Music video with extensive choreography about taking artistic risks

October 19, 2023 1:10 AM

A music video, with extensive choreography, by Tim Minchin and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, about taking artistic risks, and about the history of the Sydney Opera House.

Starring Tim Minchin, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, The Australian Ballet, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Ziggy Ramo, Zahra Newman - Sydney Theatre Company, John Bell - Bell Shakespeare, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Elma Kris - Bangarra Dance Theatre, Kira Puru, Cathy-Di Zhang - Opera Australia, William Barton, Courtney Act, Jimmy Barnes, Sydney Dance Company Pre Professional Year Students and Associate Artists, Lucy Guerin dancers, and DirtyFeet dancers.

posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (12 comments total)

Happy 40th 50th dishrack, you one of a kind. Inside and out you are a grand design.

Link list

• Opera House history in pictures from 40th birthday
• Opera House imagined as a dishrack with bowls and plates (can't unsee)
• BBC interview with architect working with Utzon on the Opera House
• Paul Robeson singing to Opera House builders amidst scaffolding.
• Animated view of the Opera House building and insides.
• Ten minutes of a 2023 Vivid Festival light installation on the Opera House sails
• Kevin McCloud and Opera House chief exec Louise Herron discuss renewal and accessibility

posted by Thella at 1:19 AM on October 19, 2023 [2 favorites]

That was awesome, thanks!
posted by procrastination at 3:53 AM on October 19, 2023

I feel much better for having seen that / those. Not for the first time, Minchin shows that irony and sarcasm are not synonyms.
posted by BobTheScientist at 4:00 AM on October 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

Amazing! Tim Minchin is such a great choice for this.

I really hope I'll get to see the opera one day, all the works by Utzon that I have seen have been excellent, and it is certainly an icon.

On the other hand, I hate what the whole thing did to the architectural profession, which is cement the image of the Ayn Randian architect as a lonely (male) genius who is above the banality of things like gravity and economy. Utzon wasn't alone in this, but at least here in Denmark, he really came to symbolize it.
posted by mumimor at 4:15 AM on October 19, 2023 [3 favorites]

Kanopy just added a three-part series about the Sydney Opera House, looks really interesting.
posted by Clustercuss at 7:22 AM on October 19, 2023

Lovely! Minchin is a gift to all of us, so many incredible songs.
posted by erebora at 8:20 AM on October 19, 2023

99% Invisible just did a podcast episode about the Cautionary Tale of the Sydney Opera House as well.
posted by metaname at 10:07 AM on October 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

Great video! This video seems to have cameos by what I assume are Australian celebrities, but I'm only familiar with Minchin. Can anyone identify the others?
posted by underwater at 4:00 PM on October 19, 2023

My favorite building in the world, more or less.
posted by billsaysthis at 8:35 PM on October 19, 2023

identify the others?

Starring Tim Minchin, ... Ziggy Ramo ... William Barton (didj), Courtney Act, Jimmy Barnes
posted by Thella at 11:09 PM on October 19, 2023

who is above the banality of things like gravity and economy

And functional design. It is apparently a deeply compromised building in terms of its actual stated function. Very much architecture as sculpture.
posted by deadwax at 1:03 AM on October 20, 2023

Brilliant ! Thank you for sharing this.
posted by seawallrunner at 12:20 PM on October 22, 2023