Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1185664
CULTURE maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 NOVEMBER 2019 8 The seaweed is always greener - at the Manoel this Christmas! THE BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation – which supports gifted youths and vulner- able children – is proud to announce it has so far raised almost €1 million as it marks its sixth anniversary this year with a fundraising Christmas concert featuring an outstand- ing line-up. Several foundation scholars have made exceptional pro- gress thanks to the Founda- tion's moral and financial support. Twenty-year-old Gozitan baritone Charles Buttigieg is in his second year at the prestigious Curtis Institute in the US – which adopts a scholarship-only ad- mission policy – while mezzo soprano Marvic Monreal has been engaged by the Royal Opera House in London. Fourteen new scholars, who have shown promise in a range of music, dance and other disciplines, were taken on by the Foundation this year and are pursuing their studies at various institutions in Europe and the US. Several will be showcasing their talents during a festive concert at the Manoel Thea- tre on December 15 along with established artists in- cluding tenor Joseph Calleja, Australian soprano Jessica Pratt, Italian baritone Vitto- rio Vitelli, the Balanas sisters from Latvia and Romanian mezzo soprano Ramona Za- haria together with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra un- der the baton of David Chan, leader of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Joseph Calleja said: "It is truly humbling to learn we have raised this staggering sum in such a short period of time. I pay tribute to the Foundation board who work incredibly hard without ever receiving anything in return and of course our wonderful patrons for their support." "We have truly fantastic tal- ent in Malta and our mission is to help these young peo- ple achieve their potential in a very tough industry. We have a very special night in store and I can't wait to see the Foundation scholars per- form." (cont…) Once again, the Manoel Theatre, MPO and all the artists will be providing fa- cilities and their services on a pro-bono basis to ensure every cent raised from the concert goes to the people who need it most. Under its Vulnerable Child Initiative, the Foundation supports the Paolo Freire In- stitute (PFI) in Zejtun which works with a number of vul- nerable children in the com- munity. It is also involved with a programme run by the Helen O'Grady Academy in conjunction with the Depart- ment of Education aimed at enabling a number of immi- grant children from 27 coun- tries to integrate into main- stream schooling and with Maltese children. The BOV Joseph Calleja Fundraising Concert 2019 will be held at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta on Sun- day, December 15 at 7pm, followed by a reception at the Casino Maltese. Tickets for the concert may be reserved through the Manoel Theatre's online booking portal www.teatru- manoel.com.mt. Those at- tending the concert will have the opportunity to attend for the post-concert reception where they will be able to meet Joseph Calleja and the other guest artists. BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation raises €1m for gifted youths and vulnerable children THE classic story of The Lit- tle Mermaid is coming home to Teatru Manoel this festive season, in a new pantomime by FM Theatre Productions. Discounted tickets are now available, for a limited time only! In The Little Mermaid: A Panto Under The Sea, we meet King Triton's feisty mermaid daughter Ariel, who loves to break the rules by visiting the sea's surface with her forgetful fishy friend Do- reen, driving everyone mad, including her nanny, Dame Bormaljotta. Meanwhile, Prince Rubinu is searching for his long-lost father King Barbakannella, and the evil sea witch Ur- soola Minnofs is plotting her takeover of the underwater kingdom with the aid of her two minions, Morina and Skorfina. "Will the evil sea witch succeed in taking over the underwater kingdom? Will Ariel get her wish? Will the Dame get herself a hubby? Will Triton get his daughter to obey him, and will Rubinu find his dad? Is there life on Mars? Is there life in Malta? These are questions that can only be answered at the Ma- noel Theatre when you come and see this year's FM Thea- tre panto!" says actor and producer Edward Mercieca, of FM Theatre. FM Theatre has earned a reputation for its spectacu- lar annual pantos, including last year's Sleeping Beauty, with critics calling it 'thor- oughly enjoyable… had me chuckling away the grinch in me for the best part of three hours', and 'one of the bet- ter pantos to grace the stage of the Manoel in some time'. Throughout the rest of the year, FM Theatre has also become renowned for stag- ing some of the world's best- loved smash hit musicals, in- cluding the highly-acclaimed Mamma Mia!, My Fair Lady, and, most recently, a sell-out production of We Will Rock You. This festive season, The Little Mermaid panto prom- ises to keep up the company's momentum with unforget- table sets, costumes, music, dancing, special effects and theatre magic, all brought to life by a stellar cast led by Ed- ward Mercieca as the Crus- tacean Dame and Katherine Brown as the evil cephalo- pod, Ursoola Minnofs. Other household names will be joining them, includ- ing Chiara Hyzler as Doreen, Nikki Cassar as Ariel, Tezara Saliba as Prince Rubinu, Karen Decelis as Fairy LE, Antonella Mifsud and Ma- ria Cassar as the witch's Eel sidekicks, Renato Dimech as Captain Barbuljatu, Joe De- pasquale as King Triton and Adriel Camilleri as Bosun Cikku Flieles, as well as a chorus of sea creatures, zom- bie pirates, sailors and vari- ous flotsam and jetsam. This impressive cast will be directed by Chris Gatt, with musical direction by Kris Spiteri, choreography by Luisa Fenech Conti and vocal coaching by Analise Cassar. Early bird discount tickets are now available for The Lit- tle Mermaid: A Panto Under The Sea, for a limited time only until November 30, so grab yours today by going online at www.teatrumanoel. com.mt, emailing bookings@ teatrumanoel.com.mt, or calling on 2124 6389. Don't miss your chance to join an adventure Under the Sea this Christmas at Teatru Manoel! FM Theatre's The Little Mermaid – A Panto Under The Sea will be staged at the Teatru Manoel, Valletta, with performances on 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 December 2019 at 8pm and on 2, 3, 4 January 2020 at 8pm. There will also be matinee performances at 3pm on 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 December 2019, and on 2, 3, 4, 5 January 2020. Booking details and further informa- tion are available online at www.teatrumanoel.com.mt, via email on bookings@te- atrumanoel.com.mt, or by calling 2124 6389. Early bird tickets now available for FM Theatre's festive spectacular ''The Little Mermaid: The Panto Under the Sea''