Showtime

The 2013-2014 Culture and Knowledge season of the Holon Mediatheque features a top roster of experts in the fields of music, theater, literature and the cinematic arts.

By BARRY DAVIS
Gil Shohat 370 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Gil Shohat 370
(photo credit: Courtesy)
The knowledge of culture
The 2013-2014 Culture and Knowledge season of the Holon Mediatheque features a top roster of experts in the fields of music, theater, literature and the cinematic arts.
Conductor and pianist Gil Shohat returns with his highly successful music series, “When Classical and Pop Music Meet – Peaks of Excitement,” which features intriguing encounters between some of our most popular musicians and some of the up-and-coming purveyors of classical music. The series lineup includes his Nitzotzot (“Sparks”) show, with veteran pop pianist-singer Shlomo Gronich and jazz pianist Leonid Ptashka, the Salute to the French Chanson production starring singer Tilda Rejwan and a host of other big-name performers such as Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Sassi Keshet and Carolina.
The visual arts will take center stage in a series of lectures to be presented by Dr. Effi Ziv about some of the iconic figures of the art world across the ages, including Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Picasso.
There will also be a return of the popular cinema slot, Best Movie Club, which will be given by Rachel Esterkin. The cinema series incorporates screenings as well as in-depth analyses of some of the biggest blockbusters, looking at various social and cultural issues that feature in the movies.
Meanwhile, on the Jewish side of the program, Dov Elboim will look at maternal and paternal figures in the Bible and, in another series, will join forces with Assaf Inbari to examine the weekly Torah portion in the light of current affairs.
For more information: (03) 502-1552 and www.mediatheque.org.il Naturally stinging
The Tziporela theater troupe will hold its summer show at the Wohl Amphitheater in Tel Aviv on August 22 (8:30 p.m.). The show will comprise four works, including the Tziporela flagship production, Akitza Tivit (Natural Sting), which will star actress-comedienne Orna Banai.
The show takes a humorous look at a wide range of areas of life in Israel, from politics to relationships, to the army, to reality shows, and employs various theatricals vehicles to get the messages across, including satire, nonsense, acrobatics and dance.
In addition to Banai, the cast includes Efrat Aviv, Dana Ivgy and Lotus Etrog.For tickets and more information: 054-779-0713 and www.tziporela.com
Atari double in Herzliya
Veteran pop singer Gali Atari will share top billing with namesake opera vocalist Hadar Atari for an intriguing musical event with the Ra’anana Symphonette Orchestra under the direction of Gil Shohat. The concert will take place tomorrow at Herzliya Park at 7 p.m., and will feature some of the pop star’s biggest hits from the last three-plus decades, while Hadar will perform popular arias from operas composed by Strauss and Mozart. In a separate slot, the Symphonette will perform Mozart’s “Jupiter” symphony.
Meanwhile, the orchestra will perform its annual gala concert at the Open University in Ra’anana on August 28 (8 p.m.). “Between the Sacred and the Secular” will feature four vocalists, include cantor Adi Arad and tenor Guy Mannheim, with David Sebba on the conductor’s podium. The concert will comprise a wide range of material, including the “Figaro” aria from the Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, a medley from Fiddler on the Roof, Mordechai Zeira’s haunting song Hayu Leilot, and Musetta’s Waltz from Puccini’s La Boheme.
For more information: (09) 745-7773 and www.symphonette.co.il
Family harvesting in the Jezreel Valley
The Yiftah’el Winery at Alon Hagalil in the Jezreel Valley, and the Tavor Winery at Kfar Tavor, are hosting a rich program of activities for the entire family through August.
The Yiftah’el Winery is offering the public the opportunity to get into some grape picking as well as the various stages of wine making, through August 26.
There will also be some wine tasting for the adults.
For more information: 052-464-1849 and advaofr@gmail.com Meanwhile, over at the Tavor Winery there are daily excursions to the local vineyards to get some hands-on experience in grape harvesting. The in-the-field activity will be followed by instructions about winemaking, and participants will subsequently be able to make their own wine as well as bottle it and create a personalized label.For more information: (04) 676-0444 Further information on things to do in the region is available at (04) 652-0013 and www.emek-tour.org.il