Showtime

By BARRY DAVIS
Mecano Un-Ltd hits Barby Legendary Dutch hard rock, post-punk band Mecano will return to these shores for the first time in over two decades, with a concert at the Barby club in Tel Aviv on December 20 (doors open 10 p.m.).
Mecano was established in Amsterdam in 1977 when singer Dirk Polak came across a Meccano model construction set and began to envision a world entirely made of Meccano parts.
He began to look for new modes of creative expression of his newfound mind-set, including through words and music, and in 1978 established the band along with Tejo Bolten.
The group quickly gained success, putting out two records – Untitled and Subtitled – and gained a cult following all over Europe. Polak also helped to produce the first album and mini-album of Israeli post-punk group Minimal Compact.
The band broke up in the 1980s but Polak and Bolten recently reunited and set off with a new band, called Mecano Un-Ltd. The Barby show will also mark the 30th anniversary of the release of two other fabled Mecano records – Retitled and Autoportrait.
For tickets and more information: (03) 518-8123 and www.barby.
co.il Windy sea The Haifa Theater company will unveil its new production, Sea Wind, on December 17 (8:30 p.m.).
The show is based on a book by Ala Khalikhal, My Secret Relationship with Carla Bruni, which tells the tale of a young writer who has to deal with unexpected logistics, political or otherwise, at every turn – such as when he wants to attend a literary conference in London.
Sea Wind portrays the writer’s constant battles through a tragicomic format.
The play is directed by Ofira Henig, who is also responsible for adaptation of the book along with Khalifa Natour. The sevenmember cast includes Natour, Norman Issa, Odelia Segal and Yoav Khayat.
For tickets and more information: (04) 860-0500 and www.ht1.co.il Kolben’s gate to Mandelbaum The Kolben Dance Company will perform its new production, Charlie Mandelbaum, at the Suzanne Dellal Center in Tel Aviv this evening (10 p.m.) and on Monday (9 p.m.).
The choreography for the show was devised by company founder Amir Kolben, who also created the sound track and scenery, and will be performed by eight dancers from the company.
The concept behind the show addresses the idea of frontiers and divisions between different worlds, including physical barriers, and emotionalpsychological and social borders.
The show title alludes to various famous Charlies – such as actor Charlie Chaplin and aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh, as well as the Checkpoint Charlie crossing point of the Berlin Wall.
The Mandelbaum part of the show title refers to the crossing point of that name located next to Jerusalem’s Old City between 1948 and 1967.
Charlie Mandelbaum feeds off the existence of boundaries that are forced on us, or which we create ourselves, as well as the vagueness and lack of definition of the concepts of borders and territory.
Further shows are scheduled for Dimona, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv over the next two months.
For tickets and more information: (03) 510-5656 and www.facebook.
com/KolbenDance Bowing to winter The annual Keshet Eilon winter seminar for violin and viola players will take place at Kibbutz Eilon in the Western Galilee from December 19 to 21.
The seminar features an impressive teaching lineup, including violinists Itzhak Rashkovsky, Mila Feldman and Hagai Shaham, and viola teachers Zvika Carmeli and Lilach Levanon. Renowned American violinist and teacher Miriam Friend will also be on hand, to hold a master class on December 20 that will be open to the public.
The program also includes a concert for the general public, at 9 p.m. on December 20, titled “Ani Schnarch and Friends,” featuring the Tiadam Trio of violinist Schnarch along with pianist Sara Tal and cellist Michal Schmidt, performing works by Beethoven, Brahms and Ben- Shabtai.
For tickets and more information: (04) 958-8131/191 and www.keshet.org.il