Country Music Festival
Doubt the cowboy roots of Vegas? A stop at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the Country Music Festival will set you strait. An afternoon of yee-hawing, rip-roaring, tobacco-chewing hell raising is in store at this daylong party headlined by contemporary country star George Strait. With cowboy once again chic thanks to Madonna, and easy-on-the-eyes stars like the Sara Evans and LeeAnn Womack pushing their own brand of Babe Bluegrass, we’d be inclined to suggest you iron your denim and get out to the speedway. Other performers include Alan Jackson, Lonestar, Brad Paisley and Asleep at the Wheel.
From Pagan to Christian Rome
One of the final exhibitions to celebrate Holy Year 2000 is also one of the most fascinating. This show is dedicated to the passage from pagan to Christian rituals, and the subsequent transformations in art, politics and town-planning. 400 works, from exquisite gold, silver and ivory jewellery to marble statues, mosaics and illustrated manuscripts depict the arts and life-styles that emerged in the caput mundi between the 3rd and the 8th centuries.
The Real Thing
‘The Real Thing’, which last year won the Tony Award for Best Actress (Jennifer Ehle), opens with Max, an English architect, accusing his wife of adultery. We soon learn this is a scene from a play, written by Max’s friend, Henry, who is himself having an affair with Max’s wife, a left-wing actress named Annie. After Henry marries Annie, he begins to suspect that the tables have been turned on him and that she is carrying on with one of her co-stars. A richly satisfying comedy about marriage and writing, betrayal and integrity, high art and pop culture.
Football: FC Barcelona vs Deportivo
Both teams need the three points from this top-of-the-table league clash to keep up with Real Madrid, although the home side’s situation is more delicate. After a disastrous early season run, Barça has fought back into contention in the Spanish championship, but with unconvincing play. This match against current title holders Deportivo should bring the demanding Barcelona fans back to their huge stadium, looking for the solid win that could set the season alight once again. But if the team can’t turn it on, things may really start falling apart at Camp Nou.
Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore, SW7 (box office 020 7589 8212/ info 020 7589 3203)
South Kensington tube/9, 10, 52 bus. Box office 9am-9pm daily. Tickets ?3-?150. Credit AmEx, MC, V.
A much-loved London landmark, the Albert Hall stages events in just
about any field you’d care to mention (there’s even sport here from
time to time). It merits mention in this chapter for hosting the Sir
Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, better known as the Proms .
Originally held at the Queens Hall, Langham Place, and only moved to
Kensington after the Queens Hall was destroyed by bombing in 1941, the
Wood of the title refers to the conductor who oversaw the first ever
series of Proms in 1895. The annual series of concerts, held more or
less nightly from July until September, encompasses everything you
might expect (noted orchestras, classic works, the jingoistic Last
Night) and many events you might not (jazz gigs, late-night early music
recitals, world music). Tickets for the seatless ‘Proms’ area in front
of the stage are dirt cheap.
Sailing School
The weather’s warming up and it’s a great time of year to be thinking about seaside activities such as sailing. Florence’s sailing school, La Via del Mare, has a base on the coast in Punta Ala in the Maremma. It runs weekend sailing courses at all levels from beginners to advanced regatta classes. It also organises training cruises of a week during the spring and summer seasons and runs courses on navigation and meteorology. And if you don’t happen to have a yacht handy, they can supply you with that too.
Lighten Up
The DeCordova Museum gets away from serious artistic pursuits and showcases some decidedly funny creations by 16 artists and teams, including Karl Baden, Teddy Dibble, Karin Guisti, Philip Knoll, Cary Liebowitz and Candyass, Christopher ‘Lucky’ Leone, Heidi Marston, Todd McKie, Pat Oleszko and William Wegman. The exhibition, ‘Lighten Up: Art With a Sense of Humour’, includes paintings, sculpture, photographs, drawings, digital art, video art and multi-media installations.
