As the promise of spring beckons, a weekend warm-up across the Tasman is an enticing option before the head-long rush to Christmas. If you’re planning a weekend escape, here’s some seasonal entertainment and exhibition offerings that will enrich your Aussie short-break.

As an aside, when was the last time you took a tour inside Sydney Opera House? If you haven’t had a nosey inside for a while, you should do so soon, before Australia’s most famous man-made landmark is partially closed down. Last week it was confirmed that the waterfront icon will undergo the biggest renovation in its history.

The $202 million makeover will see the concert hall closed for several years, in a bid to substantially enhance its acoustics. They have been widely derided as being no better than those of an aeroplane hanger for live music.  The makeover will also see the permanent removal of the Marquee from the Northern Boardwalk – which frankly has been a jarring, intrusive eyesore for far too long.

Three bold new productions are premiering in Sydney, featuring home-grown talent from New Zealand. Starting this month, the Australian premiere of Disney’s blockbuster musical, Aladdin, has just taken the stage at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre, sweeping audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance.

Adapted from the Disney classic, the dramatic production features exhilarating choreography, show-stopping musical numbers and astounding visual effects, teamed with a premium cast including New Zealand’s own acting royalty, George Henare playing the Sultan. Aladdin is considered one of the largest productions ever mounted in Australia with a total cast of 37, a staggering 337 costumes and 70 tonnes of scenery and automation in this lavish theatrical event. http://www.capitoltheatre.com.au/aladdin

Later this month, audiences have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a world-first production of My Fair Lady, directed by stage and screen icon, Julie Andrews, and featuring another Kiwi, Katherine Wiles, who will play Mrs Boxington.

This production will celebrate the 60th anniversary of this beloved musical which took the world by storm, telling the tale of a Cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle whose world was forever changed by the brilliant and demanding phoneticist, Professor Henry Higgins.  The clash of cultures sparks some of theatre’s most witty dialogue and wonderful songs. http://myfairladymusical.com.au

Later in September, the world premiere of Dream Lover – The Bobby Darin Musical will take the stage at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre, revealing the intimate and epic story of legendary singer, songwriter and actor Bobby Darin and his movie star wife, Sandra Dee.

The fascinating story goes far beyond the song, capturing the glamour and passion of the big band era, the Vegas Rat Pack and the Golden Age of Hollywood. Starring David Campbell and directed by Simon Phillips, who began his career in New Zealand, Dream Lover features a sensational cast including an 18-piece band that will bring Bobby Darin’s extensive songbook to life for a new generation featuring 34 great hits from the 50s and 60s. http://dreamlover.com.au

Not to be outdone, Melbourne’s headline musical, Matilda, waltzes through the spring months, while in October, Kinky Boots roars into town. The West End's huge-hearted, high-heeled hit musical features 16 award-winning winning songs by pop legend Cyndi Lauper.  Inspired by true events, this joyous musical tells the story of Charlie Price, who inherits his father's shoe factory in Northern England. Looking to save the family business, he turns to a fabulously fashionable new friend - cabaret star Lola - who gives him an outrageous idea that could change both of their destinies! http://kinkybootsthemusical.com.au

Also in Melbourne, Jurassic World: the Exhibition has been wowing the crowds. Based on one of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history, the Exhibition immerses audiences of all ages in scenes inspired by the beloved film. Now, the park that was only a promise comes to life...right before your eyes.

Travel to Isla Nublar as a VIP guest and explore Jurassic World. Come face-to-face with a Pachyrhinosaurus; visit The Hammond Creation Lab; stare in wonder at a towering Brachiosaurus; get a rare up-close look at the most vicious dinosaur of them all, Tyrannosaurus rex; and learn all about top-secret projects currently in development.

Created in close collaboration with renowned paleontologist Jack Horner, the Exhibition is infused with interactive educational elements-drawn from the real-world science of dinosaur DNA that allowed Jurassic World to come to life.  If you want to check it out, the clock is ticking, as the exhibition will close on October 2. http://jurassicworldtheexhibition.com

From Taxi Driver and Goodfellas to The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese would rank as one of the world’s best film directors. And Melbourne’s ACMI is hosting the Scorsese Exhibition until mid-September. Featuring over hundreds of objects and a rich selection of footage from across the director’s work in film, documentary and television, the exhibition delves deep into his creative world, with many of the exhibits coming from his personal collection. www.acmi.net.au

The Art Gallery of NSW is gearing up for an eye-catching exhibition simply called Nude. It is one of art’s oldest subjects – and often its most controversial. In partnership with Tate, London the collection will present over 100 major representations of the nude, including paintings, sculptures, photographs and prints by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, Henri Matisse and Louise Bourgeois.

At the heart of the show lies the world’s most famous image of erotic love, Auguste Rodin’s sculpture The Kiss. Never before has this work from Tate’s collection left Europe. Other notable works include Pierre Bonnard’s The Bath 1925, Picasso’s Nude woman in a red armchair and Ron Mueck’s Wild man, which actually was exhibited just prior to the earthquakes in Christchurch. Each artist in the exhibition offers a different way of looking at the naked human body, from the idealising painters of the Victorian era to the artist-provocateurs of our time. www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au

The National Gallery of Victoria’s feature summer exhibition, launching on September 30 is Italian Jewels Bulgari Style. Synonymous with vintage Italian glamour, Richard Burton famously quipped that in the nine months Elizabeth Taylor spent in Rome filming Cleopatra, she learned just one word of Italian — ‘Bulgari’.

Italian Jewels: Bulgari Style brings together Bulgari’s visionary creativity and the maison’s leading women in a spectacular display of film, photography and glittering jewels. Showcasing the longstanding relationship between Bulgari, Rome and Hollywood cinema, the exhibition features exquisite jewels from the personal collections of Elizabeth Taylor and Gina Lollobrigida and favoured by prestigious patrons such as Anita Ekberg and Grace Kelly. Spectacular jewels worn on the red carpet by leading Hollywood starlets, such as Kiera Knightley, feature from the Bulgari Heritage Collection. www.ngv.vic.gov.au

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s Travel Correspondent on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame.