Welcome to show number ninety-nine! In this week's show, I'll review an amazing production at the Sydney Theatre Company, take a musical trip back to the 1960s courtesy of the Blue Mountains Musical Society, and try to prioritise things. First, I must apologise for the unexpected break in the shows. It has been four weeks since episode 98; things just got in the way with visitors, exams, and reports.

Progress Update My piano lessons are going well. We have gone back to some of the older pieces to get them up to a performance level, like the Purcell Trumpet Tune. Coincidentally, Paul Fey recently put out a video playing the piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OYOH-KWTGS. The singing lessons are also helping, as I can now hit notes I couldn't hit earlier in the year.

Review - Sydney Theatre Company - An Iliad I recently went to see the STC's production of An Iliad, an adaptation of Homer's work. The cast is just two people: cellist and flautist Helen Svoboda, and the storyteller, David Wenham. The staging is simple, black, and empty except for a heavily loaded cart, ensuring the focus is always on the two people on stage. The story is compelling, covering the events of Homer's Iliad, but turning into a tale about war in general. The season is sold out, but you can see a promo here: https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/2026/productions/an-iliad.

Essay - Why Music? With so many work-related tasks, social obligations, and hobbies, I've had to start setting priorities. I was wondering why I give so much of my discretionary time to music. While science and teaching are both creative, it is still work. Music is a different kind of creativity. Right now, I'm focusing on the mechanics of playing the piano, relying on others' creativity. The simple sense of victory over a D major scale played hands together is a nice add-on to the day, offering an immediate sense of accomplishment. I'll wrap up these ideas in part two next week.

Review - Georgy Girl The Blue Mountains Musical Society recently put on Georgy Girl, a musical based on the career of The Seekers. The production focused mostly on the last five years of the 1960s. The cast did an amazing job, particularly the four stars carrying the show: Isabella Schroder, Tim Gerber, Benjamin Roorda, and Rowan Brown. While this production has closed, they have Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat coming up: https://bmms.org.au/show/georgy-girl-2026/.

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The contents of the podcast were entirely generated by David Reidy, but these show notes were created by Gemini.

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