'Walking With Dinosaurs': Review - Visa Entertainment Experience

Thanks to Visa Australia, Josie's Juice was lucky to experience 'Walking With Dinosaurs' on the weekend with the family in tow.

We are not necessarily dinosaur loving people, but in two words I can attest that the whole performance was MIND-BLOWING.

Would you believe the show actually started in Australia back on 2007? Yes! And it has gone on to entertain millions. See more stats below.

The set up of the show is excellent - playing in an arena (in Sydney, it was held over several days at Allphones Arena), with the various dinosaurs introduced to the audience with a mice-ed up professional who really knows his stuff, explaining the history behind these gloriously huge, now-exttinct creatures.

The show is laced with humour (hand in pretend dino-poo, searching for a dung beetle, complete with squishy 'caca' sound! Ewww, but funny) and really does keep kids and kidults enthralled. Indeed, of my party of four (me, husband, 7 year old twins) it was the man of the house who was most captivated).

The show is highly recommended and the next time it's in town, go see it! Those life-life creatures have a lot to teach us on our descendent creatures today.

Thanks to Visa Entertainment we enjoyed this family experience. You can follow them on @visa_au on Instagram and on @VisaAU on Twitter, and you can follow the social media convo on  #visaentertainment and follow them here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VisaEntertainmentAustralia

More on Visa Entertainment:

Visa Entertainment gives all Visa cardholders access to exclusive concert ticket pre-sales for concerts. Sign up today for free at visaentertainment.com.au and find them on Facebook. See link above.

And now, some fascinating facts on the show:

2007: The show originated in Australia, where after years of planning, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS  - The Arena Spectacular came to life at Sydney’s Allphones Arena and went on to play to over 300,000 people in just 5 Australian cities.

After this success, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS – The Arena Spectacular opened in America, July 2007 and in 3 years visited 144 cities and played over 1000 performances to a staggering audience of more than 4 million. 

2009: WALKING WITH DINOSAURS – The Arena Spectacular went on to perform in 32 cities across Europe and went on into Asia where almost 1 million joined the millions now captivated.

The UK first experienced the Dinosaurs in the Summer of 2009 and performed to 500,000 people across 8 cities and generated in excess of £16 million in ticket sales. It didn’t stop there though.

2011: In just 4 years, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS – The Arena Spectacular has conducted 1,746 performances in 206 cities across the globe, and played to an astonishing 7.3 million people.

In 2011, the production travelled back to where it all began in Australia for a much welcomed return season before 15 sold out shows in New Zealand. 

2012: The stunning theatrical event WALKING WITH DINOSAURS – The Arena Spectacular is back!

2015: Aussies enjoy the show all over again!

See more at on the history of the show here.

Rebel Wilson: ELLE Australia, April 2015

The new April cover girl for ELLE Australia magazine is… Rebel Wilson.

REB-ELLE!

Here is the cover elle.com.au posted today, and reposted by Rebel herself on social media.

Stu-nning:

The story details how Rebel Wilson ended up moving to America from the Western Suburbs of Sydney (yeah, go the Sydney 'burbs), and more, including her upcoming flick 'Pitch Perfect 2.'

The new issue will be on newsstands Monday, March 23. 

For more, including a mini Q & A, go here.

Carrie Bickmore Baby: PHOTO

In beautiful news just in, Carrie Bickmore has had her baby - a girl!

Her name is Evie, and The Project just posted a photo of the precious bub.

Evie is Carrie's second child. She had her first child Oliver with late husband Greg Lange, who succumbed to cancer in 2010. This little princess is her baby with new partner Chris Walker, an ex-producer from the show.

Huge congrats!

Guy Sebastian: 'Tonight Again', new Eurovision song

Just in!

Australia’s Guy Sebastian will sing Tonight Again at the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Vienna, Austria and broadcast on SBS from Wednesday May 20 to Sunday May 24.

Tonight Again showcases the trademark soulful sound which Guy is renowned for. With a contemporary R&B style bursting with hooks, beats and celebratory lyrics, it belongs on the Eurovision stage.

Written and produced specifically for Eurovision at lightening speed over the past week in Sydney, Tonight Again is a new song highlighting Guy’s vocal prowess, with upbeat pop stylings and a catchy anthemic feel.

Listen to Australia’s Eurovision song and watch the behind scenes video of Tonight Again coming together in less than 48 hours here on the SBS Eurovision website - click right here.

I AM IN LOVE WITH IT!

Guy’s performance will mark the first time in Eurovision history that Australia has been invited to compete at the contest as a wild card entry to celebrate 60 years of Eurovision.

Guy Sebastian said:

“When it came time to decide on a song, I thought since I had a couple of days off in Australia I would try and write something new. But if I was to record a new song I wanted it to be home- grown and organic with my band in my studio.

“Truly, we jumped in the studio and let it happen because I wanted to write something fun! We all have moments you don’t want to end and you wish you could live those moments every day so I wanted to write a song about that feeling. I am sure that is how I am going to feel when I am in Vienna performing.”

SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said:

“To have an Australian competing on the Eurovision stage has been an ambition of ours for the past four years. I’m delighted that Guy and his team have delivered such a powerful song for the occasion and I know that Tonight Again will perfectly showcase Guy’s vocal talent and have a real impact in the competition this year.

“Writing and producing a new song to meet the incredibly tight timeframe we had is a huge accomplishment and I’d like to commend Guy and his team, and Sony for their incredible efforts this past week in delivering this fantastic new song.

“Tonight Again is a song we can all get behind, and Guy is the perfect artist to deliver a world class performance for Australia and SBS on the world’s biggest stage. Hearing that crescendo in the hall in Vienna is going to be an incredible moment that the whole of Australia and Europe can look forward to.”

Director of Blink TV, SBS’s Eurovision production partner and Head of Delegation for Australia Paul Clarke said:

“When we joined the competition Guy was on tour, so I never expected him to have the time to write a song. But he has come up with a cracker, a 12th hour gem. It has a great soul feel that is so infectious.

“The title Tonight Again is a wonderful sentiment, about wishing to relive the excitement of a great night. Singing on the Eurovision stage will give it special meaning.

“Guy initially was thinking of a power ballad, but this new song is a celebration of the grand final night and our participation, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.”

Australian audiences first discovered Guy Sebastian when he was crowned the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003, he has since gone on to release eight studio albums with Sony Music Entertainment Australia, with accumulated sales in excess of 3.7 million units.
With 42 platinum and three gold certifications Guy has become one of Australia’s most successful male artists. In 2013, his single Battle Scars went Platinum in the US, making Guy one of few artists in Australian music history to achieve this. His performance at Eurovision is an incredible opportunity to introduce Guy to European audiences.

Guy has released several songs in Europe over the years with Battle Scars being the most successful. From his current album Madness, both Like A Drum and Mama Ain’t Proud have graced the airwaves and continue to expand Guy’s audience across Europe.

Denis Handlin, AM Chairman & CEO, Australia & NZ, President Asia, Sony Music Entertainment, said:

“I am delighted that Guy has written Tonight Again especially for Eurovision. Guy has perfectly captured the essence of what Eurovision is within this great song and watching him perform it on the stage in Vienna will be an amazing moment that we can all proudly share along with the huge Eurovision global audience.

More details on SBS Eurovision coverage, including the multiplatform offerings across TV, radio and online,- will be announced next month.

SBS World News (SBS ONE, 6:30pm) and The Feed (SBS 2, 7:30pm) will have a special report on the song tonight.

SBS has been broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest in Australia since 1983.

Eurovision will prove an opportunity for SBS to continue to lead the way in multi-platform event viewing, with extensive coverage across television, online and radio as well as live social media integration into the broadcast. Last year the #SBSEurovision hashtag averaged over 1000 tweets per minute!

For more info, the SBS Eurovision website is: http://www.sbs.com.au/programs/eurovision

'The Bachelor': Sam Wood - Season Three, Australia

Okay, calm down everyone.

The new 'Bachelor' has been announced - here he is, Sam Wood:

In an email to Ten Play subscribers, here is the news was delivered:

Australia’s new Bachelor, Tasmanian Sam Wood, 34, is the complete package: physically striking, charismatic and successful. With his own flourishing business, a close-knit family and supportive friends behind him, Sam feels the only element missing in his life is the perfect woman.

And from the Ten Play site, here is his bio: Tasmanian Sam Wood is the complete package. Physically striking, charismatic and successful, Sam, 34, runs his own Melbourne-based children’s health and fitness company, which has 35 locations across the country. Starting his career as a fitness trainer, Sam began working with junior athletes while he completed his Bachelor of Applied Science. Passionate about the positive effects of an active lifestyle on children, Sam was inspired to found his company Gecko Sports. Eight years on, Gecko Sports now reaches thousands of children each week via after-school programs, parties and excursions. With business flourishing, a close-knit family and supportive friends behind him, Sam feels the only element missing in his life is the perfect woman. “Being the Bachelor is a real privilege and a once in a lifetime opportunity. I plan on embracing the experience with an open mind, while wearing my heart on my sleeve,” he said. “I hope to find a woman with whom I share a sense of fun, an undeniable chemistry and a mutual respect. Ultimately I’m searching for the love of my life. I’m going to throw myself into the adventure and I’m prepared to have the absolute time of my life.”

More details about the screening to come. Will you tune in?

'The Real Housewives of Melbourne' - VIDEO interviews

The ASTRAs happened this week and while each and every star was generous with their time on the red carpet, and every TV reporter, magazine journo, and the select group of bloggers wanted to chat to our favourites, it was 'The Real Housewives of Melbourne' who proved to be sped popular, with every reporter there wanting a chat with each of them

Josie's Juice managed to have a chat with them all, but the mini talks with Jackie and Petitfleur weren't captured on film, though these gorgeous and very open 'Housewives' were recorded answering questions including: what's it like in season 2… give us the vibe, give us some goss… and they did!

Fist up, regina Gina. As regal and opulent as you expect, and… very kind and lovely:

I am now an even bigger fan of Gamble. She was honest about how things have been for her. If you're a fan, you'll know what I am talking about:

Ah, Chyka. What's not to love about Chyka? Dubbed 'Switzerland' in the last series ('cos she's always neutral), I revealed how I'd been a fan since her 'Mornings With Bert Newtown' show days. She then told us how she's enjoying this new season:

Janet! Janet was very open about how she felt about the first series. She tells how she feels here:

And then, Lydia! As happy and open as you'd expect:

Here are some snaps taken by Josie's Juice on the ASTRAs red carpet:

Tune in each Sunday for 'The Real Housewives of Melbourne', at 8.30pm, on Arena TV, on Foxtel (and repeated throughout the week).

ASTRAs 2015: VIDEOS - What the 20 year subscription TV anniversary means to them

The ASTRA Awards took place in Sydney last night at The Star, and it was not only the stellar Australian pay TV awards night, it was also a chance to look back on twenty years of subscription TV in Australia.

And as I was very happy to admit last night - as were several guests on the red carpet - who can live without their Foxtel IQ DVR? I can't! It's my pseudo husband when the actual husband sleeps.

A little more about ASTRA.

From their website:

The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) is the peak body representing the subscription media industry in Australia.

ASTRA members include independent content providers, subscription-funded distribution platforms, media sales agencies, technology and communications companies, and the industries that support them.

We support the development of subscription media through open markets, free competition and the protection of intellectual property rights.

Together, ASTRA members produce and distribute screen content that reaches more than one third of Australians.  In 2013/14 they invested more than $600 million in local content production, added $1.9 billion to the economy, and created jobs for 6600 Australians.

ASTRA manages codes of practice, distributes ratings data, organises awards and conferences, and represents the industry with regulators, government and the media.

Enjoy the Josie's Juice clips, below:

Here, Andrew Maiden - the CEO of ASTRA - tells Josie's Juice what twenty years of subscription TV means to the TV landscape:

Sophie Falkiner tells of her involvement with pay TV:

Richard Reid has given Josie's Juice a scoop - what's next for him? I think we got some very big hints here… and, I think Foxtel has snapped him up…?

The truly excellent Australian TV stalwart and historian Andrew Mercado (I interviewed him many years ago when he released his first book), talk about his involvement with Foxtel, and later we chat about how the Foxtel IQ makes the perfect partner. Agreed, Andrew!

The super sweet Naomi Sequeira (looking stunning in Topshop, by the way) from 'Hanging With Adam and Naomi' on Foxtel's The Disney Channel tells why she's thrilled to be at the event:

The truly delightful Robert Irwin from Discovery Channel show 'Wild But True' tells why he is so happy to be part of the TV community. And by the way: Robert is one of the most beautiful young kids I've met. Grounded, courteous, an infectious enthusiasm… his mother should take the credit for raising two beautiful kids. And yes, I told her so!

And here, Terri Irwin tells how proud she is of her son Robert. So she should be!

And here, movie industry favourite, and recent addition to the Foxtel movie family Margaret Pomeranz tells us why she loves introducing movie for Foxtel:

Braith Anasta on being his first ASTRAs: 

Jaynie Seal on the Sky channel being up for an award (they won it!)

Antonia Kidman and her gorgeous 16 year old daughter Lucia, on being with the Foxtel family:

Sandy Williams from Fox Sports on the excitement of the night:

Eddie McGuire on the longevity of pay TV and his anticipation for the night:

Carissa Walfold on enjoying the night as a guest:

Didier Cohen and Cheyenne Tozzi on being in the Foxtel family:

Kate Peck on the ASTRAs:

See more of what the Australian subscription TV stars wore in red carpet blog post here and here and here.