Piera Dennerstein
Finucane & Smith’s The Exotic Lives of Lola Montez
Chapel Off Chapel
12 Little Chapel St
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About this concert
Lola Montez is the scandalous ‘spider dancer’ of the 19th century – and yes she famously toured Australia in 1855.
She horsewhipped the editor of the Ballarat Times (for a bad review). Swung down mineshafts on a single rope with champagne in hand. Showered with gold nuggets and insults. Her erotic Spider Dance was ‘the most libertinish and indelicate performance that could be given on the public stage.’ (The Sydney Morning Herald, 1855)
The scandal is legend.
Starring triple Best Actress Winner (and direct descendant of Lola herself!) Miss Caroline Lee, with Bollywood bellydance goddess Raksha Parsnani and operatic disco diva Piera Dennerstein. Decked in couture black lace, wild tales, jaw-dropping dance, sultry song and a death scene or three.
Written by Patrick White Playwright Award winner Jackie Smith and directed by international Queen of Provocative Variety Moira Finucane, Lola is a wildly contemporary dreamscape steeped in Australian history and the extraordinary lives and freedom of one of the world’s most adventurous women.
Presented by Finucane & Smith
Supported by City of Stonnington
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What fans are saying
Nikki
December 8th 2023
What a fantastic evening and every performance outstanding.
Melbourne, Australia@Sofitel Melbourne on Collins
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Piera Dennerstein Biography
In February 2024, Piera debuted her solo show, Pursuing Pleasure, presented by Whitehorse City Council and The Round Midsumma Residency Program. It was a sold out season delivered to nightly standing ovations.
Currently, Piera is in her third year of touring Finucane and Smith’s Dance Hall nationally. In 2023 she also performed her most formidable operatic role to date: Poppea in Lyster Opera’s The Coronation of Poppea.
In 2022, Piera performed at the Palais Theatre for 4 sold out shows with comedy genius Bill Bailey, portrayed the Voice of God in the world premiere of The Destroyer and made her Bendigo Chamber Music Festival debut, stepping in to sing the soprano solo in Bach’s Lutheran Mass BWV233 with less than 24 hours’ notice.
Despite living in the most locked-down city in the world, in 2021 Piera joined the roster of Artist Bookings Agency and became a member of the Victorian Opera Chorus. She also joined the legendary Finucane & Smith in their triumphant return to the stage at Luna Park, Melbourne and formalised her cross-over status with Jazz and Blues solo shows as part of Midsumma Festival and at the prestigious Clocktower Centre. Piera also delved into her love of art song with a solo recital for national institution Art Song Canberra.
2020 began with Piera securing a place on 3MBS Radio’s The Talent programme. She also performed for the second time at the Melbourne Recital Centre for the 3MBS Marathon. Throughout the lockdown, Piera performed regularly in online salons for Finucane & Smith, including in a lineup featuring Australian living legend Paul Kelly.
In 2019 Piera performed her first leading role in a grand opera: Adina in GBD Productions’ tour of L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti. The second half of the year was spent engaged with Finucane & Smith as a guest artist in international performances of The Rapture and The Rapture Chapter II. She continues to perform regularly at corporate events, particularly for Vavachi Productions and Entertainment International.
In the first half of 2018, Piera travelled to France to take her place at the Fabrique Lyrique Operatic Young Artist program in Bourges where she played the Coquette in the world premiere of Fêtes et Cendres. The second half of 2018 had her in China, performing as Constanze Mozart in the children’s show Magical Mozart for Australian International Productions. Piera reprised this role in 2019 following the success of the initial tour.
In 2017, Piera covered the title role in L'incoronazione di Poppea for Lyric Opera of Melbourne. The year prior, she toured China playing the Second Spirit and covering Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with the Australian International Opera Company. In addition, Piera performed the roles of Virtù and Pallade in L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Trentino Music Festival in The Dolomites in Italy. She also toured a mixed genre program in regional Victoria with associate artist Pamela Christie.
Read MoreCurrently, Piera is in her third year of touring Finucane and Smith’s Dance Hall nationally. In 2023 she also performed her most formidable operatic role to date: Poppea in Lyster Opera’s The Coronation of Poppea.
In 2022, Piera performed at the Palais Theatre for 4 sold out shows with comedy genius Bill Bailey, portrayed the Voice of God in the world premiere of The Destroyer and made her Bendigo Chamber Music Festival debut, stepping in to sing the soprano solo in Bach’s Lutheran Mass BWV233 with less than 24 hours’ notice.
Despite living in the most locked-down city in the world, in 2021 Piera joined the roster of Artist Bookings Agency and became a member of the Victorian Opera Chorus. She also joined the legendary Finucane & Smith in their triumphant return to the stage at Luna Park, Melbourne and formalised her cross-over status with Jazz and Blues solo shows as part of Midsumma Festival and at the prestigious Clocktower Centre. Piera also delved into her love of art song with a solo recital for national institution Art Song Canberra.
2020 began with Piera securing a place on 3MBS Radio’s The Talent programme. She also performed for the second time at the Melbourne Recital Centre for the 3MBS Marathon. Throughout the lockdown, Piera performed regularly in online salons for Finucane & Smith, including in a lineup featuring Australian living legend Paul Kelly.
In 2019 Piera performed her first leading role in a grand opera: Adina in GBD Productions’ tour of L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti. The second half of the year was spent engaged with Finucane & Smith as a guest artist in international performances of The Rapture and The Rapture Chapter II. She continues to perform regularly at corporate events, particularly for Vavachi Productions and Entertainment International.
In the first half of 2018, Piera travelled to France to take her place at the Fabrique Lyrique Operatic Young Artist program in Bourges where she played the Coquette in the world premiere of Fêtes et Cendres. The second half of 2018 had her in China, performing as Constanze Mozart in the children’s show Magical Mozart for Australian International Productions. Piera reprised this role in 2019 following the success of the initial tour.
In 2017, Piera covered the title role in L'incoronazione di Poppea for Lyric Opera of Melbourne. The year prior, she toured China playing the Second Spirit and covering Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with the Australian International Opera Company. In addition, Piera performed the roles of Virtù and Pallade in L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Trentino Music Festival in The Dolomites in Italy. She also toured a mixed genre program in regional Victoria with associate artist Pamela Christie.
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