What's on in Germany: November 22 - 28

This Week's Highlights: Rufus Wainwright plays in Hamburg, Vietnamese circus artists perform in Munich, and a new exhibition about an old classic, the little black jacket opens in Berlin.

BERLIN



Galleries/Museums


The Little Black Jacket – Chanel's Classic Revisited

If there's only one thing in your closet, it better be a little black jacket. Preferably with a logo of interlocking C's. Chanel's iconic design is a wardrobe staple. Timeless. Classic. Looks good on everyone, with everything. Karl Lagerfeld photographed celebrities from Laetitia Casta to Sarah Jessica Parker wearing the indelible item for a new book and exhibition, which opens Friday in Berlin. Go and gaze at the beautiful people.

Price: Free
Location: U3 Bahnhof & Tunnel, Potsdamer Platz 1
Times: Monday – Wednesday, Friday, 11am-7pm; Thursday, 11am-10pm; Saturday – Sunday, 11am-8pm; November 23 – December 14
More Information: www.thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com



Literature


The US Embassy Literature Series Presents Andrew Sean Greer

An author's dream is to have John Updike say your writing is like Proust's. This is what the late “Rabbit” author said about American writer Andrew Sean Greer's novel The Confessions of Max Tivoli. His next novel A Story of a Marriage got its fair share of praise as well, earning a “Book of the Year” award from the Washington Post. Greer holds a reading and discussion at the English Theatre Berlin Monday.

Price: €5
Location: English Theatre Berlin, Fidicinstrasse 40
Times: Monday, November 26, 8pm
Phone: 030 693 56 92
More Information: www.etberlin.de



Events


Agora Thanksgiving Dinner

Surround yourself with good people Thursday night and stuff your face on the best meal of the year – Thanksgiving dinner! The artist network organization Agora is hosting a grand buffet in honour of the beloved American holiday. Turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, oh my! Can a German cook up a proper Thanksgiving meal? Find out.

Price: €15
Location: Agora, Mittelweg 50
Times: Thursday, November 22, 7pm
More Information: www.agoracollective.org




COLOGNE



Events


Family Brunch at the Zirkus Fabrik

There's always something fun going on at Zirkus Fabrik (Circus Factory). This week, it's a family brunch. Munch on cheese and salami while the kids learn how to romp around like a clown. Live music and improvisation will have everyone enthralled until nap time.

Price: €18; €8 (ages 4-12)
Location: Die Zirkus Fabrik, 
Bergisch Gladbacher Strasse 1007a
Times: Sunday, November 25, 10am
Tickets 0221 47 18 92 51
More Information: www.diezirkusfabrik.com



St. Vitalis Advent Bazaar

Don't you just love a good church bazaar? Cologne's St. Vitalis' Catholic Church is holding their annual Advent bazaar to kick off the Christmas season this weekend. Go and rummage among the used books, second hand clothes, and other odds and ends. There's no knowing what treasures you might uncover. Food, drink, and activities for the kids make it a grand affair for everyone.

Price: Free
Location: St. Vitalis Church, Wendelinstrasse 52

Times: Saturday, November 24, 3-7pm and Sunday, November 25, 10:30am-5pm
Phone: 0221 491 1868
More Information: www.kirche-im-leben.de




FRANKFURT



Music/Concerts


Le Pop – Francoiz Breut and Fredda

Don't you love it when French people sing about “l'amour?” Francoiz Breut does it perfectly, merging just the right amount of sultry innocence with matter of fact despondence. Then there's the sweetly nostalgic Fredda who peppers her upbeat tracks with English words like “Ellis Island” sung in an irresistible accent. The pair share the bill at Brotfabrik in Frankfurt Tuesday. DJs from their label Le Pop play the after party.

Price: €18
Location: Brotfabrik, Bachmannstrasse 2-4
Times: Tuesday, November 27, 8pm
Ticket Hotline: 0180 50 40 300
More Information: www.lepop.de



Galleries/Musems


Thomas Scheibitz – One-Time Pad

A lot of artists spend a period creating work based on the human figure. But not Thomas Scheibitz. Until now that is. The German painter's new exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt is his first solo show where the human form plays a leading role. His work has always dealt with the relationship between the figurative and the abstract, incorporating a palette of vivid colors in works defined by geometric motifs. And the paintings in “One-Time Pad” stay true to that aesthetic, except this time around you might notice the curve of a hip, an arm extended, some semblance of a face. See for yourself in Frankfurt this week.

Price: €10
Location: MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst
, Domstrasse 10
Times: Tuesday – Sunday, 10am-6pm; Wednesday, 10am-8pm; through January 13, 2013
Phone: 069  2123 0447
More Information: www.mmk-frankfurt.de




HAMBURG



Music/Concerts


Rufus Wainwright

It's always a treat to catch a Rufus Wainwright concert. His latest album Out of the Game was produced by Mark Ronson, and includes all the danceable decadence you'd expect from a collaboration between the dramatic American-Canadian tenor and the acclaimed English producer. Experience the glamour Wednesday at Laeiszhalle.

Price: €35.35 – 52.35
Location: Laeiszhalle, Johannes-Brahms-Platz 1
Times: Wednesday, November 28, 9pm
Tickets: 040 357 666 66  
More Information: www.elbphilharmonie.de




Theatre


”A Bed Among the Lentils” & “A Chip in the Sugar” From Alan Bennett's “Talking Heads” Series

A master of the monologue, British playwright Alan Bennett wrote a dozen one-character episodes for the BBC in the 1980s and 1990s. Known collectively as “Talking Heads,” the series is a true treasure of British television from the era. This week, the Hamburg-based Rover Rep Theatre is staging two of these gems – “A Bed Among the Lentils,” and “A Chip in the Sugar,” which is the only episode where a second character shares the scene. Take a seat in the audience and smile heartily at Bennett's humour.

Price: €13
Location: The Irish Rover, Grossneumarkt 8
Times: Thursday, November 22 – Saturday, November 24, 7:30pm; Sunday, November 25, 2:30pm and 7:30pm
Reservations: 040 317 31 41
More Information: www.roverrep.net




MUNICH



Theatre


Tollwood Winter Festival

Four circuses, hailing from Vietnam, Columbia, Morocco, and the Czech Republic present extraordinary spectacles this season at Munich's Tollwood Winter Festival. Weaving acrobatics, juggling, music, and theatre, “Lang Toi-Mon Village” opens the five-week affair Tuesday night. Make your way to the illuminated tents at Theresienwiese and watch as the performers relay a fascinating story based on a day in a traditional Vietnamese village.

Price: €29.75 – 98.30
Location: Tollwood, Theresienwiese
Times: Tuesday, November 27 – Thursday, November 29, 8:30pm
Ticket Hotline: 089 54 81 81 81
More Information: www.tollwood.de



Music/Concerts


Django Django

Don't expect any gypsy guitar tracks. The four Scottish chaps in this London-based band released their eponymous debut disc last summer and it's all about psychedelic journeys with a synthesizer (and some electric guitars). The Guardian compared them to the Byrds, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, and Beta Band all in one review. Do the Edinburgh art school boys live up to the hype? Find out Sunday in Munich.

Price: €18
Location: Atomic Cafe, Neuturmstrasse 5
Times: Sunday, November 25, 8pm
Phone: 089 458 750 10
More Information: www.atomic.de