Don't miss the last two events of the 2009/10 season as Dame Evelyn Glennie, the first person in musical history to successfully sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist, takes to the stage tonight at Zayed University. She will be accompanied by Philip Smith on the piano. The final concert brings the BBC Concert Orchestra to Emirates Palace on Saturday night to perform a host of classic British tunes, including Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March (Land of Hope and Glory). Keith Lockhart will conduct. Listen - The World's Foremost Solo Percussionist Today 7pm, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, tickets Dh250 (children/students Dh30), 800 4669 The Best of the British Gala Saturday 8pm, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, tickets Dh250-650 (children/students Dh30), 800 4669
Sounds of Arabia The final two nights of this excellent festival of regional music are very different. The musician Waed Bouhassoun and the singer Aicha Redouane provide a powerful double bill tonight. Prior to this, at 5.30pm, there is a talk on Islamic Spanish music by Manuela Cortes Garcia. The final concert on Saturday is an Iranian evening, featuring the bands Neyestan and Zarbang. Today and Saturday 8pm, National Theatre, Abu Dhabi, tickets Dh50 (students Dh30), 800 4669 Harry Connick Jr The concert is two days after the Abu Dhabi Fighting Championship, so hopefully they'll have had time to hose down the stage and remove any spare body parts left lying around. Sunday 8.30pm (doors open 6.30pm) Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, tickets Dh395-595, 02 499 1713 Birdhouse Factory A splendid show where factory workers are acrobats and machines are circus props. A contortionist performs on a turntable powered by unicyclists, a trapeze artist flies high, and trampoline artists defy gravity - and all the while circus-goers are enchanted by the laugh-filled story of love, flight, and the quest to build a better birdhouse. Today, Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday 8pm, The First Group Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, tickets Dh125-150, 04 366 6546 A Man and his Music Ovidio de Ferrari and his piano provide a fine array of world and classical music, with a touch of fun. He is accompanied by his chamber orchestra - not something which many performers can boast. Thursday 7.30pm, Courtyard by Marriott Green Community, Dubai, tickets Dh160 (Dh280 including welcome drink and buffet), 800 4669
FAKiE The first skateboard art show in the country will display a wonderfully diverse mixture of work from 30 artists from nine countries over four continents. All works will be sold at the end of the exhibition for Dh2,000 in what is to become an annual event. Daily until May 27 9am-9pm (Fridays 4pm-9pm), The Shelter, Dubai, 04 434 5655 Beyond Borders and Time Regained Frederic Lezmi, a German with a Lebanese father, charts his trip from Vienna to Beirut with his photographs in Beyond Borders. Sini?a Vlajkovic may have been born in Serbia, but he was to find out that Lebanon and Syria both played a part in his earlier life, as he shows in Time Regained. Tuesday until June 6, 9am-10pm (Fridays 3pm-10pm), The Empty Quarter, DIFC, Dubai, 04 323 1210 Against the grain A new solo show by Jalal Luqman, the Emirati artist who continues to push the boundaries of digital art. Daily until June 3 (closed Fridays), Tashkeel Gallery, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, 04 336 3313. Recent works Mohammed el Rawas's exhibition of his latest creations is another fine mix of three-dimensional structures and mixed media. www.artsawa.com, 04 340 8660 Daily until June 6 (closed Fridays) Art Sawa, Dubai, 04 340 8660 Diary of the Future Lara Baladi's exhibition brings together three years of work that explore the Middle Eastern tradition of coffee cup reading. Daily until June 10 (closed Fridays), Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Dubai, 04 323 5052 Islands For his first solo exhibition in the region, Abbas Akhavan's project deals with the mapping and remapping of space, geography and architecture of Dubai and its art market. We wonder if the Canadian-based, Iranian-born artist is up for putting his aerial shots into book form and producing the first definitive A-Z of the UAE? Now, that would be a work of art. Daily until June 10 10am-7pm (closed Fridays), Third Line Gallery, Dubai, 04 341 1367
Argana Celebration Moroccan Culinary Week brings a host of excellent dining to the capital. Apart from the authentic flavours of this region, you can enjoy fashion parades, henna painting and live music. You can have a tea ceremony with friends, brunch with your family or a corporate dinner. Daily until May 22, The Yas Hotel, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, prices and dining options vary, 02 656 0000
Wendy's/Arby's and P.F. Chang's Go ahead, let those visions of roast beef sandwiches and salad rolls dance in your head, because they're all within reach as of this week. Dubai's list of American food chains just got longer with a joint Wendy's and Arby's in Festival City Mall and P.F. Chang's in Mirdif City Centre. Although we're a bit sceptical of Arby's Sauce being made available as "chili" and are wallowing at the lack of a "Pick 5" deal.
Abu Dhabi Fighting Championship Hot on the heels of UFC112 comes the capital's very own event. A couple of changes to the fight card shouldn't detract from the night, especially as Dave "Pee-Wee" Herman is now on the bill. Although we're still not sure if he cycles into the octagon. Today 6pm-midnight, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, tickets Dh180-2,650 (under 12s must be with an adult), www.abudhabifc.com Jet Ski and Dhow races Dubai International Marine Club hosts two watersports events this weekend. First a day of jet ski races, and then a traditional 60-foot dhow sailing competition that involves more than 100 dhows and follows the traditional route pearl divers used to take home. Today 10.30am, jet ski races, spectators can watch from DIMC breakwater, Dubai Saturday 2pm, spectators can watch the race finish near Jumeirah Beach Residence beach, Dubai Yas Track Day Always wanted to drive on a Grand Prix circuit? Track Day is your chance. You can bring your own car and get tips from Yas Driving Academy's professional instructors or ride as a passenger in either a race-spec sports car or an F1 two-seater. Saturday Morning and afternoon sessions, Yas Marina Circuit, prices vary, 800 927 or 02 446 0384
Al Saheel - A 1001 Horse Tales Forty-four trained horses and 30 riders take part in this show celebrating the timeless bond between man and horse. Today 7.30-9.30pm, Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club, Dubai, tickets Dh225-325 (12 and under Dh100), 050 181 0401 The Never Ending Story Rodney Bogg's new works explore abstract landscapes and his fascination with the horizon. "The horizon exists but is never reached and an illusion of activity is created," he explains. Sadly the exhibition does not live up to its name, as it will close in mid-May. Today & Saturday 10am-11pm, Kenza Art Gallery, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 04 368 6603 Bumbu Bali The chef Heinz von Holzen bases his dishes in bumbu, a paste that comes from blending different types of spices to concoct a particular Balinese dish. And you have the chance to eat his, or learn to make your own from the master. Today & Saturday Burj Al Arab, Dubai, lunch Dh325, dinner Dh375, cooking class Dh395 including snacks and cocktails, 04 301 7600 Fragrance from the Sufi garden Shems Friedlander's photos, like a Sufi garden, have much meaning beneath the surface. His atmospheric work is almost abstract in style, with natural lighting and ghostlike imagery. There is also a mixed media flower installation, specially created by the guest artist Ava Ansari. Today (3pm-10pm) & Saturday (9am-10pm), The Empty Quarter, DIFC, Dubai, 04 323 1210 Photojournalism: Views from Near and Far Zayed University students exhibit their photography of life around them, including images that represent the word giving and what a rare day of rain in the UAE looks like. Daily until Wednesday (closed today) 9am-1pm, 5pm-9pm, Ghaf Gallery, Abu Dhabi, www.ghafgallery.com Watercolours With works by Spencer Tart, Trevor Waugh, Alan Hepburn and John Harris, four artists who have travelled extensively throughout the Arab world over the last 30 years, this collection of landscapes provides a unique record of a crucial era in the region's history. Daily until Thursday (closed today) 10am-6pm, Majlis Gallery, Dubai, 04 353 6233
Hairspray auditions Fancy a part in this classic big-time musical? Then start warming your vocal cords. The show will run July 13-17. May 21 10am-10pm, DUCTAC, Mall of the Emirates, www.hairspraydubai.com Verdi's Masterpiece: Messa da Requiem A local delivery of a wonderful work from a 130-strong Festival Chorus and 65-piece UAE Festival Orchestra. Martyn Bagnall will conduct proceeds and Christina Dunwoodie and Clare Shearer are among the singers. May 21 8pm American University of Dubai Auditorium, Dubai, tickets Dh150, 800 4669 The Duke Ellington Big Band Big tunes from the band who were formed in tribute to one of America's greatest composers. Duke's grand-daughter Mercedes will accompany the band. May 27 The Palladium, Dubai, tickets Dh195, 800 4669 Toploader Their show in Abu Dhabi last month was cancelled - volcanic ash prevented them from dancing in the moonlight. Hopefully nature won't stop the Britpoppers trip this time. May 27 9pm, Alpha Club, Le Meridien, Dubai, tickets Dh95 (over 18s only), 800 4669 Ice Warrior Challenge A 2km course with 18 obstacles awaits, as Ice Station Zebra meets It's a Knockout. Entries must be sent to marketing@skidxb.com by May 21, and the super-fit have the chance to do it all for charity. June 4 6am, Ski Dubai, 04 409 4000 Whose Line Is It Anyway? Stephen Frost, Andy Smart, Niall Ashdown, Steve Steen and Ian Coppinger, all regular members of the Comedy Store Players in London, stop by for a bit of improvisational comedy. Expect quick wits and quicker punchlines. June 10-12 The First Group Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, tickets from Dh150, 04 366 6546
Robin Hood For those unfamiliar with his work, Hood (Russell Crowe, above) and his band of marauders (some might say merry men) confront corruption and generally bash the upper classes to correct the injustices of 13th-century England. He's like a Medieval RoboCop, only he wears baggier clothes and is quite handy with a bow and arrow. www.reelcinemas.ae , www.grandcinemas.com , www.cineroyal.ae , www.cinestarcinemas.com Kick-Ass High school student Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), despite having no special powers, decides to become a super hero. His initial attempts at saving the day end badly, but he soon teams up with some other vigilantes who have a better idea of what they are doing, including the father-daughter pairing of Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloë Moretz). Super stuff. www.grandcinemas.com , www.cineroyal.ae , www.cinestarcinemas.com Badmaash Company Set in Mumbai (sorry, Bombay) in the mid-Nineties, four bright young things decide to go in to business together. They are determined to live the bling lifestyle but can all their egos fit into one movie? Written and directed by Bollywood actor Parmeet Sethi. Hindi with English and Arabic subtitles. www.grandcinemas.com , www.cineroyal.ae , www.cinestarcinemas.com The Secret of Moonacre When her father dies, teenager Maria Merryweather (Dakota Blue Richards) has to give up her London life and move to Moonacre Manor, her eccentric uncle's country pile. Maria later discovers she is the last Moon Princess and is given the task of saving Moonacre from disappearing into the sea before the moon rises again. You won't be surprised to hear this film is not based on a true story. www.grandcinemas.com , www.cineroyal.ae , www.cinestarcinemas.com The Forgotten Ones After a group of friends are shipwrecked on a desert island, they begin to be savagely picked off one-by-one by a cannibalistic enemy that time forgot. Bet you didn't see that one coming, did you? www.grandcinemas.com , www.cineroyal.ae , www.cinestarcinemas.com
