European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse England Sart Calendar is full by the new York times with its seven Miles of corridors the Victoria and Albert museum in London is one of Britain s most spectacular and most eccentric cultural institutions a Gigantic attic full of stuff from medieval candlesticks and stained Glass windows to Constable landscapes and elizabethan snuff boxes. But this fall the museum on Cromwell Road in the South Kensington area is bringing its visitors something completely different an extraordinary exhibition of contemporary japanese culture and lifestyle including Karaoke Booths with musical accompaniment for Singer models of Godzilla and other Quot visions of Japan Quot the exhibit which runs through Jan. 5, is one of the largest Ever mounted inside the Victoria and Albert museum. At its heart is an imaginary reconstruction of contemporary Tokyo a Garish fantasy of Bright lights flashing vending machines and flags bathed in the sounds and even the smells of the City. The museum exhibition is the Centrepiece of the Japan festival an ambitious Celebration of Japan that will offer 350 separate events Over the next four months from exhibitions of kites and japanese ceramics to Kabuki theater puppet shows and video Art. The Tokyo symphony orchestra for example is travelling through next week performing concerts in Birmingham Glasgow Swansea Belfast and London. And from to 1 3, the Royal Albert Hall will Host the grand sumo tournament billed As the first official sumo wrestling event Ever to take place outside Japan. For information on events and tickets Telephone the festival Box Ollice it 4 i 3-33 10. The Japan festival is just one of the Many things going on in London during the upcoming weeks. At the Royal Academy of Art in Burlington House on in Piccadilly the View is West rather than East. Until dec. 1 5, the Academy is Home to what it describes As the largest exhibition Ever of pop Art. It is a spectacular show devoted to what one British critic Calls Quot the first authentic Illy All american Art american subject matter treated in a Tough no nonsense american All the usual suspects Are there Andy Warhol s Mao and Marilyn and Campbell soup cans Lasper Johns american lag Roy Lichtenstein s cartoon strip panels and Claes Oldenburg s Ceramic shoes lags and other objects. If you Are looking for a night at the theater with someone other than Andrew Lloyd Webber West end a t file Quot a tribute to Leonard Bernstein Quot is one of the highlights of the London symphony orchestra s fall season at barbican Hall part of an arts and museum Center in London. Heaters Are currently running no fewer than five of his show the hottest thing around is five Guys named Moe an exuberant ode to the jazz and lifestyle of Louis Jordan. Bound soon for Broadway the musical is running at the Lyric Shaftesbury. Three new shows Are eagerly awaited. David Hare s murmuring fudges the second part of his trilogy on British institutions is due to open oct. 10 at the Olivier theater of the National theater Complex the South Bank Center on the thames at Waterloo Bridge. The first part racing Demon was an acerbic look at the Church of England the second will examine the British criminal Justice system through the eyes of a Young lawyer. The revenger comedies the latest from Alan a Cobourn one of Britain s most celebrated playwrights will open in two parts Over two nights oct. 16 and 1 7, at the strand theatre. And Alan Bennett the actor writer and director will bring the madness of George Iii to the Lyttelton also in a amps file the Canterbury Cathedral is the setting for several concerts during the annual Canterbury festival. The National theater Complex on nov. 21. For a Complete list of plays running on the West end Check the on stage listing on pages 14 and 15. The London symphony orchestra s fall season at barbican Hall will include a tribute to Leonard Bernstein on oct. 1 7. The orchestra s principal conductor Michael Tilson Thomas will Honor his old Friend who died last october with performances of a quiet place suite Chichester psalms and selections from West Side Story. The barbican Center is on silk Street in the City of London. For More information Call 638-4141. The Box office is open from 9 . To 8 . Daily its Telephone number is 638-8891. If calling the London numbers from outside the City add 071 at the beginning if calling from outside Britain also add the country code. Several cities outside London also have festivals. One of the finest is the Canterbury festival now in its eighth year. It runs from oct. 12 to 26, with an Eclectic program including big band jazz music puppet theater opera and even flamenco dance. In addition to Organ recitals and chamber performances inside Canterbury Cathedral the festival will close oct. 26 with a performance of sir Michael Tippett s choral work a child of our time in the Cathedral Nave. Music will also be provided by the Canterbury choral society and the Canterbury philharmonic orchestra. For ticket and event information Call the festival office at 0227-452834. The festival Box office is open 9 30 . To 5 . Monday through saturday its Telephone number is 0227455600. In East England the Norfolk and Norwich festival 1991 is from oct. 9 to 19. It will include two fully staged Mozart operas a Don Giovanni and the marriage of Figaro a performed in English. Both operas Are already sellouts. Flow Ever there will also be performances by a russian baroque group and a czechoslovakian string quartet plus the Lindsay string quartet one of Britain s finest chamber groups. The Lindsay quartet will appear on oct. 15 inside Norwich Cathedral in a program that will include music by Haydn and Mozart. Tickets for these performances Are still available. For More information Call the festival office at 0603614921. For tickets Call the Box office at 0603-764764 Between 9 30 . And 4 40 . Monday through saturday. Amy Geiszler Jones in the u k Bureau contributed to this Story. 24 stripes Magazine october 3, 199j a
