Theatre
One Load of BullJit
Nov 24 to 29 (8.30pm; 3pm)
PJ Live Arts
Block K, Unit 2A, Level 1,
Jaya One, Jalan 13/6, PJ
RM55 and RM65; matinee RM45 and RM55
(03) 2241 9999
After a hiatus, renowned playwright-raconteur-actor Jit Murad is back with a show that will have you side-splitting in laughter. Jit’s musings of stories true and false cover love, life, toothpaste and a whole lot of bull.
Music
Cynthia Utterbach
Nov 27 & 28 (10.30pm)
Alexis Ampang Bistro and Bar
10, Ground Floor, Great Eastern Mall, 303 Jalan Ampang, KL
RM25
(03) 4260 2288
Cynthia Utterbach, jazz artist-actress-writer and educator from Los Angeles, is based in Hamburg, Germany, and has enjoyed a 10-year tenure in Europe performing for festivals, clubs, radio and television, including performing and writing music for films. She has a few albums under her belt and is working on her latest jazz release. In her performance here, Cynthia will include her original songs from gospel to soul, along with her special adaptations of jazz standards.
Triple Bill
Nov 28 & 29 (8.30pm; 3pm)
Kuala Lumpur Performing
Arts Centre
Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan,
off Jalan Ipoh, KL
RM43 and RM28 for children aged 12 and below
(03) 4047 9000
The Kuala Lumpur Children’s Choir, the resident children’s choir of The Young Choral Academy, is presenting its year-end production that will feature all 115 members. Three mini musicals will be performed — Alexander!, the story of Alexander the Great; Frankie & Me, a spooky tale with a message of friendship without prejudice; and Music of the Night, a medley of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s popular musicals, such as Cats, Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Whistle Down the Wind.
Musical Mysteries
Nov 28 & 29 (8.30pm; 3pm)
Dewan Filharmonik Petronas
Level 2, Tower 2, Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC
RM20 to RM85
(03) 2051 7007; [email protected]
Talented and renowned pianist Robert Levin joins the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra to perform Kraus’ Symphony in C sharp minor, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 23 and Schubert’s Symphony No 8 — Unfinished.
Visual Arts
A Point of View
Until Nov 30
NN Gallery
53A & 56 Jalan Sulaiman 1, Taman Ampang Hilir, Ampang, KL
9am to 6pm (Mon to Sat)
Free admission
(03) 4270 6588
Veteran artist Ahmad Nazri Abdullah’s solo exhibition features works of classical landscapes and portraiture in oil and watercolour, pastel and charcoal.
Joyful Encounter
Until Dec 6
The Gallery @ Starhill
Muse Floor, Starhill Gallery, 181 Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL
10am to 9.30pm (daily)
Free admission
(03) 2143 3323
In Yap Chin Hoe’s first solo exhibition in Malaysia, the artist brings out the uniqueness in Malaysian culture in works that feature Nyonya porcelain. The use of these wares help remind viewers of how exceptional these pieces of porcelain are.
En Route to Mecca: Pilgrims’ Voices Throughout the Centuries
Until Jan 22, 2010
Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
Jalan Lembah Perdana, KL
10am to 6pm (daily)
RM12 (adults); RM6 (students and senior citizens)
(03) 2074 2020
The exhibition looks at the sense of anticipation and adventure that faithful Muslims have encountered on their way to fulfilling their pilgrimage to Mecca. Reflections of this journey are seen in the works of art, some of which are representations of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, or objects used to adorn this and other monuments. Others are items of utility, such as water flasks of outstanding elegance.
The 2nd Seven Years: Quilt of the Dead, Flora & Fauna IV, Narratives
Until Dec 6
The Annexe Gallery
Central Market Annexe, Jalan Hang Kasturi, KL
11am to 8pm (Sun to Thurs); 11am to 9.30pm (Fri and Sat)
Free admission
(03) 2070 1137
Presented by Valentine Willie Fine Art and the Japan Foundation KL, Chang Yoong Chia’s highly intriguing solo art exhibition comprise 40 old and new paintings on canvases, seashells, eggshells, spoons and plates, including the Quilt of the Dead, an art piece that was completed during his residency in Japan. The works reflect the artist’s reoccupation with the process of art-making and his concerns about the role and meaning of art.
Unconscious: Self: Conscious_Portraiture in 21st Century Malaysia
Until Nov 29
Seksan Design
67, Jalan Tempinis Satu, Bangsar Baru, KL
9am to 6pm (Mon to Fri)
Free admission
(03) 2282 4611
Young artists Nizam Abdullah, Saiful Razman, Samsudin Lappo, Nurazmal @ Ali Yusoff and Zulkiflie Zainal Abidin explore contemporary portrait painting, and the role it plays in the world of fine arts. Can painting as a medium academically challenge the dominance of photography in today’s modern world when focusing on the human subject? The work of these five diverse artists shows the newest responses to such debates through the artists' self-portraits, installation and video, as well as intimate explorations of spirituality, family and heritage.
Rhythm of the 21st Century — Monologues of Raja Shahriman
Until Jan 24, 2010
Galeri Petronas
Level 3, Suria KLCC
10am to 8pm (Tue to Sun)
Free admission
(03) 2051 7770
Raja Shahriman Raja Aziddin is one of Malaysia’s foremost contemporary sculptors. His sixth solo exhibition is his largest to date, with 20 new, large-scale sculptures, 45 drawings and 15 paintings on display. His works symbolise the destructive nature of man.
Where Are You
Until Dec 2
Wei-Ling Gallery
8, Jalan Scott, Brickfields, KL
Noon to 7pm (Mon to Fri); 10am to 5pm (Sat)
Free admission
(03) 2260 1106/07
One of the country’s foremost printmakers, Izan Tahir, in her second solo exhibition explores one’s desire to connect with others and the different degrees of being a social animal in society. The show is primarily about private cartographies, and they are responses to and conceptions of the desire for social human connections and the simultaneous feeling of unfamiliarity and estrangement.
OuterinterX: Awaken the Device
Until Nov 30
Threesixty Art Development Studio
Lot ff-07, The Waterfront @ Park City, 5 Persiaran Residen, KL
Noon to 8pm (Tues to Sun)
Free admisison
(03) 6280 7876
Five young artists — Fadly Sabran, Syafiq Ali’am, Abdul Latiff, Al-Khuzairie and Haris Abadi — present a series of thought-provoking works. The theme of this exhibition is three-fold: outer, inter and X. Outer as in determination in creating artworks that go beyond the cycle of contemporary art in Malaysia, inter as in attempts at interaction within the visual art context, and X as ub exploration, expression, experimentation and X-factor.
Singapore
Victor/Victoria
Until Nov 29
Esplanade Theatre
1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore
S$36 (RM88) to S$160
www.sistic.com.sg
The award-winning Broadway musical is a heart-warming and inspiring story of self-discovery, finding hope and and the importance of pursuing one’s dreams, beliefs and passions. Victoria Grant arrives in Paris to fulfil her dreams of becoming a singer. A chance encounter with has-been actor Carroll Todd convinces her to pretend to be a female impersonator in order to get noticed. She becomes Count Victor Grazinski at a swanky Paris Nightclub and becomes the toast of the town. Things get complicated when a gangster from Chicago, King Marchan, falls in love with “her”.
Beauty and the Beast
Nov 25 to Dec 19
Drama Centre Theatre
100 Victoria Street, Singapore
S$29 to S$59
www.sistic.com.sg
The world’s favourite love story gets a radical but hilarious treatment in this production. Big Boss Bong has three daughters, namely, Brandy, Desiree and Beauty. One day, Big Boss Bong is caught red-handed stealing a rose from a garden as a gift for Beauty by a fearsome creature called the Beast, who agrees to spare his life in exchange for one of his daughters. Thus begins the adventures of Beauty at the Beast’s mansion. Will Beauty ever escape from the mansion? Why does the Beast get tongue-tied in front of Beauty? And who is this mysterious exorcist called Master Kong Tao who has vowed to purge the mansion of its unnatural’ elements?
Bangkok
Eduardo Tami Flute Recital
Nov 29 (7.30pm)
Goethe-Institut Auditorium
18/1 Soi Goethe, Sathorn 1, Bangkok
THB500 (RM50)
(+66) 02 658 1080 1
Internationally-renowned flautist Eduardo Tami hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina. A popular music arranger and performer, he has toured with several artists all over Argentina. His international tours have achieved high acclaim. He is also a composer and producer. In his Bangkok concert, Tami will be performing with pianist Son Han Nah.
Jakarta
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Nov 28 to Dec 6 (1pm and 4pm)
J K Broadway Studio
Jl. Gedung Hijau Raya #74, Pondok Indah, Jakarta
50,000 rupiah (RM18) and 25,000 rupiah for students
(+62) 0812 808 3472
The quirky and whimsical children’s tale comes to live on stage, presented by J K Broadway Theatre.
Editor’s Pick
Alan Pereira and Indi in Song
Nov 25 to 27 (9pm)
Groove Junction Bistro and Cafe
1-1, Jalan 22A/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, KL
RM100 (entry strictly based on reservations)
(03) 6201 8990
Two of the country’s best comedians present a night of comedy in song.
This article appeared in Options, the lifestyle pullout of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 782, Nov 23-29, 2009