During the “Badu Gili” light show, First Nations (Aboriginal) art is projected onto the eastern, Bennelong sail of the Sydney Opera House each night, year-round, at sunset and again at 7 p.m winter-spring or 9 p.m. summer-fall. (In the Southern Hemisphere, winter is June-September.)
The show, which lasts about seven minutes, was introduced in July 2017, and the programmed art was completely revised for the first time on July 24, 2018.
Preceding a tour of William Shakespeare’s reconstructed Globe Theatre (phone +44 20 7902 1400, www.shakespeares globe.com) in London, visitors can enjoy an afternoon tea at the Swan Bar & Restaurant (21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London, England, SE1 9DT, U.K.; phone +44 20 7928 9444, www.swanlondon.co.uk), located on the theater grounds.
The 2-course “Midsummer Night’s Dream Tea” (sandwiches followed by sweets) is held 12-3 p.m. daily. £28.50 (near $37) per person. Must reserve table in advance.
The majestic Sydney Harbour Bridge is probably the most photographed site in Sydney, rivaled only by the Sydney Opera House.
Few visitors realize the bridge can be crossed on foot in about 20 minutes and that the southeastern pylon is open to the public, rewarding a fairly short climb up a flight of stairs with wonderful, 360-degree views from a viewing platform. I’ve taken many visitors up there, and nobody has yet been less than enthralled.
Once inside the pylon, whether on the way up or down, one can study the fascinating displays showing how and when the bridge was constructed, what life was like for those who built it and what impact the bridge had on life in Sydney.
Here’s how to get there.
12-day, 11-night folk dance tour, March 11-22, 2018, with certified Israeli folk dance instructor. Highlights: In Tel Aviv, dance workshop/in Or Yehuda, Babylonian Jewry Heritage Museum/Dead Sea swim/Ein Gedi nature reserve/in Jerusalem, Holocaust History Museum, Yemenite dance workshop/in Haifa, street art in Wadi Nisnas/Safed/tasting at Golan Heights Winery. $3,995 ppdo. Single supp., $995. Jim Gold International (Teaneck, NJ; 201/836-0362, www.jimgold.com).
Opera Australia will perform the opera “La Bohème,” by Giacomo Puccini, on a floating stage on Sydney Harbour every day except Mondays and some Fridays, March 23-April 22, 2018.
Tickets, which cost AUD99-AUD315 (near $78-$249), adult, and AUD89-AUD284, senior, must be bought in advance. Call +61 2 9318 8200 or visit opera.org.au.
Music from one of 25,000 original music rolls played on any of several antique player pianos can be experienced in the Pianola Museum (Westerstraat 106, 1015 MN, Amsterdam, Netherlands; phone +31 20 627 9624, www.pianola.nl/Pianola_ Museum/Welcome.html). Visitors also will learn about the history and mechanics of player pianos.
The museum is open for general admission 2-5 p.m. on Sundays only. €5 (near $5.50). Private visits can be arranged.
Berlin’s newest concert hall, the 682-seat Pierre Boulez Saal, designed by architect Frank Gehry and acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, opened in March. Housed in the former storage building for the sets of the Staatsoper, the hall, with seats surrounding the stage, provides a venue for young musicians from Israel and the Middle East.
Celebrating its 70th year, Aug. 4-28, 2017, the 3-week Edinburgh International Festival draws, from around the world, top-class performers and ensembles to perform in the fields of dance, opera, music (especially classical music) and theater. Six major theaters and concert halls plus a few smaller venues and more will be used.
