Author: Larry Heath

Even when we don’t consider the frustrating AUD to USD exchange rate, New York City ain’t cheap. But when Qantas’ direct flight from Sydney to New York set to launch next year, the city will have never been more accessible for Australian tourists. So you’re going to have even more reason to make the trip…

Every year, Universal Studios theme parks in the US, Japan and Singapore celebrate the Halloween season with Halloween Horror Nights. Across these nights, guests explore specially themed haunted houses – often around particular Universal IP – and get to stay in the park up late, with additional horror theming across its existing attractions. With the haunted…

Since 1973, iconic Hollywood studio Warner Bros. have been offering some form of a backlot tour to the general public. When it launched, tickets cost $3, and education about film and life on the set was the name of the game; a point of difference from the “ride the movies” approach of the iconic Universal…

Towards the end of last year, I had the privilege of staying at the much lauded TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in Queens, New York City. Opening in May 2019 (in fact, I was there for that!), the hotel brings together a 1960s aesthetic with modern comforts and charm. Within its walls they have engineered…

Last night in Toronto, Canada, Phantogram returned four months after they last touched down for their tour in support of Kings of Leon. Between tours, the duo dropped a new album, the brilliant Memory of a Day, and are now just over half way through a massive run of dates across North America. The show…

Set to open up in Orlando on 22nd May 2025, Epic Universe is the most hotly anticipated new theme park in decades. The third gate for the Universal Orlando Resort will be themed around a number of IPs, including Nintendo, Harry Potter and How To Train Your Dragon. And today we got out first look…

It was announced this morning that the Disney Theatrical Group are bringing Disney’s The Lion King back to Sydney for a third time. The announcement comes some ten years after curtains last shuttered on the iconic musical in Australia. Across its two runs in the country, The Lion King was seen by nearly four million…

With LA 2028, the Los Angeles Olympics, just over three years away, the city is busy preparing for the influx of tourists with new infrastructure and entertainment options for visitors and residents alike. This is happening in tandem to clean up efforts, following the devastation of the wildfires last month. So we firstly want to…

Last week, we sat down with Cirque performer Anna Ivaseva, who detailed the experience of bringing her Water Bowl act to Hawaii for the new Cirque du Soleil production ‘Auana. Today we are sitting down with the show’s Director, Neil Dorward. Neil is no stranger to Australian shores, having directed a number of shows that…

Over the weekend it was revealed that Delta Air Lines is set to become the third airline to service the Melbourne to Los Angeles route. Starting 3rd December 2025, the carrier will see Melbourne become its third non-stop destination in the country, following Sydney and Brisbane. Melbourne will also be the fifth direct destination for…

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of seeing the incredible new Cirque du Soleil production ‘Auana. Before I was able to sit in the Honolulu theatre and experience the city’s first ever Cirque residency, I sat down with one of the show’s performers, Anna Ivaseva. Ivaseva brings her skills in the water bowl to…

Over the course of a few weeks this Summer, I flew domestically on a mix of Virgin Australia 737-800 aircraft, some with updated seats, others still with the original layout. So what is the Virgin Australia economy experience like in 2025? And how about those lounges!? Read on to find out how their airline ranks…

After sadly having to cancel their Australian run of dates due to illness, Sum 41 are wrapping up their final world tour as scheduled this week in their hometown of Toronto*. While Thursday marks the actual “final” concert for the Ontario band, tonight was the first of two packed shows celebrating “The Setting Sum” in…

Earlier this month, I flew Delta Air Lines‘ service from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Before the flight, I tried to Google whether or not Delta offered complimentary meals and drinks on their flights between Hawaii and the mainland. Since my search didn’t reveal a clear answer, I want to start this review by helping…

In my life, I’m constantly looking for experiences that surprise me. Montreal’s Cirque du Soleil is one such company that helps me regularly tick that box, with their breathtaking touring and residency productions all over the world. And their new production ‘Auana in Honolulu, Hawaii, is no exception. Years in the making, ‘Auana debuted at…

The 16th annual AU review countdown of the 40 best albums of the year has arrived. This year, as always, our contributors bring together a mix of artists from Australia and around the world. Hopefully your favourite album(s) made the cut – and maybe you’ll discover a few new ones along the way, too. Read…

“There are 200 million sandwiches eaten a day in America”, according to Australia’s Ben Gollan. One might say he’s a sandwich aficionado, and he’s not shy to admit it, remarking on a beautiful New York autumn afternoon, “the Sandwich is a global dish that beings people together, which is why I do this tour and…

One of the world’s most acclaimed musicians, Detroit’s Jack White, is in Sydney this weekend following a run of shows in Victoria as part of the Always Live initiative. Originally expected to be exclusive to the southern state – as was St Vincent in recent weeks – NSW fans were elated to see the iconic…

We’ve talked at length about how Downtown L.A. has become one of the most exciting precincts in the Californian city – a long overdue rebirth of this historic hub. But when you’ve got just 24 hours to spend here, where should you go? Where should you stay? What should you see? And perhaps most importantly:…

When The Phantom of the Opera closed last year, after almost 14,000 performances, it ended its reign as the longest running production on Broadway. While it technically still holds the crown as Broadway’s longest running show (of all time), the move passed the mantle of longest running productions currently on Broadway to the 1996 revival…

On November 15th, Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, kicked off their holiday season with the highly anticipated opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. This coincided with updated decor throughout the park, festive performances, new dining and shopping opportunities and even updated outfits for classic Disney characters. Here’s a look at what you can expect from Disneyland…

Today it was announced that Philadelphia’s Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are coming back to Australia & New Zealand next year as part of the 20th anniversary tour for their 2005 debut, self-titled LP. While the band – which these days is essentially a solo project of its singer/songwriter founder Alec Ounsworth – have released…

If you’ve been to a variety show in a Spiegeltent in the last decade or so, chances are you’ve been lucky enough to see a production from the cirque ensemble Spiegelworld. The organisation emerged in 2006, with their show Absinthe making a splash in a travelling Spiegeltent at Pier 17 in New York City. While…

Less than five months after it opened in Orlando, Disneyland’s iconic log flume ride Splash Mountain has received the same makeover in Anaheim, California, with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening today (November 15th) at Disney’s OG theme park. It’s fair to say this update has been a long time coming. Here’s everything you need to know:…

Seymour Centre’s contemporary music program, Seymour Nights, returns for another season with live performances from some of the most vibrant voices and artists in Australian music and beyond. Championing local artists and new sounds, performances will take place in Sydney’s Seymour Courtyard, with a diverse repertoire of new music for visitors to enjoy. And it all…

On a recent visit to Buffalo in New York, right by Niagara Falls, I was lucky enough to spend a weekend in a historic 1898 mansion, InnBuffalo. This building is now a quaint Bed and Breakfast (or “BnB”) that sits within Buffalo’s vibrant Elmwood Village. It was as typical a BnB as you could expect…

As a kid who grew up in the 90s – between the US and Australia – I was gifted with a potpourri of ever-evolving options to celebrate a birthday with friends. Since the 1970s, there’s been all-you-can-eat pizza places with arcades and playhouses, from Pizza Hut to Chuck-E-Cheese. In the mid-1980s, laser tag entered the…

I’ll never forget when I was in New York about a decade ago (July 2015). I was having dinner at the house of a friend from high school, whose husband was a notable Broadway producer. As one would expect, recommendations of shows to see flowed. The Book of Mormon and Matilda were among the hot…

If you’ve ever been looking for that storybook Halloween experience, look no further than New York State and New England in the northeast of the United States. With picture perfect communities pulled straight from the movies, the day of trick-or-treating is filled with incredible costumes, houses that go all out with decorations, and a seemingly…

Though you wouldn’t immediately think of Las Vegas for its museums and galleries, the city has its fair share of high quality attractions scattered around the city. And it’s a surprising mix – who would have thought, for instance, that The Punk Rock Museum would find a home in Nevada? While some are temporary or…