A Night of Art Songs and Opera Arias
Oct 2 (8pm)
Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
1 Jalan Maharajalela, KL
 RM50 and RM100
(03) 2274 6645
This vocal recital, organised by the KL Chinese Assembly Hall, features soprano Cecilia Yap who’s accompanied by pianist Loo Bang Hean. The programme includes Chinese art and folk songs, as well as opera arias like Recondita Armonia, Mario, Mario, Mario and Noon la sospiri, all from Puccini’s Tosca, and songs like Grieg’s Ein Traum and Sibelius’ Var det en drom.

Tim Garland featuring The Lighthouse Trio
Oct 2 and 3 (10.30pm)
Alexis Ampang Bistro and Bar
10, Ground Floor, Great Eastern Mall, 303 Jalan Ampang, KL
RM35
(03) 4260 2288
Saxophonist and composer Tim Garland is primarily known in the UK for his jazz playing, but he is also well versed in performing and arranging classical music. His latest album, Libra, presents a striking synthesis of the two genres. Recorded with his acclaimed Lighthouse Trio, comprising UK pianist Gwilym Simcock and drummer and percussionist Asaf Sirkis, the album features new pieces written for the trio and covers of class jazz tunes, all showcasing the full range of Garland’s creative powers. The ensemble’s performance here will include original compositions and covers.

Theatre
1Kind Show
Until Oct 9 (8.30pm)
Auditorium Tan Sri Dato KR Soma
Wisma Tun Sambanthan, 2 Jalan Sultan Sulaiman, Kampung Attap, KL
RM55 to RM105
(03) 7711 5000; www.axcess.com.my
Comedy Court’s 1Kind Show looks at the things making the news today: tragedy, betrayal, political turmoil, scandals and disease. Back again are The Lawyers, comprising Loga and Singam, discussing current issues like the fall of the English language in schools and the game show called The Billionaire 2, Comedy Court’s version of Slumdog Millionaire.

Visual Arts
Syed Ahmad Jamal: Pelukis
Sept 29 to Oct 31
Balai Seni Lukis Negara
2 Jalan Temerloh, off Jalan Tun Razak, KL
10am to 6pm (daily)
Free admission
(03) 4025 4990
Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, one of the pioneers on the Malaysian art scene, turns 80 this year, and Balai Seni Lukis Negara is hosting a retrospective exhibition in honour of this man’s life and work. The UK-trained artist was instrumental in ushering in a new era in Malaysian art in the 1960s, one that championed abstract expressionism. The exhibition showcases never-before-seen works from his childhood, iconic works in his career and newly completed works.

Imagenation
Until Oct 17
Pelita Hati House of Art
22 Jalan Abdullah, off Jalan Bangsar, KL
10am to 6pm (Mon to Sat)
Two contemporary Malaysian artists, Alias Yussof and Jamil Mat Isa, present works that deal with image in abstract painting as a mode of expression.

The Best Art Show in the Univers
Oct 1 to Oct 24
Seksan Design
67 Jalan Tempinis Satu, Lucky Garden, Bangsar, KL
9am to 6pm (Mon to Fri)
Free admission
(03) 2282 4611
Presented by arts blogging initiative Arteri Malaysia, the exhibition by Chi Too, Dill Malik and Munkao is conceived as an irreverent and humorous affront to the Malaysian art world. Expect to see intellectually stimulating and electrifying works in video, photography, performance, installation and conceptual painting.

Tribute to Lee Joo For
Until Nov 28
Art Salon @ SENI
SENI Gallery, Lot 55350, Changkat Duta Kiara, off Jalan Duta Kiara, Mont’ Kiara, KL
10am to 6pm (daily)
Free admission
(03) 6203 1919
On the auspicious occasion of Lee Joo For’s 80th birthday, SENI Gallery hosts a tribute to the artist who’s also a prolific printmaker, writer, novelist, playwright, director, lecturer and art critic. Melbourne-based Lee is a master symbolist and his favourite symbol is the horse. The exhibition showcases 36 of his artworks from 1964 to 2008, works that display his confident skills as an artist and printmaker. In addition to oil on canvas, there are also his rare prints, ranging from lithographs and woodcuts to monoprints (monotypes).

Blank Page
Until Oct 2
Wei-Ling Gallery
3 Jalan Scott, Brickfields, KL
Noon to 7pm (Mon to Fri); 10am to 5pm (Sat)
(03) 2260 1106/7
In addition to promoting contemporary Malaysian art, Wei-Ling Gallery seeks to create a platform for young artists to develop their visual language. Four young artists — Gan Tee Sheng, Dhavinder Singh, Chong Ai Lei and Anabelle Ng — present a diverse body of works that explores the notion of censorship. The works are a refreshing take on an oft-discussed issue by younger voices who are more exposed and inclined to visual and cyber culture. The exhibition provides an opportunity to showcase visual productions of similar discourse alongside individualistic concerns.

Singapore
Defending the Caveman
Until Oct 10 (8pm; additional 3pm show on Sat and Sun)
DBS Art Centre
20 Merbau Road, Robertson Quay, Singapore
S$40 (RM96) and S$35 (matinee)
sistic.com.sg
Defending the Caveman is a hilarious take on the common themes in relationships, particularly about the ways men and women relate to each other.

Light and Movement Portrayed: A Tribute to the Art of Anthony Poon
Until Oct 25
Singapore Art Museum
71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore
10am to 7pm (Sat to Thurs); 10am to 9pm (Fri)
(+65) 6332 3222
The late Anthony Poon was one of Singapore’s foremost figures on the art scene. This tribute showcase works from his different phases, from formative years in painting to his subsequent venture into relief and sculptural works. With pieces from the museum and private collections, the works embody the spirit of new exploration and experimentation with forms and concepts that characterised the abstract art movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Poon’s artistic expression was of the times but also distinctively his own.

Bangkok
New Folders #2: E-scape
Until Oct 11
Galerie N
139/5 Wireless Road, Bangkok
10am to 7pm (Tue to Sun)
(+66) 02 654 0522
In his first solo exhibition as a graduate of Silpakorn University, Suntorn Piama combines his training in painting with the image-manipulating capabilities of Photoshop and an innovative sprayed stencil technique to present works on synthetic leather. Using digital photographs of the sprawling chaotic metropolis of Bangkok, Suntorn’s twisted patterned landscapes explore the chaos of urban existence in the Thai capital.

Bangkok’s 11th International Festival of Dance and Music
Oct 1 (7.30pm)
Thailand Cultural Centre
Ratchadaphisek Road, Huay Kwang, Bangkok
THB400 to THB1,500
(+66) 2262 3456
The jazz showcase features Swiss jazz band Starch and their highly energetic music style that fuses funk, rock, jazz and hip-hop, as well as Dutch jazz quartet The Beets Brothers who will perform their brand of swinging rhythmic jazz.

Jakarta
Revisiting Darwin’s Tree of Life
Until Oct 3
Erasmushuis
Jl H R Rasuna Said Kav S-3 Kuningan, Jakarta
9am to 4pm (Mon to Thurs); 9am to 2pm (Fri); 10am to 1pm (Sat)
(+62) 21 524 1069
The exhibition presents original drawings of the biodiversity of Indonesia and its threatened species by Piet Eggen and Agus Prijono, accompanied by continuous screenings of environment-themed movies.

Fantastical Power
Until Sept 30
Plaza Indonesia Shopping Centre
Jl MH Thamrin Kav 28-30, Jakarta
(+62) 62 5292 0648
This exhibition by Dutch master Walter Van Oel is a preview for a coming major exhibition at the National Gallery of Indonesia. The artist is known for abstract works that explore cosmic energy.

Editor’s Pick
Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Momma’s Hung You In The Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad
Sept 30 to Oct 4 (8.30pm; additional 3pm show on Saturday and Sunday)
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre
Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan, off Jalan Ipoh, KL
RM35 or RM25 (students, the disabled and senior citizens)
(03) 4047 9000
Arthur Kopit’s absurdist play is a bizarre take on all things about love. A woman-in-mourning and her neurotic son check into a lavish hotel with a pet piranha, Venus flytraps and dead husband in tow. They meet a wealthy, love-stricken naval officer and the seductive, next-door babysitter, setting into motion a series of twisted events and tangled liaisons.

This article appeared in Options, the lifestyle pullout of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 774, Sep 28-Oct 4, 2009.