Antony & the Johnsons

Overview

On their own website, Antony of Antony and the Johnsons writes why he dedicated their most recent album The Crying Light to the dancer Kazuo Ohno. "In performance I watched him cast a circle of light upon the stage, and step into that circle, and reveal the dreams and reveries of his heart. He seemed to dance in the eye of something mysterious and creative; with every gesture he embodied the child and the feminine divine." Interesting you see, as I'd describe an Antony concert pretty much the same way.

It's fitting that the folks behind Sydney Opera House's Adventures 2010 series would curate a show such as this. Their live shows are curiously performative, at times so emotional they seem poised to dip into eye-roll territory and then Antony will stop and tell a bit of a joke, or start batting a strand of a lovely wig out of his moonish, pleasant face. On record his voice is beautiful, but live it knocks the wind out of you.

Following shows at the Sydney Festival in 2005 and a run of sell-out concerts at the State Theatre in 2006, Antony & the Johnsons return for two shows, playing with a 41-piece orchestra.