Concrete Playground

Optimism, that endangered species of the heart, is getting a double going over during this Sydney Festival. Though Tom Wright's modern adaptation will happily pick your pocket, American composer Leonard Bernstein's opera is far more humble in its demands for nothing. Rather like the drunken uncle on the ad hoc dance floor, Candide wants you to sway your hips luxuriously en masse in the steamy Domain.

The ...in the Domain series is perfect as an emergency weekend filler over January, with the only punishing aspect being the inevitable crush of humans flocking to grab the best picnic spots. My advice is to befriend any homeless people in the area ahead of time, and then pay them to reserve a place for you. Not only will you get a great view of Paul McDermott, but you'll have made a solid gold human connection, which is what it's all really about in the end.