Vopli Vidoplyasova is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its members coming together with a major concert at the Sports Palace; the new Boom.Com cafe is serving up the Internet as well as a disco; and the Goethe Institute is busy with a theater production titled "New German Works" and the screening of Peter Sehr's "Obsession - Berlin Niagara."
so a chance to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the band members’ first meeting as VV presents its “Birthday” concert. Sports Palace. Sat., Jan. 26, 7 p.m. Tickets Hr 30. For more information call 246-7406.
DISCO: Boom.Com. Hip new two-story Internet cafe large enough to be considered a club in its own right is enjoying one of its first party weekends. All the computing, chatting and cyber-killing is done on the upper floor while the ground floor features a bar, DJ station, giant screen and dance floor. DJs Exit, Kid, Move and U_Key spin. Boom.Com (4 Kostelna). Fri., Jan. 25-Sat., Jan. 26, 10 p.m. Admission Hr 25.
Music
CONCERT: Speeding Lisa. “Come celebrate two weeks of working after a month of holidays with the People’s Band,” request Kyiv’s own ex-pat rockers. Hey, no excuse needed. And as if that wasn’t reason enough, American singer-guitarist Evan Tracz opens up for the boys. Stoned Baboon. Sat., Jan. 26, 9 p.m. Admission Hr 20.
Arts
THEATER: “New German Plays.” The Goethe Institute presents a program featuring extracts from several new works, including Marius von Mayenburg’s “Fire Face,” about family disintegration, Roland Shimmelpfennig’s take on the corporate rat race, “Push-Up 1-3,” as well as Dirk Dobbrow’s “Legoland,” Dea Loher’s “Klara’s Connections,” Werner Fritsch’s “Sense” and Oliver Bukovski’s “Guests.” Lesya Ukrainka Theater Small Stage. 5 Bohdan Khmelnytskhoho. Fri., Jan. 25-Sat., Jan. 26. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information call 236-9574.
CLASSICAL MUSIC: “Evenings at the Andriyivsky Church Museum.” Artistic director Joseph Franz presents a series of classical instrumental and vocal music concerts in the stunningly beautiful St. Andrew’s Church. This weekends performances include “The Art of the Piano Duet” with award-winning pianists Iryna Alexeichuk and Yury Kot on Fri., Jan. 25; “Sources of Ancient Vocal Culture” with Lydia Kondrashevska (soprano), Eleonora Piradova (piano) and Olena Sytnik (harp) on Sat., Jan. 26; and “Masterpieces of Piano and Vocal Music of the 19th-20th Centuries” featuring Oksana Zotova (piano) and Oksana Tereschenko (soprano) on Sun., Jan. 27. Andriyivsky Church Museum. 7 p.m. Tickets Hr 15-Hr 35. To order tickets, call 228-5861 or 228-2620 or visit the box office outside the church.
DANCE: Flamenco Theater. With the help of the Spanish Embassy, the Spanish Flamenco Theater dances into Kyiv with its authentic brand of
| Speeding Lisa revs it up at Baboon on Jan.26 |
Andalusian dance, a medley of Spanish, Moorish, Jewish and Gypsy styles. The two-part performance features “Spanish Suite” and the “Convolvulus Near the Heart.” Operetta Theater. Thurs., Jan. 31, 7 p.m. Tickets Hr 150-Hr 300. To order tickets call 216-1883.
Events
FILM: “Obsession-Berlin Niagara” As part of its “Movie Nights in the Library” series, the Goethe Institute presents this 1998 work by German director Peter Sehr. “Obsession” tells the tale of a successful career woman (Heike Makatsch) who has a man who loves her, yet allows herself to be courted by a mysterious stranger. Rather than disavowing either relationship, she forces the two to accept a sharing arrangement, and an uneasy truce is established between the two men, with the woman as Queen Bee. Goethe Institute Library (37 Peremohy Prospekt). Sat., Jan. 26, 6 p.m. Admission Hr 1; limited seating.
VARIETY: “The All-Ukrainian Competition of Variety Art Performers.” Want to see what a contemporary, Ukrainian take on vaudeville looks like? The competition includes vocal, choreography, artists and circus categories. Competition performances take place Thurs., Jan. 24-Fri., Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.; a performance by competition laureates on Sat. Jan. 26 at 6 p.m.; and performance by competition winners takes place on Sun., Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. Guest stars appear throughout the competition. Ukraina Palace. Tickets Hr 7-Hr 30. For more information call 247-2476.
CIRCUS: “African Safari.” The Kyiv Circus presents its latest program featuring jaguars, panthers, kangaroos, pythons, camels, zebras, ostriches and more – all under the direction of award-winning Moscow animal trainers Yelena Fedotova and Sergei Nesterov. Kyiv Circus. Opens
| Comedian Mikhail Zadornov returns to Kyiv on Jan. 29-30 |
Fri. Jan. 25. Performances Thursdays-Fridays at 7 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets Hr 7-Hr 20. To order tickets call 274-8256.
COMEDY: Mikhail Zadornov. Here’s a chance to see what makes Russians (and Ukrainians) laugh – or simply to laugh if you are Russian or Ukrainian. And at least 14 years old, that is – since Zadornov’s “Here Everyone Must Be Young” is restricted to viewers 14 and up. Ukraina Palace. Tues., Jan. 29-Wed., Jan. 30, 7 p.m. Tickets Hr 90-Hr 300. For more information call 247-2476.
CANCELLATION: The annual Burns Night dinner and dance, originally scheduled for Sat., Jan. 26, has been cancelled.
Sports
FOOTBALL: AFC-NFC championship games. It’s been a long, hard season. God knows we’ve missed most of it here in Kyiv – but sports bars around town are finally getting excited about broadcasting the NFL now that it’s come down to the Super Bowl wire (and the Olympics haven’t started). Where? A sports bar near you. Sun., Jan. 27. New England at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.; Philadelphia at St. Louis, 11 p.m.
