By BARRY DAVISThe Moran Choir youth ensemble(photo credit: WWW.MORAN-CHOIR.CO.IL)Family fun with Moran The Moran Choir youth ensemble will launch its Magic of Voices (Kessem Hakolot) series of concerts for children and families on January 7, with the It’s Me (Hayeled Hazeh Hu Ani) multidisciplinary show. All three concerts in the series – the other two are scheduled for March 18 and May 19, with all starting at 5:30 p.m. – will take place at Ramat Aviv’s Rosin Auditorium.The It’s Me slot is mainly based on children’s poems taken from the book of the same name by Yehuda Atlas, and musically arranged by the choir, with classical works also included in the January 7 lineup. In addition to Atlas’s songs, the first concert will feature a life-sized puppet called Cannon which, together with choir members, will learn to write songs, express feelings and match melodies with words. The Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble will also be on board for the January 7 ride, along with Cannon puppeteer Elad Dotan.The series will continue with the Screen and Stage Music for Children concert (March 18), in which choir members will perform numbers from popular children’s movies, operas and musicals. The last slot will be based on Nava Semel’s book Feya Vehatarmish, with the audience following the fortunes of nine-year-old Yahli as he travels around the world.For tickets and more information: 054-225-7277 and www.moran-choir.co.il Puccini first The Israel Opera House will host the country’s first production of Puccini’s La Rondine, with 12 performances from January 9 to 24.La Rondine premiered at the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo in 1917 and tells the tale of unrequited love, referencing stigmas of the period’s social class structure. The work was not initially well-received and the composer himself was not satisfied with it, writing various versions subsequent to the first showing. Puccini died before deciding on a final format.The opera was revived in 1958, when it was performed at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples as part of the celebrations marking the centenary of Puccini’s birth. The production achieved great success, and the opera is now regularly performed around the world.The Tel Aviv production stars Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Marius Brenciu, Serbian tenor Zoran Todorovich and Russian-born soprano Alla Vasilevitsky. French-born Frédéric Chaslin and Israeli Ethan Schmeisser will share conducting duties, with Opera National de Paris director Joel Nickolauss in charge of the onstage action.For tickets and more information: (03) 692-7777 and www.israel-opera.co.il Angolan soul washing The African Studies Gallery in Tel Aviv is currently running an intriguing exhibition of works by 38-year-old Angolan artist Adalberto Ferreira, a.k.a. Toy Boy.The “Lava Almas” (Wash Your Souls) exhibition incorporates a wide range of modes of expression, styles and materials, and proffers a striking statement on the plight of society in the artist’s home country, the rapid process of urbanization taking place there, and socioeconomic inequality. Ferreira uses ready-made items alongside pop art-style works, and even evokes a comics graphic style to impart his ethos and his stance on social, political and gender issues in Angola.Lava Almas will run until March 1.For more information: 054-939-3217 Childless and nameless The Pnima Theater Company will put on a performance of its I Have No Name, Because I Have No Child show at Jaffa’s Hasimta Theater on January 6 (9 p.m.). The work – which is directed by Naama Bar-Shira, with music by Yinon Bar-Shira – is a monologue performed by Lily Golan, based on the biblical figure of Samson’s mother.The show conveys the challenging predicament of Samson’s mother, who is not mentioned by name in the Bible, who after many years of trying to become pregnant finally gives birth to a Herculean son who devotes his life to divine service. I Have No Name, Because I Have No Child examines what it means to bring up a long-awaited child so that he follow a godly calling, also looking at issues of femininity, barrenness and motherhood.The play was previously performed at the Israel Festival.For tickets and more information: (03) 681-2126
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