What's on

Beijing

Israeli versatility

Israeli countertenor, composer, and song-writer David D'Or will lead his band to present a program that includes Nessun Dorma, Phantom of the Opera, Somewhere Over the Rainbow and We are Family.

D'Or sings with a vocal range of more than four octaves and is equally adept at classical, pop, rock and ethnic music. The band includes Itay Taragano on the piano, Netanel Cohen on the drums, Noam Vardy on bass, Tomer Shtein on guitar, Oran Menanchem Zabludovitz on wind instruments and Yaron Bahar on the keyboard.

7:30 pm, April 29. 50-580 yuan. Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square. 010-6559-8285

Cross-talk

Xiha Baofupu, a Beijing-based youth cross-talk group, will present three shows to celebrate the second anniversary of its founding.

The first show on May 14 will feature leading actors from Beijing's several grassroot cross-talk clubs; on May 15, eminent performers will share the stage with promising young actors; and the last show on May 16 will bring to audiences a special qun kou (group performance) show, in which Xiha's actors will introduce hip-hop elements and impersonate celebrities.

7:30 pm, May 14-16. Beijing Geology Auditorium, 30 Yangrou Hutong, Xisi area, Xicheng district. 400-810-1887, 010-6401-1676

Oil paintings

Overseas Chinese artist Li zijian's world tour exhibition will open at National Art Museum of China in Beijing on Saturday.

Entitled Humanity and Love, it will present more than 160 of his realistic paintings, including his latest on children and their families in Wenchuan, northwestern Sichuan, which was hit by a devastating earthquake in 2008.

5 am-9 pm, until April 26. National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district. 010-8403-3500

Realistic style

A group show of realist oil paintings displays over 50 latest works by 13 young and middle-aged artists, including Ai Xuan, He Wenqing, Leng Jun and Wang Yidong.

10 am-5 pm, until June 3. First Sound Gallery, 798 Art District, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district. 010-5978-9888

Shanghai

Modern drama

12 Men, a play adapted from the American movie 12 Angry Men, will be staged in Chinese. The story revolves around 12 jurors trying the case of a teenaged boy accused of murdering his father.

7:30 pm, April 29-May 16 (no shows on Monday). Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, Studio D6, 6F, 288 Anfu Lu. 021-6473-0123

Classic opera

The Yueju Opera Butterfly Lovers tells the tragic love story of Yingtai, who pretends to be a boy so that she can attend school - a privilege reserved for boys in ancient China - and her poor classmate Shanbo.

The new production features renowned Yueju singer Mao Weitao and her colleagues from the Zhejiang Hundred Blossoms Yueju Opera Troupe.

7:15 pm, April 22, 24. Shanghai Grand Theatre, 300 Renmin Avenue Shanghai. 021-6372-8702

Painting and sculpture

The first solo exhibition of Hangzhou-based artist Zhang Hao, Alchemy: An Artist's Spiritual Journey, features a mix of painting and sculpture.

Zhang combines an abstract style with the more familiar techniques of ink paintings and calligraphy.

10 am-6 pm, until April 26. Contrasts Gallery Shanghai, 1F, 181 Jiangxi Zhonglu. 021-6323-1989

Bed matters

The exhibition at ShanghART gathers paintings, photographs and installations related to bed from 13 distinguished artists.

Zhang Enli's paintings of the bed are like the monologue of a vacant home, Jin Weihong's focus is the woman, while Hu Yang's camera records modern living in Shanghai.

10 am-6 pm, until May 9. ShanghART Gallery Shanghai, 50 Moganshan Lu. 021-6359-3923

Japanese artist

This is the debut solo show in China for Japanese artist Miyuki Akiyama. Miyuki's oil paintings are beautiful dreamlike landscapes inhabited by lots of forest creatures and wild animals.

The paintings border on the abstract and the surreal and leave plenty to the imagination to conjure up meanings behind them.

10 am-6 pm, until April 25. Andrew James Art, 39 Maoming Nanlu. 021-5228-7550

Guangzhou

Return of Super Girl

Zhou Bichang, one of the winners in Super Girl Competition, is ready to give her first concert in Guangzhou, after working towards it for five years. The sponsor has invited Chen Zhenchuan, one of the best producers-at-scene in Chinese pop music, to be the executive producer.

8 pm, May 29. Guangzhou Gymnasium, 783 Baiyun thoroughfare, Baiyun district. 020-3663-9159

Shenzhen

Classic Carpenters

Remember the American vocal and instrumental duo Carpenters? The superstar team of the 1970s and their fantastic songs will be back to face tremendous audiences expectations. More than 20 classic Carpenters songs will be back at this concert.

8 pm, April 23, Shenzhen Concert Hall. 0755-8284-1888

Cultural industry fair

As the only international and comprehensive culture industrial fair in China, Sixth China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair will focus on fine spiritual and cultural products this year.

9 am-4 pm, May 14-17. Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, 6007 Shennan thoroughfare. 0755-8284-8800

China Daily

(China Daily 04/16/2010 page20)