Compiled by Marie Šrámková

Underrated artist The National Gallery in Prague has prepared a great retrospective of the works of the painter Václav Brožík (1851-1901), who in his day was famous not only in this country and in Europe, but overseas as well. A substantial number of this painter’s works are now on display in the US. The exhibition includes 184 paintings by Brožík, such as the well known two-meter canvas, “Celebration at Rubens'” (1881), a study, “Master Jan Hus at the Kostnice Tribunal” (1883), an unfinished painting, “Emperor Ferdinand Among Artists” (1900-1901), and several portraits and landscapes. Documents are accompanied by a collection of period costumes in which Brožík dressed his models. Václav Brožík, Valdštejnská jízdárna, until May 4, daily except Monday 10:00-18:00, tickets 50 Kč (reduced), 100 Kč, 150 Kč (family)

Theater
4. 4. – Pajamas on! – Prague premiere, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
5. 4. – The Square of Heros – II. premiere, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
6. 4. – Same Time Next Year, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
7. 4. – Divadlo v Dlouhé: Cabaret Vian-Cami, Studio Švandova divadla 19:00
9. 4. – Time of the Hangman, Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově 19:00
10. 4. – The baroness and the servant girl, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
12.-13. 4. – Divadlo v Dlouhé: I Still Live With a Clothes Rack, Cap and Signal Disc – I. and II. premiere, Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově 19:00
13. 4. – Bez roucha aneb Ještě jednou zezadu, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
14.-16. 4. – Graffiti – black theatre, Laterna magika 20:00
15. 4. – Bambini di Praga, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
16. 4. – Volpone, Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově 19:00
16. 4. – Double Bass, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
17.-19. 4. – The Best of Black Theatre – black theatre, Reduta 19:30
18. 4. – Uncle Vanya, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
20. 4. – Love, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
22. 4. – Velká mela, Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově 19:00
23. 4. – Luděk Sobota’s Pickles, P klub Trojická 20:00
24. 4. – Divadlo v Dlouhé: Garderobier, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
25. 4. – Three men at the wrong address, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
26. 4. – Oedipús the King, Divadlo Pod Palmovkou 19:00
27. 4. – Twelfth Night, Stavovské divadlo 14:00 a 19:00
27. 4. – Divadlo v Dlouhé: Běsi, Divadlo na Vinohradech 19:00
28. 4. – Ivanov, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
30. 4. – Divadlo Bolka Polívky: Variations on Booze, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00

Opera
5. 4. – La Traviata, Národní divadlo 14:00 a 19:00
16. 4. – The Land of Smiles – operetta, Kongresové centrum, Společenský sál 19:00
24. 4. – La Bohe`me – premiere, Státní opera 19:00
26. 4. – Don Giovanni, Stavovské divadlo 14:00 a 19:00

“One World 2003” festival The fifth edition of an international film festival on human rights – “One World”, organized by Člověk v tísni (People in Need) – will screen 150 documentaries this year. The main topics will comprise the search for one’s own identity, the issue of migration, and women’s rights, and film screenings will be followed by discussions with guests. The festival begins on 8 April at 7:00 pm in Akropolis with a concert featuring the groups Švihadlo and Ahmed má hlad. Jeden svět 2003, in cinemas: Lucerna, Aero, Evald, Ponrepo, Perštýn, Praha Art; and also in Roxy, French institute, Hungarian cultural center, British Council, April 8-16, tickets 60 Kč

DANCE
6. 4. – Taming of the Shrew, Národní divadlo 14:00 a 19:00
13. 4. – Marná opatrnost, Polovetsian dance, Stavovské divadlo 14:00 a 18:00

Modern music
6. 4. – Recital of Hana Křížková, Divadlo Na zábradlí 19:00
8. 4. – Taraf de Haidouks – folk, Roxy 19:00
10. 4. – Scott Henderson “Blues Band” – Agharta Prague Jazz Festival 2003, Lucerna Music Bar 21:00
12. 4. – The Gathering – rock, Palác Akropolis 19:30
14. 4. – Huun-Huur-Tu – Jazz Meets World festival, Divadlo U Hasičů 19:30
14. 4. – David Sanchez Group – Agharta Prague Jazz Festival 2003, Lucerna Music Bar 21:00
15. 4. – Tuesdays’ Run-aways – Czech music scene, Unijazz reading room 18:00
16. 4. – Poděbradka Team Tour – rock, Lucerna, Velký sál 20:00
23. 4. – Peter Lipa & Band – jazz, Vagon 21:00
29. 4. – Maceo Parker – Agharta Prague Jazz Festival 2003, Lucerna, Velký sál 20:00
Classical music
1.-5. 4. – Musica Florea – classical music festival, Praha
1.-29. 4. – Music Festivities – classical music festival, Klášter sv. Anežky České 19:30
FAMILY ENTERTAIMENT
4. 4. – African Ball – traditional beach ball, Lucerna, Velký sál 19:30
5. 4. – Joan of Arc – musical, Divadlo Ta Fantastika 14:00 a 18:00
7.-8. 4. – Don Giovanni – marionette theatre, Národní divadlo marionet 20:00
9.-10. 4. – Cleopatra – musical, Divadlo Broadway 19:00
13. 4. – Jaroslav Uhlíř: singing lesson with children, Divadlo Bez zábradlí 19:00
16. 4. – C. A. P. Across Country… Andaman islands – seminar, Unijazz reading room 18:30
16.-19. 4. – Dracula – musical, Kongresové centrum 19:30
21. 4. – Fairy tale – ballet for children, Státní opera 14:00
22. 4. – Lord Of The Dance – megashow, T-Mobile Aréna 19:00
23.-26. 4. – Galileo – musical, Divadlo Kalich 19:00
24. 4. – Amazed Pilgrim – Architecture of Boskovice, Unijazz reading room 19:00
27. 4. – Paškál – talk show, Divadlo Metro 19:00

Man of the desert

Jerusalem native Raz Mesinai, a cult figure of the New York dance underground, will appear in Prague at the end of April. Thanks to all the influences and cultures that he has absorbed it’s difficult to categorize him. His creation, aka Badawi (Arabic for “man of the desert” – Bedouin), could be approximately defined as ethno-electro-beat. In his compositions he mixes Jewish and Middle Eastern instruments with electronics under the clear influence of varied musical genres – hip hop, house, and dub. When he was just seven he became acquainted with the Middle-Eastern drumming technique; he repeatedly spent time in the desert of the Sinai peninsula among Bedouins and Moroccan Jews, who taught him to play different types of percusssion instruments (darbuka, bendir, and zarb). He later took up drums used in Persian, Indian, Moroccan, and Afro-Cuban music. He published his first recording at age 18.

Raz Mesinai aka Badawi (Izrael/USA), Palác Akropolis, April 25 at 20:00, tickets in advance 170-310 Kč, before concert 200-280 Kč

Still life with blue angels

One of the best new Czech plays by Samuel Königgratz, “I Still Live With a Clothes Rack, Cap, and Signal Disk,” which will premiere in a professional theater, gives a picture of a normal day at a train station. This nearly documentary cameo of the lives of the superintendent, the dispatchers, the signalwomen, the shunters, and the transport inspectors is built on many comical situations that come to an unexpected climax. In his tragi-comic play from contemporary life, the author follows in his own way the finest Czech tradition of tender and absurd humor, which we find in the prose of Bohumil Hrabal, the plays of Václav Havel, and the films of Miloš Forman.

Divadlo v Dlouhé: Ještě žiju s věšákem, čepicí a plácačkou, Švandovovo divadlo, I. and II. premiere April 12 and 13, at 19:00, tickets 140-220 Kč

Tickets for these events may be purchased at any of the Ticketpro outlets, online through www.ticketpro.cz., or by phoning the EchoLine call center at 14051.