La Traviata (part of the latest season’s opera at the NY Met,  filmed in HD and and showing at Cinema Nouvea), only has 4  more showings: tonight at 19.30; Wednesday at 11 and Thursday at 2 and at 19.30.  Natalie Dessay plays Violetta (her voice was suffering after a cold on the night of the filmed performance) and Matthew Polenzani [...]

 
 
A few weeks ago a guest staying at Liz at Lancaster & who is a musical-aholic, told me he had seen ‘Phantom of the Opera’ SEVENTEEN times – in NY, London and now the night before at Monte Casino, his 2nd time in SA. And he thought it was the best performance he had ever [...]

On Tuesday evening, I went to 10 years On Air – the collaborative Review exhibition of the On Air partnership: Marcus Neustatter and Stephen Hobbs. Unexpectedly, Marcus was there to give a walkabout which made viewing particularly enjoyable and accessible . It was really good to see their production over the last decade – much of [...]

What’s new in the art scene in March? 
Along with Gerard Batha’s Paintings from the Karoo, Hermann Niebuhr’s exhibition City Chromatic, Views of Johannesburg opened at Everard Read on 8th March.  For a review see http://todoinjoburg.co.za/2012/03/hermann-niebuhrs-city-chromatic-views-of-johannesburg-opens-at-everard-read/. RosenClaire’s  Immaterial Matters  is on at the Goodman and runs till 24th March. This is the first exhibition in South [...]

 
 
 
 
 
Richard Penn’s new solo exhibition  Horizon opens at AOP  44 Stanley Ave this Saturday. Penn’s painstakingly detailed work is always a treat. The obsessively meticulous pen and ink marks are awe-inspiring in their technical skill and meditative in their repetitive  patterned fields. Opening is on Saturday 25 February at 14:00; Exhibition runs until 17th March and [...]

An interesting and worthwhile initiative in the neglected township of Alex: http://www.jhblive.com/reviews/art/art_on_alex_streets/97393

This is an interesting review of Candice Breitz’ exhibition Extra – it’s both critically informed and informative http://www.mahala.co.za/art/extra/ . On at the Standard Bank Gallery in Joburg Central until 5th April.

See http://todoinjoburg.co.za/2012/02/troyevilles-never-ending-bedtime-story-perfect-for-valentines-day/ 

Shwele Bawo  14 February – 18 March 2012 Barney Simon Theatre
Shwele Bawo looks at the juxtaposition of old traditions fighting for survival against modern ways in South Africa and the effect this has on society. Through the story of the protagonist, Dikeledi Nkabinde, told retrospectively from Dikeledi’s place of imprisonment, many themes create multiple layers [...]

Boekehuis has been an institution in Jozi in terms of providing a public space allowing for informed, engaged and intelligent public debate. It is a sad inditement that the holding company, the large profitable corporate Media 24, seemed to look only at the bottom of  line of profit,  rather than seeing Boekehuis and what it offered in [...]