Dido, played by Sharlene Rani (soprano), and Aeneas, played by James Long (baritone), will star in 'Dido & Aeneas', an English opera to be staged at The Gardens Theatre in KL on June 24 by VerSeS Music Ensembles. Photo: Scott Woo
OPERA: 'DIDO AND AENEAS'
Venue: The Gardens Theatre, Kuala Lumpur
Date: June 24
A timeless tale of love and loss comes alive in the upcoming production of Dido And Aeneas, presented by The KL Madrigal Singers and Players. This modern interpretation of the 17th century opera by the English baroque composer Henry Purcell (1659-1695), promises to take audiences on a journey of passion, betrayal and heartbreak.
Set in ancient Carthage, Dido And Aeneas tells the story of Dido, the Queen of Carthage and her love for the Trojan hero, Aeneas. Their love flourishes, only to be thwarted by the machinations of an evil sorceress. The tale ends in tragedy, leaving audiences questioning the cost of love and its consequences.
This production promises to be a feast for the senses, featuring a talented cast of singers, featuring Sharlene Rani as Dido, James Long as Aeneas and Chew Shi Yun as Belinda.
From the haunting strains of the overture to the exquisite arias, Purcell’s music will transport you to another time and place.
This show has something for everyone – a passionate love story, compelling singing and even a chorus of evil witches!
More info here.
A view of one of the book racks at the Sunda Shelves, a specialist nature bookshop in Petaling Jaya, which is opening its doors on June 24. Photo: Sunda Shelves
BOOKSHOP OPENING: SUNDA SHELVES
Venue: Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya
Date: June 24
It's always great news for book lovers to find out about a new independent bookshop in the neighbourhood. The Sunda Shelves bookshop and cafe, which opens its doors this Saturday at 11am, is a welcome addition to the Petaling Jaya bookshop community.
"An independent bookstore and cafe that specialises in the natural history of the region," reads a description on the bookshop's Facebook page.
Located on the first floor of a row of shops in Damansara Kim, it looks like the Sunda Shelves specialist shop is aiming to take visitors to faraway places with its books dedicated to nature, Nusantara and indigenous topics.
It also offers a selection - new and used - of environmental science, nature writing, local interest, and Malaysiana books, field guides, children's books and specialist games, making sure the entire family will have a book or two to take home.
Sunda Shelves will be having an opening promo from June 24-30, with a variety of in-store deals.
More info here.
Young visitors take a closer look at an artwork titled 'Hotel Fugitif' (Lari Ke Gunung) at Ilham Fadhli's (aka Kojek) exhibition 'Hotel Fugitif' at Galeri Puteh in KL. Photo: The Star/Azlina Abdullah
EXHIBITION: ILHAM FADHLI'S 'HOTEL FUGITIF'
VENUE: Galeri Puteh, KL Eco City, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends July 2
It's been more than 12 years since contemporary artist Ilham Fadhli, better known as Kojek in the art scene, has graced a gallery in KL with a solo exhibition. He has been contributing to group shows, but when there is a Kojek solo exhibition in town, the art scene is more than ready to pay attention.
Kojek's Hotel Fugitif exhibition, featuring more than 50 artworks, at Galeri Puteh in KL invites visitors to slow down and realise the common bonds that connect us all. The images of his darkly painted canvases, addressing how the global refugee crisis is impacting his artistic practice, isn't something you can shake off once you exit the gallery.
Hotel Fugitif offers a visual art discourse and encourages conversation surrounding this global issue, with each canvas from Kojek evoking humanity and compassion as a universal language, while engaging with issues of migration caused by war, political and cultural displacement.
Kojek began to paint this series of artworks in 2018, and he continued through the difficult pandemic years, with his last few pieces finished a few months ago. The entire series is now available for public viewing at Galeri Puteh.
More info here.
Rizal van Geyzel is set to present his 'Arrested' comedy series at the PJ Live Arts theatre venue this weekend. Photo: Bernama
COMEDY: RIZAL VAN GEYZEL's 'ARRESTED'
Venue: PJ Live Arts Theatre, Jaya One
Date: June 23 and 24
Rizal van Geyzel, the (infamous) Crackhouse Comedy Club co-founder, is here to tickle your funny bone with his honest, witty takes on life and the lessons gleaned from living in a world that sometimes takes itself too seriously.
Fresh, daring and hilarious, his newest one-hour special, Arrested, is produced by comedy consultancy company Laugh Labs Entertainment. The set from the comedian cuts close to bone, with skits surrounding "a comedy club being shut down, a lifetime business license ban, an ongoing court case and a night in custody".
"If tragedy truly breeds comedy, Rizal van Geyzel is ready to tell all," promises the show's promo pitch.
His recent appearances include The Kings and Queens of Comedy Asia 2022 event in Singapore.
Arrested is a touring show and it will also visit (Chemsain Theatre, Chemsain Building in Kuching) on July 15.
All showtimes at 9pm.
More info here.
Theatre show 'Why Do We Dream What We Dream, When We Dream What We Dream' is a semi-devised theatre performance, featuring actor duo Komal Keshran and Virtuoes Romana. Photo: Handout
THEATRE: 'WHY DO WE DREAM WHAT WE DREAM, WHEN WE DREAM WHAT WE DREAM
Venue: pangkin@ejklsseni, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur
Date: June 24 and 25
Written for a mature audience, Why Do We Dream What We Dream, When We Dream What We Dream is a semi-devised theatre performance – directed by Asyraf Syahir; performed by actor duo Komal Keshran and Virtuoes Romana.
The play (in English) revolves around the dynamic of two characters as they pick through the wreckage of a stormy relationship. The story follows the internal emotional turmoil of both characters as they confide in a mutual friend (who will not be played by any actor) from the security of their own lonely bedrooms.
In contemplating this frayed relationship, the play will explore themes such as the reasons to stay alive, the battle against nihilist thoughts and the yearning for human connection.
The play will also be experimenting with physical movements and visual effects through projection mapping.
More info here.
An installation view of the 'Lift The Tikar!' exhibition at Ilham Gallery in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Ilham Gallery
EXHIBITION: YEE I-LANN AND COLLABORATORS' 'LIFT THE TIKAR!'
Venue: Ilham Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends July 16
A boat’s ladder. Ridges at the roof of your mouth. A war cry. A seven-headed hat. A narrow mat, more than 50m long, that functions as an index and a bridge.
These are some of the motifs and elements that come together in lift the tikar!, an exhibition which presents works by Sabah-based artist Yee I-Lann made in collaboration with Dusun and Murut weavers from Keningau in inland Sabah and Bajau Sama DiLaut weavers on Pulau Omadal in Semporna on the border of the Sulu and Celebes seas, as well as dancers and film-makers based, like herself, in Kota Kinabalu.
The collaborations themselves have been a process of weaving – of different visual languages, art histories, stories, philosophies, economies, geographies – to see what could be found together from this process.
This small - yet meaningful - exhibition hopes to draw out ways in which the “tikar” in form and concept can act as a medium for thinking about art, power, language and how we shape society.
More info here.
The Samson factory in France was active in producing copies of Iznik pottery in the late 19th century. These 19th-century mosque lamps are inspired by an original made for the Suleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, and they are on display in the current exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. Photo: IAMM.
EXHIBITION: ORIENTALIST PAINTINGS: MIRROR OR MIRAGE?
Venue: Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, KL
Date: ends Oct 15
If you're looking for a history-filled day out at the art gallery, then this is an exhibition not to be missed.
The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) in Kuala Lumpur is exhibiting over 100 paintings of Orientalist art from its vast collection, making it the biggest exhibition in Asia to feature paintings and artefacts that capture the essence of the Orient in the 19th and early 20th centuries. There are also over 50 artefacts, including mosque lamps and pottery, on display.
Highlights of IAMM's Orientalist Paintings: Mirror Or Mirage? exhibition, which runs untill Oct 15, include renowned works by some of the most celebrated painters of the era, including Jean-Leon Gerome, Eugene Delacroix, John Frederick Lewis and the remarkable but rarely seen Ottoman polymath Osman Hamdi Bey.
The paintings are mainly from the 19th century, a time when it became possible for artists to travel to the "Orient", as the Middle East and North Africa were then called. The exhibition takes a thematic look at that vast region in a time of transition. The display is divided into eight sections that follow the artists’ different creative callings.
Orientalist Paintings: Mirror Or Mirage? is one of the largest exhibitions ever undertaken at the IAMM, and the show is spread out over two galleries.
More info here.
