Sereno to serenade Jerusalem French baritone David Serero will be bringing his unique brand of opera to Jerusalem’s Mishkenot Sha’ananim tonight (8 p.m.). He has already given more than 450 concerts and performances throughout the world. He has performed at the Opera Garnier Paris, L’Olympia, The Eiffel Tower, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Budapest Opera conducted by Placido Domingo, and more. Catch this talented singer as he performs popular songs from both opera and Broadway musicals as well as world music from France, Russia and the USA.
There is also a lot of comedy! For more info contact Sarah at (054) 553-8218.
(Jerusalem Post staff)
Tal goes classical for Israel Opera On March 21, the Israel Opera continues its Classic Rock concert series with a special concert featuring local pop-rock star Avraham Tal performing with the Israel Chamber Orchestra. The former soloist of the mythological Fool’s Prophecy band, will perform hits from his recent and most celebrated album, Lights, in new arrangement created especially for this event. It will be the first time Tal has performed his own songs in a solo concert with a classical orchestra.
For more info visit
www.israel-opera.co.il (Jerusalem Post staff)
Purim fun with the Israel Philharmonic The Israel Philharmonic invites the kids to a Purim circus concert telling the Purim story (well, sort of): Maka Ester and her husband, Oman Harasha, manage a traveling circus, and things go from there. Haydn, Bernstein, Schubert and others provide the music, and there’s even a song from The Sound of Music. There will also be juggling, magic and much more. Roni Porat is the conductor and emcee.
At the Smolarsz Auditorium at Tel Aviv University on February 24 at 11:45 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
(Jerusalem Post staff)Get to know new genres Clipa Aduma 6, an international festival of visual theater and performance art, opens on February 22, presenting premieres of visual theater and performances from Israel and abroad. The festival aims to bring in less-known theatrical genres and leading international performance artists, such as groups from Australia, Greece, Germany and France. There will also be two workshops.
February 22– March 5, Clipa Theater, 38 Harakevet St., Tel Aviv.
For tickets, call (03) 687-9219 or go to
www.aduma.co.il.
(Jerusalem Post staff) Jewish version of ‘Downton Abbey’
After numerous complaints about the hit PBS show Downton Abbey not having any Jewish characters, Downton makers Carnival Films has confirmed it is developing a similar show with a Jewish family, the UK’s Jewish Chronicle reports.
The new show will be based on Francesca Segal’s book The Innocents, which is loosely based on Edith Wharton’s classic novel The Age of Innocence.
The book, which won the 2012 Costa First Novel award and the 2012 National Jewish Book Award, is set in modern- day, upper-crust Temple Fortune, a tight-knit Jewish community in northwest London. The book opens with a scene during Kol Nidre and follows 28-year-old Adam Newman, who is destined to marry his girlfriend of 12 years, Rachel Gilbert, but ultimately succumbs to the attraction of her younger cousin, Ellie Schneider.
(JTA)
Rita to perform at United Nations Israeli-Iranian music sensation Rita Yahan-Farouz will perform at the United Nations for a peace event next month, Rita’s team confirmed to JTA. The event at the General Assembly Hall will be called “Tunes for Peace” and aims to “build bridges, foster intercultural dialogue, and connect people to people.”
Rita is immensely popular in Israel, and as JTA reported in late 2012, she has gained a significant following in Iran, where her music is purchased on the black market.
“The songs on my album in Farsi are the soundtrack of my childhood,” she said. “My mother had a beautiful voice and was always singing these traditional songs to me, even when we were in Israel, so there was always a piece of Iran in me. There’s more to the region than violence, bombs and darkness, and I want to share the rich culture I am a part of.”
(JTA)
Babs is back in the director’s chair For the first time since 1991, Barbra Streisand is returning to the director’s chair.
Aldamisa International, a Los Angeles-based sales and financing company, says it struck a deal with Streisand to direct some new projects, although no titles have been confirmed, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“We are thrilled to provide underwriting for a filmmaker of her vision, stature and accomplishment,” said Nadine de Barros, Aldamisa’s president of international sales and acquisitions.
Babs’ film career hasn’t been so noteworthy of late.
Her most recent film, The Guilt Trip, barely grossed $37 million and also happened to score 37 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The last film she directed was the 1991 romantic comedy The Mirror Has Two Faces.
(JTA)