Pressed For Time: 11.12-18.08
KURT WEILL'S MARIE GALANTE Nov. 15, French Institute, 22 E. 60th St. (betw. Madison & Park Aves.), 8, $60. One day after the new James Bond flick Quantum of Solace hits the screens, Kurt Weills most 007ian opera, Marie Galante, makes its American debut.The rarely seen opera follows Marie Galanteplayed by SILF soprano Isabel Bayrakdarianas she is kidnapped (Crime!) to South America where she turns to prostitution (Sex!) and tries to escape back to Bourdeaux (International intrigue!) Bottom Line:Whoever says opera couldnt be action-packed has never seen Marie Galante. That doesnt narrow down the field much; but see this and you wont make that mistake again. ------ BELLYDANCE SUPERSTARS Nov. 20, Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway (at E. 95th St.), 8, $40. A good belly dancer is hard to find. These days the image of overweight single women trying to shake it to techno at some insipidly titled Crunch class has almost completely obliterated what I know intellectually to be a beautiful art form. Bellydance Superstars, thankfully, is a troupe of hot women who are actually good at shaking their tail feathers. Bottom Line: Reclaim your mental image of this ancient Egyptian dance from the flabby, the spandexed and the divorced! ------
GRAPHIC NOVELS FROM EUROPE Nov. 19, School of Visual Arts, 209 E. 23rd St. (betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.) 6:30, Free. Though the Nobel Prize gods notoriously shun American authors, we Americans often ignore the current crop of wildly talented European graphic novelists. In Europe, graphic novels are often as esteemed as their graphemed cousins.This panelha!imports Kraut Isabel Kreitz, Frog David B and [insert generically insulting term for someone from the Czech Republic] Jaromír Svejdík. Bottom Line:A convocation of masters of the unsung, overlooked graphic novel genre: a polyglot multi-paneled colorful crew.
------ FORRO IN THE DARK Nov. 13, Joes Pub, 425 Lafayette St. (betw. E. 4th St. & St. Marks Place), 9:30 & 11:30, $15. Forropronounced foHOis Sambas country mouse cousin. A wildly popular genre in Northeastern Brazil, the music doesnt enjoy sambas cachet in the States (although it should). Its listenable and easy to dance to. Plus, its one of those pelvis-touching dances that are great fun for all involved. Tonight, the popular Forro in the Dark series adds guest stars like worldmusic-friendly ex-Talking Head David Byrne to the lineup to celebrate the Joes Pub 10th anniversary. Bottom Line: Dont be put off by your unfamiliarity with the genre. One should be forro because all forros for one.