Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/475084
XI This week maltatoday, Sunday, 8 March 2015 Michael Bay to film movie on Benghazi attack in Malta 13 Hours, the Benghazi movie that Michael Bay is directing for Paramount, will be filmed in Malta. The movie will shoot in Malta and Morocco beginning in April. The political drama is an adaptation of Mitchell Zuckoff 's book about the 2012 attack on an American compound in Libya that left U.S. ambassador J. Christopher Stevens dead. The story centres on the special forces team that attempted to rescue Stevens. David Denman, John Kra- sinski, James Badge Dale, Max Martini and Pablo Schreiber are already part of the team. Den- man will play an elite sniper named Boon. Denman may be best known for playing the boyfriend of Jen- na Fischer's character, Pam, on NBC's The Office, with whom he competed for affection with Krasinski 's character, Jim. He also recurred on last season's NBC series Parenthood. The actor recently wrapped shooting Joel Edgerton's unti- tled thriller with Edgerton, Ja- son Bateman and Rebecca Hall, and shot a guest-starring role on the second season of HBO's True Detective. Michael Bay 'Joy, hope and optimism' at the Manoel Theatre Theatre for female empowerment director denise Mulholland says the opera L'Elisir d'amore is all about "new beginnings" This year's annual Manoel Thea- tre opera production is Gaetano Donizetti's 'L'Elisir d'Amore' to be staged on March 12, 13 and 15. Possibly Donizetti's most popular opera, L'Elisir d'Amore is a piece full of joy, hope and optimism and which makes you believe in love. The char- acters are a delight and the story is captivating. This is a fairy-tale opera which, very simply, aims to make the audience feel happy. The production is also a brand new one, designed and directed completely by a local team. Director Denise Mulholland commented on the concept behind this production: "When I started work on the piece I knew almost immediately I wanted to set it in the 1950s. For me that period is synonymous with new beginnings, especially in Italy, which was rebuild- ing itself after the Second World War. The country was emerging from that difficult time with confidence and buoyancy in a period which became known as 'Il Boom'. Industry was growing, the economy was stabilis- ing, Fiat and Vespa were flourishing, teenagers were developing an identity and movie-goers everywhere longed for a Roman Holiday." Inspired by 1950s films and aes- thetically by the travel posters of that era, the action of the opera is moved from the original location of a farm where Adina was the landowner to a small, but stylish pensione on the Amalfi coastline – the Villa Adina. Artistic Director, Kenneth Zam- mit Tabona said, "I am sure that the 1950s concept will go down a treat. It reminds us of the middle section of the famous film 'The Yellow Rolls Royce' with Shirley Maclaine and Alain Delon set on the Amalfi Coast in which love and loyalty are in direct conflict. Elisir is similar in so many ways." The creative team includes Pierre Portelli as set designer, who is renowned for taking a simple set- ting and making it into something thoughtful and beautiful. Isabel Warrington, as costume designer, has managed to make everyone look glamorous, stylish and dreamy and lighting designer Chris Gatt manages to use lighting almost like another character in the opera. The music team includes Juliette Bisazza as the opera music director and conductor Philip Walsh. 'L'Elisir d'Amore' features leading Maltese and foreign artists in the main roles, the Teatru Manoel Opera Chorus and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. Performances are at 19:30 with a pre-opera talk for ticketholders at 18:45. Bookings: www.teatrumanoel.com. mt, bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt, 2124 6389. 300 year old Stradivarius for one-off concert in Malta To mark the successful comple- tion of the installation of Elekta Linear Accelerators by Techno- line Ltd at the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre, a 300-year-old Stradivarius worth an astonish- ing €10 million will soon star in a one-off concert in Malta. 'A Stradivarius Among Us', which is being held under the distin- guished patronage of President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, will take place at St Paul's Anglican Cathedral. Monies collected will be donated to various cancer charities. "Crafted by the legendary luthier, Antonio Stradivari, in 1715, the 'ex Bazzini – De Vito' is an iconic instrument that has become a celebrity in its own right," said Mro Matteo Fedeli, who, on March 15, will play the instrument for one of the first times in the past half a century. "In fact, this particular An- tonio Stradivari was created during one of the master's best periods, and its name is derived from two famous musicians who had a deep connection with it," he added. "The first was the great Mro Bazzini, who considered this particular violin one of his favourites, while the second was the world-renowned, British- Italian classic violinist Giocon- da De Vito, who performed on this violin." Known as 'The Man of the Stradivari ', Mro Matteo Fedeli is renowned for being the only person in the world who has performed on 25 of the 60 Stradivari violins that are still in good enough condition to be played. In fact, his on-going series of concerts as part of 'Uno Stradivari Per La Gente' ('A Stradivarius for the People') have collectively garnered an audience of over 400,000 people. "A Stradivarius is unlike any other string instrument," Fedeli said. "Its sound is more intri- cate, its resonance is stronger and its namesake gives it an aura that is unmatched by any other instrument in the world." Over the years, many have tried to crack the master's secrets, and the majestic sound of his string instruments have been attributed to his secret formula for varnish, the wood he used, how porous that wood was, and even the re-defined dimensions of his instruments. Although many theories have surfaced, no conclusive answer has ever been given. "The truth is that it doesn't matter what makes a Stradivar- ius's sound so special. All that matters is that we have them and that the public can, on oc- casions like this, enjoy them," Fedeli said. 'A Stradivarius Among Us' will start place at 20:30 at St Paul's Anglican Cathedral in Valletta. Tickets can be purchased from www.ticketline.com.mt and start at just €15. Monies collected will be distributed to various cancer charities Matteo Fedeli As part of the 'Mara – Pers- pettivi ' series of events, vet- eran theatre director Nan- ette Brimmer will be taking on The Vagina Monologues, staged at Palazzo Periera on March 6-8, 13-15. The cast includes Julia Calvert, Paula Fleri-Soler, Faye Paris, Nicky Schembri and Steffi Thake. Eve Ensler's 'The Vagina Monologues' is performed around the world and consists of a number of monologues that deal with the feminine experi- ence including sex, love, rape, menstruation, female genital mutilation, orgasm, birth, the various common names for the vagina and as a physical part of the body. A recur- ring theme throughout the piece is the vagina as a tool of female empowerment and the ultimate embodiment of individualit y. Internationally the performance is associ- ated with efforts to reduce violence against women and girls and serves to highlight these relevant issues. Tickets at €12 can be pur- chased from the Box Office at Embassy Cinemas, Valletta or booked online via w w w. ticketline.com.mt. The play is rated 16+. Part of the 'Mara: Perspettivi ' event, running at Palazzo Pereira from March 5 to 22. The event is organised by AZAD The cast of L'Elisir d'Amore