusical.com.au.

Art Deco 1910-1939 exhibition, National Gallery of Victoria, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Visit Ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvinternational.

Melbourne International Film Festival, visit Melbournefilmfestival.com.au.

Information on Melbourne, visitvictoria.com.

*The writer was a guest of Tourism Victoria.

 

- AAP