By JERUSALEM POST STAFFThe Opera Festival in Masada. Svetlana Vassileva in Tosca.(photo credit: RAMELLA)
1 FILMSTHE MOST LETHAL VIDEO GAME In Good Kill, Maj. Thomas Egan (Ethan Hawke) is a former jet fighter pilot who becomes a drone pilot, working from a US air base in Las Vegas, where he shoots at Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. Every evening he returns to his family after killing Taliban members. Soon he begins to question the ethics of his new job – a video game champion who kills real people.2 MUSICMIDEAST AMERICANA Every Friday during the summer, the Tel Aviv Port will host live shows of groove and indie bands. The Port Groove events will feature Alon Eder, Isaiah, Buttering Trio and Mika Karni. This Friday the port presents Jane Bordeaux, a band that mixes pop and Americana with Hebrew texts through catchy melodies and clever lyrics.Friday at 5 p.m. at the Tel Aviv Port. For more information, call (03) 577-5000.3 HIGH NOON CONCERT The Israel Conservatory of Music Auditorium hosts the Doric String Quartet from the UK for a Friday noon concert.Violinists Alex Redington and Jonathan Stone, violist Helene Clement and cellist John Myerscough perform Haydn’s String Quartet in D major; Bartok’s String Quartet No. 6; and Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 15 in A minor.
Friday at 11:30 a.m. at the Israel Conservatory of Music in Tel Aviv. For tickets, call (03) 546-6228; www.icm.org.il.4 PLAY THE BLUES Ronnie Peterson and Lazer Lloyd, who have shared the stage with the world’s blues giants, host Danny Litani for a performance of American traditional and classic blues with songs by Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters and more.Saturday at 9:30 p.m. at the Einav Culture Center in Tel Aviv. For tickets, call (03) 574- 5005; www.pashbar.co.il.5 ARTROMANTICALLY MORBID Anat Betzer paints morbid, desolate landscapes. Her romantic-German landscapes seek the darkness and cold that can blot out the Israeli light and sun.They are filled with longing and melancholy, if not anxiety. These scenes evoke a wealth of contexts: on the one hand, a kingdom of European romanticism and Slavic legends; on the other, a world of forests reminiscent of Jewish history and the Holocaust.Haifa Museum of Art. Sunday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call (04) 911-5997; 054-555-2244.6 LOVING ART The Love Art. Do Art events celebrate the diverse art scene in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area.The main purpose is to put the artist and his art in the limelight and illuminate the abundant creative activity in the city. The events feature 150 artists displaying their art in studios, sessions and meetings in the Montefiore neighborhood, exhibitions, carpentry, fashion, video art and more.Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at numerous locations in Tel Aviv. For more information, call 106; Niva 052-329- 2226; www.lovingart.co.il.7 COMEDYFUNNY PEOPLE Todd Barry is a very funny man. The New York stand-up comedian has that “old school” style – a sharp wit punctuated with rapid-fire punchlines. The “stand-up master” (as described in The New York Times) will perform two shows in Israel.Wednesday (June 3) at 10 p.m. at Zappa in Tel Aviv; Thursday at Zappa in Herzliya. For tickets, call: *9080; www.zappa-club.co.il.8 MIXED BAG LET THERE BE LIGHT In the magical atmosphere of Jerusalem at night, the whole family is invited to saunter though the Old City and witness art works, local and international, at the annual Light in Jerusalem event. Among the many displays are light sculptures, an illuminated igloo, a waterfall streaming down a church window and lighted flowers at Jaffa Gate.Opens Wednesday through June 11, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Old City, Jerusalem. For more information, call 106; lightinjerusalem.org.il.9 THEREFORE I EXIST The annual Musrara Mix Festival is an international multidisciplinary event hosted by the Musrara School of Art.This year’s theme focuses on existentialism.On display are works of video art, sound art, open programing code, articles and performances by musicians such as Gilad Kahana and Tamir Muskat, Tomer Yosef, A-Wa Trio and Eran Tzur.Tuesday through Thursday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Musrara neighborhood, Jerusalem. For more information: www.musraramixfest.org.il; Mira 052-703-0504.10 OPERA SPECTACLE The Israeli Opera, celebrating its 30th season, presents the fifth Masada Opera Festival, the largest international cultural event in Israel. Puccini’s Tosca and Orff’s Carmina Burana will be performed at the foot of Masada. The historic mountain will be illuminated by special artistic lighting over the course of two weekends.June 4 to 6 and June 11 to 13 at 9:30 p.m. at Masada at the Dead Sea. For tickets and more information, call *6226; *5758.