The Vertigo Dance Company performing Birth of the Phoenix/Photo: Jason Harris

The Vertigo Dance Company, now celebrating their 20th anniversary, has enjoyed a creative dialogue with and about the environment for many years, founding the Vertigo Eco-Arts Village at Kibbutz Netiv HaLamed-Heh. The Birth of the Phoenix is perhaps one of the most direct expressions of this dialogue. In this work, choreographer and Vertigo Artistic Director Noa Wertheim dares to take dance to an intimate encounter with nature and community. The dancers perform in a circle of earth within a bamboo geodesic dome, bringing the audience close to the dance, sitting on the ground in a circle, almost close enough to touch.

Experience the celebration that is the Birth of the Phoenix in all its joy, solemnity, and physical energy!

Guri Alfi/Photo courtesy of PR

Another Israeli classic to look forward to seeing is Nathan Alterman’s Ghost’s Inn (Pundak Ha-Ruchot), directed by Yehezkel Lazarov, who will also star as Hananel. Lazarov recently co-directed with Edna Mazya the Cameri production of Stempenyu, “a celebration of art and its allure, the way it leads us on and eludes our grasp, appearing and disappearing in the ordinary days.” (read more here) Starring as the seductive Klezmer musician Stempenyu, Lazarov also created the choreography for the play. His past multi-tasking success bodes well for Ghost’s Inn, which is scheduled to premiere in February 2014.

The Cameri will also be taking on that play, the Scottish play, directed by the theatre’s artistic director Omri Nitzan. Macbeth will premiere in July 2013, starring Gil Frank as Macbeth; Ruti Asarsay as Lady Macbeth; Rona Lee Shimon, Edna Belalius, and Yarden Bracha as the witches; and Eli Gorenstein as Duncan.

International plays on the Cameri stage will include:

Brecht’s Mother Courage, translated by the late Anat Gov, directed by Udi Ben Moshe. Tiki Dayan will star as Mother Courage; Gadi Yagil as the Chaplain; and Rami Baruch as the Cook. The play is scheduled to premiere in August, 2013.

Gilad Kimchi will direct Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, translated by Dori Parnes. Itai Tiran will star as Cyrano; joined by a cast that includes: Kinneret Limoni, Dudu Niv, Yossi Tzabari, Guy Alon, Yoav Levi, Tal Weiss, Ido Rosenberg, Gilad Shmuel, and Gil Weinberg. The comic-romantic adventures of the poet-duelist will premiere in September 2013.

Oded Kotler will direct Peter Morgan’s play Frost/Nixon, with Oded Teomi as former US President Nixon, and Aki Avni as journalist David Frost. The play is slated to premiere in November 2013.

The Cameri will join with Habima National Theatre for a co-production of Polish dramatist Tadeusz Słobodzianek’s Our Class. The play will premiere in December 2013, with a cast of actors from both theatres.

Performance dates/times and tickets may be ordered on the Cameri Theatre website, check for more news and updates on the Cameri facebook page.

Katz’s career has taken him from his native Israel to the concert halls of Europe, the US and the Far East. He’s garnered impressive prizes and scholarships and studied with some of the greatest musicians in recent history, such as Leon Fleisher, Karl Ulrich Schnabel and Murray Perahia. He’s also quite fearless: at the 2011 Miami Piano Festival, he played all 21 Chopin nocturnes in one evening, to rave reviews.

Fearlessness undoubtedly enables Katz to put together the program for his upcoming performance in Tel Aviv, which will feature the “Hammerklavier” Piano Sonata No. 29 (Op. 106), one of the longest and most difficult works in solo piano repertoire. Along with the “Hammerklavier”, Katz will play two more sonatas associated with the composer’s late period: No. 27 in E minor (Op. 90) and No. 28 in A major (Op. 101).

Listen to the “storyteller at the piano” this Saturday at 20:00 at the Enav Cultural Center. Tickets cost 80-100 NIS and can be purchased via www.eventim.co.il, www.pashbar.co.il or by phone at 03-5745005.

Tzvika Iskias & Shiri Capuano Quantz – Kadam/Photo: Gadi Dagon

Kadam opens with five ghostly figures, standing motionless at the back of the stage, their white skirts dancing in the dim light. Behind them, scenes of exile and immigration are projected in shades of gray, the nameless faces of people searching for home.  The music begins, a compelling chant, yet the dancers remain motionless, and the tension builds. Choreographers Tzvika Iskias and Shiri Capuano Quantz appear as the light rises and an abstract narrative of wandering unfolds. It is an aesthetic and emotional work, evoking a sense of ritual and timelessness. Iskias is a tremendously talented dancer, with a powerful and expressive presence. Amit Hay Cohen’s original music and video art and Yaakov Baressi’s lighting design, and costumes designed by Rita Avergil and Yael Nevo all come together beautifully. Dancers: Roni Uzan, Almog David, Tzvika Iskias, Kim Teitelbaum, Shiri Capuano Quantz, Ishay Kresanti, Adar Riklis.

In the spirit of fostering a new generation of talents, the costume design for this evening is the product of a collaboration with Studio 6B, with graduates of the fashion design program under the direction of Israeli designer Ido Recanati creating the costumes. Entering the project in its early stages, young designers were paired with the choreographers. Designing the costumes was a creative dialogue between the choreographers and designers, sharing their vision and ideas, and culminating in the costumes seen onstage.

Idan Porges – At the end she dies/Photo: Gadi Dagon

Idan Porges presented a work of dance-theatre, at once comic and self-reflective. In and of the theatre, the iconic make-up mirror with its frame of lights is at the center of this work, and used with excellent effect. Evoking the glittering world of romance and intrigue,  At the end she dies functioned for this viewer in a manner similar to those films – I often found myself far more intrigued by the malevolent clown figure than by the romantic lead. The cabaret singer may be dead, but I was captivated by the exquisite expression of evil glee on the theatre director’s face, and the trio of ‘musicians’ with their weird comic keening. Dancers: Dafna Davidovich, Moran Miler, Avi Mazliah, Ishay Kresanti, Kim Teitelbaum, Almog David.

Nadav Zelner – Mushroom ‘Z’/Photo: Gadi Dagon

Nadav Zelner’s Mushroom ‘Z’ is a great finale to this terpsichorean paean to youth. An exuberant burst of color and movement, watching the dancers leap and gyrate on the stage one can only think: give me some of those mushrooms too! Zelner has a wonderful sense of gesture and composition, any given moment presents an aesthetic image, and his use of the stage creates a wonderful sense of energy. Ruffles, tights, and glitter, with splashes of red, orange, yellow, green and blue work to great effect here, designed by Doreen Giti, Anat Shaline, Sharon Berger and Noa Afriat. The magical undulations of Yemen Blues matches the mood perfectly. Mushroom ‘Z’ is sexy, funny and great fun. Dancers: Roni Uzan, Dafna Davidovich, Moran Miler, Avi Mazliah, Adar Riklis.

Next performances will take place at the Suzanne Dellal Centre on June 6th at 21:00 and June 7th at 22:00. Tickets may be ordered online, or call 03-5105656.

Tzvika Force/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Voice, heart, and piano. The first time I heard Tzvika Force, I felt an immediate impact and connection. Dark, intimate, songs that speak of raw pain, rough and yet somehow refined, and all with an undeniable rhythm, an energy that draws you in.

Tzvika Force/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Tzvika has been performing solo, accompanying himself on piano or keyboards; gathering momentum, and gathering his forces. Over the past couple of months, he has been working with a new ensemble: Eden Liberman on keyboard and computer, Nir Leist on bass and Ilan Tenennbaum on drums. Celebrating the release of his debut EP, Petit Nature, produced by Ben Spector with a festive launch at Tmuna Theatre on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, Tzvika Force will be in full force, with the new band.

A lucky few were invited to the inner sanctum of the Sonic recording studio to share the pre-concert jitters and thrill of performing together before a live audience for the first time. Being there was like hearing the music from inside the source, the heartbeat, tender and overpowering. Muperphoto was there to capture the intimacy and power of the moment and the music for all of us.

Tzvika Force and… /Photo: MuperPHOTO

Who’s the mystery woman? Daniela Spector, who will be a guest at the launch. Yes, I did hear them rehearse together, and yes, I know what they will be performing at Tmuna, and no – I’m not telling.

Tzvika Force, Ben Spector, Daniela Spector, Ilan Tenennbaum/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Daniela Spector/Photo: MuperPHOTO

I did learn the story behind the EP’s title: Petit Nature. Tzvika told me that he had been enjoying an indulgent visit at the home of Betty Wormser, spending his time sleeping and eating. At one point Betty asked – where is Tzvika – and was told that he had gone back to sleep. Her response was: petit nature, which, Tzvika explained, is a French term for someone who is fragile and spoiled, a kind of prince. For Tzvika, the album’s title symbolizes his desire to stop being spoiled, and take on the challenge of recording an album, to “present and give expression to the world I had created inside my head.”

Ben Spector and Eden Liberman/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Making the album with producer Ben Spector was a creative process with all the accompanying joys and pain along the way. A lot of listening goes into it. Before singing I Believe, Tzvika told us that this was the first song he began recording for the EP, and the last he finished recording, somehow, something always didn’t feel quite right. This is where the refinement comes in, that complements Tzvika’s raw emotional energy – the insistence on finding the right mode for each song, the right feel and soundscape. Watching Ben during the studio rehearsal, seeing him feel the music, attuned to each nuance and color, was an experience in itself.

Eden Liberman and Ben Spector/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Although they have only been working together for a short while, the band feels very much ‘together’ – bringing the songs into live action. Come hear them at Tmuna Theatre on Wednesday, May 22nd at 22:00, to reserve your tickets call  03-5611211. There will also be a performance at the Abraham Hostel (67 Hanevi’im Street) in Jerusalem on June 13th. Links: Tzvika Force bandcamp, facebook page, concert event page.

Nir Leist/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Eyal Lenzini/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Tzvika Force/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Tzvika Force/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Eden Liberman/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Nir Leist/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Tzvika Force – exploring percussion/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Tzvika Force at the piano/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Eden Liberman/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Ilan Tenennbaum/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Tzvika Force/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Ilan Tenennbaum/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Tzvika Force/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Ilan Tenennbaum and Nir Leist/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Tzvika Force/Photo: MuperPHOTO

Frankie Vasquez

Growing up on music in Puerto Rico and New York, Frankie Vasquez started his first band, Los Generales, at the age of 16, playing congas. Singing came naturally to Vasquez, who loved listening to records, and could sing entire albums by heart. Vasquez moved to New York in 1977 at the invitation of his cousin David Sanchez, singing and making his first recording with his cousin’s band Fuego ’77. Vasquez has collaborated with the top international Latin musicians, including Hector Lavoa, New Swing Sextet, Orquesta Calidad, Mambo Legends, Orquesta Grupo Caribe, and Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Frankie Vasquez won a Grammy Award in 2002 for his collaboration with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra on the album Un Gran Dia En El Barrio.

Walakata was founded in 2006, appearing in clubs and jazz festivals, putting Israel on the world Salsa map. The ensemble has accompanied many international artists performing in Israel, including Tito Fuente Jr, Herman Olivera, Frankie Morales and many more.

Walakata/Photo: Alejandro Arditi

Performances:

Gerard Behar Center, 11 Bezalel Street, Jerusalem, Monday, May 27th at 21:00. Tickets are 115NIS/100 NIS seniors, students and soldiers. To order tickets call 02-6237000, *6226.

Zappa Herzliya, Tuesday, May 28. Doors open at 20:15, performance at 22:00. Tickets are 139 NIS, to order call 1-700-500039.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Thursday, May 30th at 21:00; Friday, May 31st at 21:30. Tickets are 139 – 199NIS, to order call 03-5733001, 1-700-500039.

Beit Aba Hushi, Saturday June 1st at 21:00. Tickets are 130 NIS/120 NIS seniors, to order call 04-8227850.

Reshef Levi’s Hunting Elephants to open the Jerusalem Film Festival 2013

Hunting Elephants, produced by Ehud Bleiberg, Moshe Edery and Leon Edery, boasts a a bevy of Israeli stars -Sasson Gabai, Moni Moshonov, Yael Abecassis, Moshe Ivgy, Tzvika Hadar, and international star of Star Trek and X Men fame, Patrick Stewart.

The film focuses on twelve year old Jonathan (played by Gil Blank), who loses his father as the result of a traumatic incident which he has caused. He and his mother Dorit must contend with their sudden descent into poverty and the implacable insensitivity of the bank management where his father worked, who refuse to compensate the family. Just when it looks like life has hit rock bottom, Jonathan’s mother leaves him at the retirement home where his grandfather lives, a man with whom he has never been in contact. Jonathan is swept away into the crazy world of old people whom the world has forgotten – people who founded the State of Israel, who knew love and were full of passion, and now have been rendered invisible. The intelligent boy, the grandfather who was a fighter in the militant Zionist group Lehi (known in English as The Stern Gang), grandfather’s friend Nick who longs for love, and the Uncle, an English Lord and frustrated actor who dreams of his next role – all take off on a fantastic journey to take revenge on the bank and the establishment.

“When Alesia Weston called to tell me that Hunting Elephants, an Israeli film, would be the festival’s opening film, I felt a great happiness,” said Reshef Levi in a statement to the press, noting that “a premiere screening in front of an audience of 5,000 is a once in a lifetime experience.”

A prolific writer for stage and screen, Levi’s previous credits include the feature film Lost Islands and Ahava Columbianit (directed with Shay Kanot); television series Mischak Machur and Meorav Yerushalmi, and stage plays The Indian Patient and To Dance and Fly.

The Jerusalem Film Festival has a close and fond connection with Israeli film spanning several decades. Many of today’s leading Israeli directors were first discovered at the festival, as well as those Israeli films that have become part of the Israeli cultural canon. Among the memorable directors and films are: Eran Riklis – On a Clear Day You Can See Damascus (1984), Rafi Bukai – Avanti Popolo (1986), Renen Schorr – Late Summer Blues (1987), Shemi Zarhin – Leylasede (1995), Orna Ben Dor – B’Glal Hamilchama Hahi (1987), Ari Folman – Yom Nifla leDagei Habanana, Shavi Gavizon – Shuroo (1991), Eytan Fox – Yossi & Jagger (2002), Joseph Pitchadze – Besame Mucho (2000), Doron Tsabari – Drik’s Brother (1994) and many more…

To take a flying leap forward in time, some recent award-winners at the Jerusalem Film Festival: Ami Livne – Sharqiya (2012), Meni Yaesh – God’s Neighbors (2012), Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi – Five Broken Cameras (2011), Yossi Madmoni – Restoration (2011), Ra’anan Alexandrowicz – The Law in These Parts (2011), Arnon Goldfinger – The Flat (2011), Yael Hersonski – A Film Unfinished (2010), Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani – Ajami (2009), Ronit Elkabetz & Shlomi Elkabetz – Shiva (2008), Eran Kolirin – The Band’s Visit (2007), Ran Tal – Children of the Sun (2007), Tawfik Abu Wael – Atash (2004), Keren Yedaya – Or (2004), and many, many more…

Looking forward to the Jerusalem Film Festival 2013!

Israeli Vocal Ensemble/Photo: Lior Shustov

The Israeli Vocal Ensemble and Barrocade Collective will perform Handel’s Esther, conducted by David Stern, at the Israel Festival on Friday, May 5, 2013 at 12:00 at the Jerusalem Theatre. Considered to be the first English oratorio, George Frederic Handel composed the music to a libretto by John Arbuthnot and Alexander Pope, based on the drama by Jean Racine; this was the composer’s first venture into what would become a signature genre.

Soprano Claire Meghnagi/Photo: Ofer Amir

Soloists will be: Claire Meghnagi soprano; Alon Harai counter tenor; Jeffrey Francis tenor; Oded Reich bass-baritone. Musical director, and founder of the Israeli Vocal Ensemble in 1993, is Yuval Benozer. The Ensemble will be accompanied by the Barrocade Collective, who specialize in performing ancient music on authentic instruments, a special interest of conductor David Stern.

This concert is part of Israeli Vocal Ensemble’s performing season, the fourth in the series. Tickets are 100 – 120 NIS, and performances will take place:

Ra’anana Performing Arts Center: Tuesday May 21st at 20:30, to order tickets call 09-7464036.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art: Thursday May 23rd at 20:30, to order tickets call 03-6077020. Musical director Yuval Benozer will give a pre-concert lecture on “Handel’s Oratorios” from 19:45 – 20:20, there is an additional cost for the lecture.

Israel Festival performance, Henry Crown Auditorium, Jerusalem Theatre: Friday, May 24th at 12:00, to order tickets call 02-6237000, *6226.

Greek Orthodox Church, Haifa: Saturday May 25th at 12:30, to order tickets call 04-8363804.

The festival offers three days of exhibitions, workshops and performances, created by Musrara school students, neighborhood residents, Israeli artists and guest artists from France, USA, Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Poland and Turkey. The full program and additional information may be found on the festival website in English. Enjoy!

Musrara School of Art on facebook, Musrara Mix 13 event page

Searching for Sugar Man

Simon Chinn, producer of the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugarman and Man on a Wire, will be among CoPro’s guests this year, as well as Sheryl Crown, Managing Director-Executive Producer of The Documentary Company; Sandra Whipham, Recruits Producer BRITDOC; Ryan Harrington, Director of Documentary Programming at Tribeca; and many more.

Offering documentary filmmakers, creators in the field of new media (smartphone apps, and internet driven content) and promising film students the opportunity to present their projects before an international panel of producers and other key industry members, CoPro also holds events open to the general public.

CoPro British Documentary Tribute will take place at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque from May 29 – June 2, 2013, co-sponsored by the British Council. The screenings will be open to the general public. Opening the festive week will be the uplifting Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugarman, accompanied by a panel discussion on the responsibility of documentary filmmakers with the participation of the film’s producer, Simon Chinn, Abir Zayber Hadad, a Palestinian-Israeli documentary filmmaker; Dror Moreh, director of The Gatekeepers; Marilyn Vang, a documentary filmmaker from the Ultra-Orthodox community; and moderated by Uri Rosenvacks of the Documentary Filmmakers Forum. The screening will begin at 20:00. Additional films to be screened include: Night Mail and Why Poverty on May 30th beginning at 19:00; The Road on May 31st at 12:00; The Reluctant Revolutionary on May 31st at 14:30; The Life of Muhammad on May 31st at 16:00; The Arbor on June 1st at 15:00; Ping Pong on June 1st at 17:00.

Susan Sontag’s The Promised Lands (1974) will be screened at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, with an introduction by Dr. Ohad Landsman and Iikka Vehkalati (YLE Finland). The event will be open to the public.

Docu-Child will take place at the Arab-Hebrew Theatre in Jaffa – a workshop on creating quality programming for children and youth with screenings of a selection of the best films from the latest Prix Jeunesse Festival  which takes place bi-annually in Munich, Germany. The workshop will be open to the public.

Further information will be available on the CoPro website and CoPro facebook page, check for updates.