This month, the Florida Grand Opera broadens its repertoire with Leos Janácek’s ‘Katya Kabanova’. The Czech-born composer’s stormy marriage to a German girl half his age inspired this tragedy set in a small Russian town in the 1860s. Boris, a young man dependant on his overbearing uncle, falls in love with Katya, the wife of a local merchant. Following a moonlit assignation, however, Katya breaks down and confesses her indiscretion to her husband. Tormented by guilt, she then throws herself in the Volga River.
Jump on the big 1980s Bandwagon at the Fillmore when legendary UK New Wavers The Psychedelic Furs take the stage, touring in support of their recently released and ravenously received Greatest Hits compilation. Combining the drone of the Velvet Underground and the edgy energy of the Sex Pistols, the band released four critically acclaimed records in the UK before exploding in America following the release of the 1986 film ‘Pretty In Pink’, featuring the Furs hit of the same name. Along with The Cure, the band spent the rest of the 1980s leading the wave in the states, churning out such anthem as ‘Love My Way’, ‘Heartbreak Beat’ and ‘The Ghost In You’. Tinfed opens the show.
Vietnamese cooking has seen a resurgence and now falls into the ‘cool’ arena for Los Angeles foodies. Mandalay however has always had certain panache with an interior that’ll take you straight back to Saigon. The entrees are innovative like sea bass in garlic and basil sauce and more traditional like chao tom, a grilled shrimp pate wrapped around a sugar cane and served with peanut sauce and rice paper. However, unlike chao tom which can be bought cheaply from a street vendor in Saigon, you can probably purchase the street vendor’s entire cart for what you’ll pay for it at Mandalay.
Kathleen Turner stars in Sandra Ryan Heyward’s one-woman play ‘Tallulah’. Once called the next Marlene Dietrich, Tallulah Bankhead was an actress with a flare for cynicism and a taste for alcohol. While her talent was criticised, she quickly became famous for her party-girl social adventures. Heyward’s play takes a slice out of Tallulah’s high-society life. The play unfolds one evening, as Tallulah prepares a private fund-raiser for incumbent President Harry S Truman. Sipping champagne and spilling secrets, the expectant hostess stews about, revealing the sultry tales and woeful regrets of her luxurious life.
The only truly Venetian sport is rowing. Standing up, facing the front, dodging the vaporettos and taxi boats through the city’s myriad canals. Beginners can take lessons at a number of clubs dotted around the perimeter of the city. Founded in 1882, the Bucintoro has its offices in the old Custom’s House at the mouth of the Grand Canal. Obliging and accustomed to enquiries from foreign visitors, they will teach you the basics of Venetian oarsmanship before sending you off into the winter fog. May be an idea to take the mobile.
Set in and around the cliff top town of Katoomba, the Sixth Blue Mountains Festival is a three-day bash with acoustic folk, roots and blues acts from Australia and abroad. The musical performances are enhanced by a diverse collection of workshops, demonstrations, instrument making, arts and crafts and of course, a food fair. Includes appearances by Psycho Zydeco, Eric Bogle, Colin Hay, Dya Singh, Damon Davies, Rory McLeod and Aimee Leonard.
EasyGroup founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou has brought the first 24-7 Internet café to Antwerp, Belgium, and will soon open a second one in Brussels in November. There are 390 PCs in Antwerp and even more planned for ‘the Capital of Europe’. You can email, scan documents and even do some budgeting with the ubiquitous Excel. You won’t need to save up for the experience, as charges are around 12 BEF per hour. Coffee, bagels and muffins are (quite a bit) extra.
Phantasm is one of the best Indie nights around town and has found a new regular home at Whelan’s. The brainchild of the now off-the-air pirate radio station, Phantom FM, this is a club which attracts fans again and again. Of course, that could just be the cut price beer… Phantom DJs Jack Hyland, John Jetson and Tom E Brown pick the playlists and if you need a fix but can’t get to the club, the station is live streaming at http://www.phantomfm.com.
It’s derby time in the Eternal City as Roma battles it out with Lazio. Despite Lazio’s Seria A championship win last year, Roma have been playing consistently better than their arch-rivals. The combined scoring talents of Totti, Delvecchio and Batistuta (one of the year’s most on-the-ball signings) have kept the team at the top of the league this season, though some pundits put Lazio doldrums down to Sven Eriksson’s mind being on other things. Like managing the England squad, for instance…
