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On Saturday 14 November, a full house at the Teatru Astra acclaimed the strong cast made up of one hundred and fifty wonderful, enthusiastic and dedicated dancers, all in sky-high spirits, when they took the curtain call right at the end of a spectacular show which will truly remain Unforgettable, as...

The 2009 edition of Festival Mediterranea, yet again this year, dug for musical treasure into its own cultural soil and, without the need to go very deep, came up with riches that delighted the audience that gathered in the Aula Mgr. G. Farrugia of St George's basilica to listen to Mario Galea (clarinet),...

Final rehearsals are underway for the "UNFORGETTABLE" dance show being staged by Centre Stage Dance Academy at the Teatru Astra, on Saturday 14 November at 7:30pm. Under the artistic direction of Miss Natalie Sciortino, Unforgettable has a cast of 150 dancers together with a choir of over 40 children....

After an 11-year absence, the tragic, woebegone Rigoletto trod again upon the stage of the Astra in Gozo, in two performances last Thursday and Saturday, the former of which is under review here. Rigoletto remains one of Verdi's most popular and widely performed operas. Its tale of human tragedy retains...

Every opera buff and his dog knows that when it comes to opera, head north, i.e. Gozo and specifically, Teatru Astra in Victoria. Two packed houses enjoyed Verdi's masterpiece on Thursday 29 and Saturday 31 October: a highly entertaining, exciting and novel production, inspired by an in depth reading...

Tonight is another big night for Teatru Astra, and Festival Mediterranea. Following last Thursday's huge success in the first performance of Rigoletto, tonight a full house awaits the second and last performance of Verdi's three act opera. Unfortunately during the last days Teatru Astra had to turn away...

This year's edition of Festival Mediterranea returns with the popular Heritage Events series led by Dr David Trump, including the exclusive Hypogeum tours. Four visits are scheduled in all; on Wednesday, 4 November 2009, at 9.00am and 10.00am and on Friday, 6 November 2009, at 10.00 and 11.00am. Places...

The lunchtime concert presented to the Gozitan public by the Italian Embassy on Saturday, October 24, 2009, widened the breath of this year's Festival Mediterranea with music that, to my knowledge, features only rarely on the local scene. It ranged from Garcia Lorca's painful pathos to the later Gioacchino...

A fascinating evening of organ music played on the late 18th century pipe organ located in St Michael's Hall, St George's basilica, opened this year's edition of Festival Mediterranea.Richard Vendome, an organist and musicologist based in Oxford, performed works by composers spanning five centuries....

Set construction is piecing together. The costumes are all name-tagged and in the process of being given their final adjustment. Props are all put aside. Rehearsals are in full swing - mornings, afternoons and evenings, on stage and in the concert rooms. The usual tension is all there but the many protagonists,...