What’s what and who’s who in the arts this week? Here’s HELEN MUSA‘s weekly “Arts in the City” column. 

CANBERRA’S Meryl Tankard is the choreographer for “Claudel”, a reimagining of the story of the rebellious sculptor Camille Claudel and her relationship with Rodin, written and directed by Wendy Beckett. It premiered in March 2018 at the Athénée Theatre in Paris, then went to the Festival d’Avignon. At the Playhouse, Sydney Opera House, until May 9. Book here or 9250 7777.

PERCUSSIONIST Louis Sharpe, who conducts the James McCusker Orchestra and the National Capital Orchestra, has been invited by the Australian World Orchestra’s chief conductor, Alexander Briger to be his assistant conductor for the June season in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. He’ll step in for Briger if anything goes wrong.

THE second concert in Musica Viva’s 2021 season sees Russian-born pianist Konstantin Shamray and the Australian National Academy of Music Orchestra’s strings will perform works by Mahler, Kerem, Schnittke and Tchaikovsky. Llewellyn Hall, 7pm, Thursday, April 29, book here.

THE “Come Alive” Festival of Museum Theatre, long-held at the Courtyard Studio, will move to Daramalan College this year, although the National Library and the National Portrait Gallery remain involved. The event will take place from October 16-19 and so far, Daramalan, Lake Ginninderra, Gungahlin, Lake Tuggeranong, Radford, Girls Grammar, St Clare’s, Telopea and Ulladulla High have expressed interest. Call 0408 034 373.

AFTER years of work on one of Queanbeyan’s heritage-listed buildings, the long-awaited Rusten House Arts Centre in the grounds of Queanbeyan Hospital will be officially opened on April 22. Details of arts events at the new centre are under wraps, but not for long.

A NEW season of the ABC TV series “Total Control” was filming at Parliament House recently, when the call went out from casting agency Bump Models for 30 extras to play MPs in the chamber at short notice. “Preferably 30 years and older, male and female, smart business types”, the plea went. Smart? Have they seen our elected representatives lately? 

COMPOSER John Shortis has never had a formal music lesson. Instead, his teachers were The Beatles and without them knowing, they taught him about keys and time signatures, scales and modes, chords and harmony for a 50-year professional music-making. His unorthodox learning and teaching methods will form the basis of a four-week course at Ainslie Arts Centre on April 28, May 5, May 12 and May 19. Email moyajohn@shortisandsimpson.com