A FULLY staged version of the Puccini’s classic opera, “Madama Butterfly”, is coming to Canberra. Conducted by Warwick Stengårds with an 11-piece chamber orchestra, the chorus was drawn from Woden Valley Youth Choir and the opera will be performed in English. At Canberra Theatre Centre, September 6-8. Bookings to  canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

CANBERRA Short Film Festival is made up of a variety of local, national and international films. The Festival will run at Dendy’s Cinemas, Smith’s Alternative, Tuggeranong Arts Centre and Belconnen Community Centre from September 9-16. Program at csff.com.au

TEDxCanberra is organised entirely by Canberra volunteers who are passionate about ideas. The theme this year is “Divergence” and the next local TEDx will feature 16 bright ideas derived from thinking outside the norm. Canberra Theatre Playhouse, 8am-6pm, Saturday, September 8. Bookings to eventbrite.com.au

THE British TV program that was a precursor to Monty Python had nothing to do with 1948, but now Bungendore satirists, Shortis and Simpson, are cooking up “The 1948 Show”, as a tribute to the year of their births. They’ll be performing numbers like “Nature Boy”, “Too Darn Hot”, anti-apartheid protest songs and classics from other 1948 babies such as James Taylor, Cat Stevens and Lulu. Ainslie Arts Centre, Elouera street, Braddon, 8pm, Friday September 7. Bookings to eventbrite.com.au or 6182 0000.

POET Paul Hetherington from the International Poetry Studies at the University of Canberra, is launching his book “Moonlight on Oleander: Prose Poems”, with guest speaker Cassandra Atherton. The launch will take place in the National Library Foyer, at 6pm, September 6, RSVP to 6262 1424.

NICHOLAS Milton will be conducting a French feast of music celebrating the hundredth anniversary year of Claude Debussy’s death. Sax virtuoso Nick Russoniello will perform Debussy’s “Rhapsody for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra”, then the orchestra will perform Ravel’s “Bolero”, followed by Berlioz’s “Symphonie fantastique” and Milhaud’s “Scaramouche”. At Llewellyn Hall, September 5 and 6. Bookings to cso.org.au or 6262 6772.

THE Song Company and director Antony Pitts will be here with “Four Colour Season”. The program will focus on the seasons, the sky, and the gum leaves in voices and dance from Chance to Vivaldi as the vocal ensemble collaborates with Bundjalung and Wiradjuri dancer and choreographer Thomas E.S. Kelly’s Karul Projects. It will also feature music from young Australian composers such as Alice Chance and Patrick Baker. At The Street Theatre, 7.30pm, September 7. Bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

“CHILDREN Are Stinky” is a retro ’90s children’s show where duo Malia Walsh and Chris Carlos try to solve the stink problem through sensational circus, silliness and incredible acrobatics. Children in the audience are encouraged to step up and become the stars of the show. At The Q, Queanbeyan, from September 5–8. Bookings to theq.net.au or 6285 6290.

SOPRANO Louise Page is busy bidding farewell to the stages of Canberra. Next up she’ll be appearing in the Canberra Choral Society’s tribute to England in the Roaring ’20s, accompanied by Phillipa Candy and Anthony Smith – conducted by Peter Young. Albert Hall, 2.30pm, Sunday, September 9. Bookings to trybooking.com

HUSBAND and wife duo, mezzo-soprano Christina Wilson and pianist Alan Hicks, will perform the next Art Song concert, “What the Folk Sing”, with songs by de Falla, Brahms, Dvorak, Grainger, Copland and Bartok. Wesley Music Centre, 20 National Circuit, Forrest, 3pm, Sunday, September 9. Tickets at the door, no bookings required.

 

 

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