At the opera
Amid worldwide events commemorating the centenary of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi's death, the Cairo Opera House will present Verdi's masterpiece Rigoletto from 18-24 January at the Main Hall. A collaboration between the Cairo Opera Company and Orchestra and the Italian Cultural Institute, the opera will be conducted alternately between Portuguese maestro Ivan Filev and the Italian conductor Giorgio Croci, who commanded the 1999 performance of Aida at the pyramids. Tonight's opening performance will feature baritones Alfio Grass, Franco Giovine and tenor Francesco Marcacci, backed by 20 singers from Cairo Opera Company. This is the first time Rigoletto will be shown at the modern opera house, but during the reign of Khedive Ismail it was performed on the occasion of the inauguration of the Suez Canal -- not, as is commonly believed, Verdi's Aida.
On the stage
Nobel-prize winning Italian dramatist Luigi Pirandello's complex and experimental drama Henry IV is showing at the National Theatre. Starring Ashraf Abdel-Ghafour and Nadia Rashad, this Italian-Egyptian production tackles feelings of alienation and honour in a tale of memories and madness. Under the expert direction of Falter Manfri, the tense dialogue reigns over sparse movement, but poor music and unattractive lighting mar the performance. The staging is authentic and effective, though the stage setting remains unchanged. The tale of a king who's lost his memory, this production keeps its audience engrossed and involved in the complicated plot.
Around the galleries
In the orderly quietude of the Gezira Arts Centre, Mohamed El-Tarawi exhibits his latest watercolours under the title "Places... Times." The skillfully executed landscapes reflect the artist's vision as well as the reality of the subject, playing with time, memory and perception, producing a disturbing but ultimately gratifying panoramic feast.
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