George Michael Blows In- Festival Kicks Off

Slipping quietly into town, George Michael has taken up residence in a Whale Beach house for summer. Although one report has him actually buying the house, our mole disguised as a potted palm in a realtor's office says Michael has rented the house for 3 months along with an apartment in the luxury Icon building in Kings Cross where he stayed earlier this year. His neighbours at the Icon-the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan who own a magnificent penthouse there  but are yet to stay in it.

George was last year's special guest at the Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and spent 2 months holidaying on the Oxford Street Golden Gay Mile drinking in numerous bars. He seems to have fallen in love with the local lads.

Meanwhile Emmy Lou Harris has arrived for the Sydney Festival that opened on Saturday. She sang at last night's Hyde Park concert and will be at the State Theatre with her Red Dirt Boys tonight and Monday.

John Malkovich will be here next Wednesday to prepare for his appearance in  the Giacomo Variations at the Sydney Opera House while Arrested Development have taken up residence in the Beck's Festival Bar at the Hyde Park Barracks and one not to be missed-Mac Con Lomaire and his band will be appearing in the sensational Spiegeltent in Hyde Park. If you have never been inside the Spiegeltent you haven't lived !

There is heaps more on. Some notables- Los Lobos will be at the Enmore Theatre on 14th January, 5 international dance troupes including the Trocodero Dance Palace-they were at the opening party last night with some brilliant and energetic 50's dance routines. 8 art shows and installations at various venues, a program of rare films at Sydney University, heaps of free music shows all over the place and a series of talks not to be missed including John Malkovich at the Town Hall in conversation with Rocky Horror legendary director Jim Sharman, Phillip Glass (left) with Paul Grabolsky and singer Paul Kelly with Richard Kingsmill.

Phew-and that's just a few of the great local and international entertainment which lasts until the 30th of January and then of course, it starts all over again with the Mardi Gras festival which means you may run into George Michael on his nightly pub crawl up Oxford Street Darlinghurst (his favourite bar- the Midnight Shift!)

John Malkovich for Casanova role in Sydney

Actor John Malkovich will be the star attraction at the 2011  Sydney Festival in The Giacomo Variations, portraying Casanova to the tune of Mozart at the Opera House.

Opening night on January 8th draws up to 250,000 to the Domain and the central business district for the numerous free star acts which this year include Emmy Lou Harris and her Red Dirt Boys and hip hop group Arrested Development .

Los Angeles rock legends Los Lobos will play at Summer Sounds in the Domain on January 15, and the actor John Bell joins the Sydney Symphony and Sydney Philharmonic Choirs for the Symphony in the Domain: Midsummer Shakespeare on January 22 along with Kneehigh Theatre's rendition of The Red Shoes at the Seymour Centre and the singer Paul Kelly over four nights at the City Recital Hall.



Emmy Lou Harris



Over 1000 local and international artists will descend on the city in January to deliver more than 300 free and ticketed performances. Music, dance, film and theatre all feature heavily in the program.

Director Lindy Hume said at the launch today :
"the festival was a celebration of Sydney itself. It would be contemporary, diverse and ambitious, but also ''welcoming, whimsical and slightly eccentric''.''It's for the entire community to just get out there and really live life large,''