Top 10 Things to do this weekend 402153

Out and about around Israel for the weekend starting May 8, 2015.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The Batsheva Dance Company (photo credit: GADI DAGON)
The Batsheva Dance Company
(photo credit: GADI DAGON)
1. Film: Lennon's Letter
In the film Danny Collins, Al Pacino portrays a 1970s rock star who is now just an aging rocker who refuses to give up his whimsical lifestyle. When his agent sends him a lost letter that John Lennon had written to him, he decides to change his life for the better. He goes to find his son whom he never had met and tries to make up for their lost years.
2. Dance: Batsheva splendor
The Batsheva Dance Company, considered one of the best dance groups in Israel, presents Max by Ohad Naharin (2007).
It is a refreshing piece in which the body is transcended, becoming something that exceeds its own boundaries. Max, which won the Best Performance prize in 2014, will be performed by 10 dancers for 60 minutes with no intermission.
Wednesday at 9 p.m. at the Suzanne Dellal Center, Tel Aviv. For tickets, call (03) 517-1471; www.batsheva.co.il.
3. Music: The way we were
Renowned ex-Israeli singer Esther Ofarim returns to Israel for one concert. The singer, whose songs are a fundamental part of the “Israeli sound track” will perform next Thursday at the Mann Auditorium, Tel Aviv, with musical director Yoni Rechter and an ensemble of leading musicians.
May 14; for more information and tickets go to www.zappa-club.co.il *9080.
4. Star-crossed lovers
Rimsky-Korsakov’s classic opera The Tsar’s Bride returns to Israel from Moscow with an entirely new production. The opera shows the darker side of Russian society with this tale of love that can never be fulfilled. This performance by The New Moscow Opera includes an orchestra, soloists, a choir and dancers.
Friday through Thursday at 8 p.m. at the Opera House in Tel Aviv. For tickets, call (03) 692-7777; www.israel-opera.co.il
5. Hebrew opera
The Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance will produce the first Hebrew opera, Dan Hashomer, which debuted in 1945. The opera presents human conflicts in a love triangle and ideologies that influenced Israeli society before the establishment of the state. Directed by Ari Teperberg; conducted by Prof. Michael Klinghoffer.
Thursday at 8:30 p.m. and Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the National Library of Israel, Jerusalem. For tickets, call 074-733-6336; nli.org.il.
6. The center of the world
Shlomo Bar and the Natural Choice band will perform at Zappa. Connecting East and West, they interweave biblical texts with Israeli poetry and incorporate Andalusian, Indian and Persian influences into their music. With guest, rising star Shai Tsabari.
Thursday at 10 p.m. at Zappa, Tel Aviv. For tickets and more information, call (03) 762-6666; www.zappa-club.co.il.
7. Art: The works of Bergner
In honor of painter and Israel Prize winner Yosl Bergner’s 95th birthday, the Artists Residence in Herzliya will display a retrospective with 16 works that represent the diverse world of Bergner, from the 1950s to today. Many of his works depict the small European Jewish town he left in his adolescence.
Opens Monday until May 20. Open daily from noon to 6 p.m. at Mishkan Ha’omanim, 7 Yodfat St., Herzliya. For information, call Karnit 052-429-9441.
8. Children: Dancing fables
The remake of the children’s theatrical dance performance Who Took My Cheese? is based on three popular Aesop’s fables: “The Fox and the Crow,” “The Ant and the Grasshopper” and “The Lion and the Mouse.” The show is presented by the Kolben Dance Group, with choreographer Amir Kolben and music by Rami Schuler. For kindergarten age to third grade.
Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the Suzanne Dellal Center, Tel Aviv. For tickets, call (03) 510-5656.
9. Alternative Lag Ba'omer
For Lag Ba’omer, the Bible Lands Museum will be open free of charge. A special tour for the whole family focuses on sustainable resources in the ancient world. The interactive tour includes demonstrations, acquaintance with ancient cultural customs and caring for the environment.
Thursday at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Bible Lands Museum, Jerusalem. For more information, call (02) 561-1066; www.blmj.org.
10. Upcoming: Music in the forest
The seventh annual Ye’arot Menashe Festival for music and multidisciplinary art includes dozens of live performances for three days straight. Prominent and indie Israeli musicians, along with international artists, will perform on multiple stages. There is also a host of activities for children, such as a circus, plays, workshops and playgrounds.
May 14 to 16 at the Jewish National Fund/KKL forest in the Ramat Menashe region. For tickets and more information, call 077-209-0606; www.yearot.com.