His name has been associated with the "golden age" of Greek cinema. With a host of top performers, many
of whom he highlighted through his songs (from Nana Mouschouri and Marinella to Yiannis Poulopoulos and Yiannis Vogiatzis). Although the compositional work of Mimi Plessas does not stop there, however, the folk music he wrote for the big screen and the stage are the ones that have been widely accepted for years now by those Greeks who still fall in love and dream, to sing and dance with their soul.

To the prolific creator who has over fifty years of successful career, the Concert Hall dedicates an evening filled with his songs that we all loved, songs that move us as they hold up to this day, all their freshness.

 In the concert-tribute to the fruitful and consistent course of Mimi Plessas in the Greek pentagram, which will take place on Tuesday 24 April, at 8.30 in the evening in the Christos Lambrakis Hall, the first place is held by the pieces from the famous Cycle of songs of "The Road" (1969) – songs included on the album of the same name, the first Greek to become gold – , pieces from the Cycle "Talk to me about freedom" – banned by the junta of colonels – as was the song "Tonight I Got Grace", all in lyrics by Lefteris Papadopoulos.

Four accomplished performers of the younger generation, Gerasimos Andreatos, Melina Aslanidou, Rita Antonopoulou and Spyros Kleissas, accompanied by the "En Fonais" Choir and the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra - under the musical direction of Miltos Logiadis - undertake to give the trigger for an evening of genuine folk entertainment with audience participation. The orchestrations of the songs are signed by the composer. The repertoire consultant is Giorgos Monemvasitis.

They cooperate with the Orchestra: o Mimis Plessas on the piano, George Pahis (bouzouki), Nasos Sopilis (keys) and Dimitris Stasinos (electric guitar).

The concert-tribute to the music of Mimi Plessas is part of the Greek Song Series.

Who doesn't know and hasn't sung "The Statue", "Maria laughed", "Get My Girl Drunk Tonight", Sunday dawns, "First time" or "Give me your mouth"; Pieces that along with so much more, famous and beloved ("The Madman", "Frankoklissa", "I got cloud two places", "Myrsini puts on the whites", "Twelve Mandolins", "There was a deep silence") are included in the now legendary "Road" of Mimi Plessas. In the first Greek record to go gold, album that broke every sales record in the years that followed.

His story began one night at the house of Lefteris Papadopoulos, when Mimis Plessas accidentally saw some of his scattered manuscripts on the table. Feeling “unspeakable tenderness as I read them, since they described my teenage years, the years during the Occupation", as he himself narrates, he asked the great lyricist to take them to set to music. The composer wrote their music in two days, the late director of the Lyra company, Alekos Patsifas, he immediately approved them, even giving the title of the album, and so things went their way. These songs, with Yannis Poulopoulos as the main performer as well as Rena Koumiotis and Popi Asteriadis, recorded – within 10 by Dimitra Papanastassopoulou is published by Dioptra Publications – at Columbia Studios and released it 1969.

In January 1970 "The Road" was transferred to the stage of the "Paxinos" theater, with the same coefficients. But he was censored and hunted by the dictatorial regime as extra songs were added to the show that contained clear messages against him: the "six men" ("Six bothered them but did not testify" ) performed by Yannis Poulopoulos and "Tell me about freedom (and the sun will come back)» by Rena Koumiotis, (songs contained in the following album of the duo Plessa-Papadopoulos "Speak to me for freedom" 1974) while "Tonight I Got My Grace" was bootlegged as an independent single in the same year, the 1970 in the 'Poulopoulos 4' edition. The album "Talk to me about freedom", unlike "The Road", is considered one of the most "unfair" in the history of Greek music as the lyrics of his songs with the main theme of the "black" but also such a historic period for our country 1940-41, they disturbed the junta of the colonels which banned its circulation.

The album though, was published after the post-colonial revolution but was "lost" in the overabundance of political songs that overwhelmed Greek music production at that time. Nevertheless, it deserves special attention since it includes pieces ("this sky", "It was October (Fascism will not pass)», "Heaven", "Jannis", “The cicada (In Pelion)», "The Killed Boy", "from hunger", "Talk to me about freedom", "my mother", "My imprisoned moon", "Six Men" and "The Last Days"), που μεταφέρουν νοερά τον ακροατή στη ζοφερή εποχή της Κατοχής μέσα από τις συγκλονιστικές εικόνες των στίχων του Λευτέρη Παπαδόπουλου.

O Μίμης Πλέσσας γεννήθηκε στην Αθήνα. Από τα μαθητικά του κιόλας χρόνια υπήρξε πρώτος σολίστ του πιάνου στην Ελληνική Ραδιοφωνία ενώ στα 1951, in age 27 years, τιμήθηκε με το πρώτο βραβείο μουσικής του πανεπιστημίου της Minnesota. From the 1952 ξεκίνησε η ενασχόλησή του με τη σύνθεση, τομέα στον οποίο διακρίθηκε επανειλημμένως στην Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό. Με το κουαρτέτο και τις ορχήστρες του συνεργάστηκε με πασίγνωστους τραγουδιστές της εποχής (Δανάη, Τώνη Μαρούδα, Νινή Ζαχά, Τζίμη Μακούλη κ.ά.) κι ανέδειξε με τα τραγούδια του πολλούς σήμερα διάσημους τραγουδιστές και ηθοποιούς (Nana Mouskouri, Τζένη Βάνου, Γιοβάννα, Μαρινέλα, Ρένα Κουμιώτη, Γιάννη Βογιατζή, Γιάννη Πουλόπουλο, Τόλη Βοσκόπουλο, Στράτο Διονυσίου κ.ά.). Δούλεψε για το θέατρο και τον κινηματογράφο κι έλαβε ελληνικές και διεθνείς διακρίσεις (σε Παρίσι, Εδιμβούργο, Αλτο Μόντε, Ουάσινγκτον, Κάρλοβι Βάρι ).

‘Έχει γράψει μουσική για 104 movies and 70 θεατρικές παραστάσεις. Οι δίσκοι του έχουν γίνει πολλές φορές χρυσοί και πλατινένιοι. Ο πολυγραφότατος συνθέτης έχει καταπιαστεί με όλα τα είδη της μουσικής, από οργανική και συμφωνική έως λαϊκή, πειραματική και μοντέρνα (αναφέρουμε ενδεικτικά τη μουσική που έγραψε το 1993 για τη θεατρική παράσταση του Εθνικού «Η φάρμα των ζώων» του Οργουελ, τη λαϊκή όπερα «Ζευς» σε λιμπρέτο Γιάννη Καλαμίτση (1998), το ορατόριο «Κοσμάς ο Αιτωλός, ο Άγιος των σκλάβων» σε λιμπρέτο Ιάκωβου Αυλητή (1999), την οπερέτα «Τα καμώματα του κάτω κόσμου» σε λιμπρέτο Κώστα Βίρβου (2001), εμπνευσμένη από τους Διαλόγους του Λουκιανού και το συμφωνικό ποίημα «Ο χορός των σφαιρών» (2006), παραγγελία του Ευγενίδειου Πλανητάριου). The 2000 ο Δήμαρχος Αθηναίων τον τίμησε για την πενηντάχρονη προσφορά του στην Ελληνική Μουσική και τον Πολιτισμό με το «Χρυσό Μετάλλιο της πόλης» ενώ έναν χρόνο αργότερα, ο Πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας του απένειμε τον Χρυσό Σταυρό του Τάγματος του Φοίνικα για την προσφορά του στον πολιτισμό.

Info

Τοποθεσία Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών (Christos Lambrakis Hall), Βασιλίσσης Σοφίας και Κόκκαλη, Athena
Ημερομηνία Τρίτη 24 April, 20:30
http information://www.megaron.gr/
Τιμές εισιτηρίων € 14,00 – 25,00 – 35,00 – 50,00 (Distinguished Zone)
Ειδικές Τιμές: € 7,50(Students, young people, unemployed, DISABLED) – 9,50 (65+, many children)

Source :  culturenow.gr

The Theatrical Development Company of Limassol (ETHAL), the first professional regional theater of Cyprus presents in Athens from Friday 6 until Sunday 8 April 2012, at the Michalis Kakogiannis Foundation, the show "Matchbox", which is the dramatized version of the acclaimed film by Yiannis Economides.

Specifically, on Friday 6 April, there will be an evening performance at 9:30 p.m., on Saturday 7 April double show 7.30pm. and 9.30 p.m. and on Sunday a show in the afternoon at 7.30pm.

The performance of the Second Stage of ETHAL, which is the 115th production of the theater of Limassol, (ETHAL was founded on Christmas 1988) is directed and dramaturgically edited by Minas Tigilis, sets-costumes by Edouard Georgios and lighting by Panagiotis Manousis. Assistant director: Giannos Antoniou, music edited by the director. They star: Panagiotis Larkou, Lefteris Salomidis, Basilica of Cyprus, Giannos Antoniou, Fotis Georgidis, Andria Zeniou, Maria Theocharidou, Elena Kallinikou.

One day, in the middle of a heat wave, Dimitris's house- of a small and medium-sized 50-year-old family man- somewhere in Korydallos, turns into a battlefield! All the members of his family lash out at each other with incredible verbal violence and revelations of passions, jealousies, unacknowledged desires and disagreements…Until an unexpected confession blows everything up! The drama of a popular family, who spends her life between four walls, to a completely vain one, indifferent and "grey" people, a proper carnage that will rivet you and, perhaps, disturb… (From the commercial of the film by G. Economy).

The duration of the performance is 65 minutes without a break and…..
caution, the language used by the actors in the show and some scenes MAY disturb some viewers.

The invitations that Culturenow.gr has for its readers through a competition are for the Saturday evening performance 7 April on 21.30.

Source : culturenow.gr

The delightful comedy "Rogues and Gentlemen" signed by the leading duo of our theater, The
Yannis Bezos and Petros Filippidis premieres at Pallas Theater on Friday 30 Of March 2012.

Twelve years after the Laterna Poverty and Charity, the two great comedians, linked by brotherly friendship but also great successes, they meet on the stage of the Pallas together they direct and perform two charming tricksters!

They take us on a tour of a beautiful coastal town in the South of France, where with wondrous skill they deceive the credulous, rich and mature ladies and extort huge sums of money from them. Until luck brings a new face to the fore who will not only charm them but...put their glasses on!!!

The show is based on his big movie success 1988 "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" enjoyed by millions of viewers around the world with Steve Martin and Michael Caine in the roles of the two wonderful scoundrels, while afterwards it became a musical with also huge commercial and artistic success.

The calm and comedic Lawrence Jameson (Yannis Bezos) gets upset, when the gruff but efficient Freddy Benson gets in the way of his plans (Petros Filippidis). Their bet; Whoever loses will have to leave the city. Humor, action, emotion, laughter tenderness, lots of twists and turns and a big production to talk about, compose an extraordinary spectacle that the Greek public will enjoy in the spring for a limited number of performances.

The leading performer of the art Greek song and the sensitive troubadour of the younger generation reveal their musical kinship through the interpretation of their classic hits as well as well-known or "misrecognized" songs that for the first time they "dress" with their own voice: timeless pieces of Theodorakis, Hadjidaki, Little one, Vail, Dala et al. in Tripolitan poetry, Eleftheriou, John, Brecht, Hikmet etc.

Maria Farandouri-Christos Thebeos: the "ideal performer" of Mikis Theodorakis, leading presence in artistic Greek song but also in the corresponding international repertoire (from Kurt Weill to Lucio Dalla) meets the sensitive troubadour of the younger generation, partner of Thanos Mikroutsikos, in a special concert where "the songs and their truth build bridges between past and present and become the occasion for unprecedented interpretative journeys".

On Saturday 7 April, at 8.30 at night, in the Christos Lambrakis Hall – four years after their first collaboration at the Athens Concert Hall with the songs "Love and Death" in music M. Theodorakis – the two great artists reunite on stage to reveal the "common" mark of their musical legacy. To interpret not only selected, their classic hits as well as well-known songs that for the first time "dress up" with their own voice, as well as others, less known – if not "disrecognized" – whose greatness they are trying to highlight in this case.

The performing duo is accompanied by an orchestra consisting of the elite soloists Takis Farazis (piano), Thymio Papadopoulos (crust), Giannis Angelopoulos (drums), Petro Varthakouris (contrabass), Vasso Dimitriou (guitars). The orchestration is by Takis Farazis. The sound is managed by Giorgos Korres and the lighting by Giorgos Kladouris.

The event is a co-production of Megaros Musikis and Cricos Productions.

"Timeless" Songs, inspired, in their entirety, from the catalytic writing of important poets and lyricists, Greeks and foreigners (Nikos Kavadias, Manolis Anagnostakis, Costa Tripoliti, Manos Eleftheriou, Odysseus Ioannou, Bertolt Brecht, Nazim Hikmet et al. So, for example, Maria Farandouri delivers once again with the characteristic, her rich contralto voice "Who is my life", "Funny child" or "Old streets" by Mikis Theodorakis, "Kemal" by Manos Hadjidakis, "Anti-nausea" by Eleni Karaindros and "Eleni" by Thanos Mikroutsikos, however, it also competes with the latter's "Thessaloniki"..

Being the first performer of Brecht in the Greek discography, sings "Mack the knife" from "Pentara's Opera" or "Anna don't cry" from "Brecht's Musical Act" by Th. Little one. While in memory of the recently lost Lucio Dalla – her partner in the past – she performs his famous "Caruzo". Christos Thibeos shares with the Megaros audience his personal hits such as "My Rain", Hamlets of the Moon, "I'm not another" or songs from "Southern Cross" by Thanos Mikroutsikos while performing with passion, power and lyricism in the "Beautiful city" by Mikis Theodorakis.

"The songs and their truth are everything,what unites us with Christos Thebes. The life values ​​that are hidden behind catalytic and deeply philosophical verses, values ​​that have not been lost in time.

Regardless of their age, from their widespread or not recognition, we both try to include these songs in our repertoire" says Maria Farandouri, referring to the concert but also her "musical affinity" with the contemporary songwriter and charismatic performer "on the level of expression, aesthetics and content".

Kinship revealed on stage for the first time the 2008 at the Athens Concert Hall where Christos Thivaios collaborated for the first time with Mikis Theodorakis, performing songs from four of the composer's song cycles – μεταξύ άλλων και από το «Ένας Όμηρος» σε στίχους του Ιρλανδού Μπρεντάν Μπεχάν (in a Greek rendering by Vassilis Rotas). From this circle of his 1966 – first performed by M. Farantouri – six songs will be heard in this concert as well ("September I remember", "I'll send you mother", "Open the window", "I'll give you a piece of gold", "I'm English Young and Lucky" and "Funny Kid").

From the rich work of the composer, the pieces "Passenger" have also been selected, "Given to your night" and "Apostema" from his album "Passenger". 1981 in verses by the important poet-lyricist Kostas Tripolitis, the "Old Streets" (from his album "Balantes". 1975 in poetry Manolis Anagnostakis), "Who owns my life" (from his "Songs of the Struggle". 1974 in poetry by Manos Eleftheriou), "beautiful city" (from his album of the same name 1962, in lyrics by Yiannis Theodorakis), "Someday they will come to tell you" (in lyrics by Lefteris Papadopoulos).

In the concert program, the compositional work of Thanos Mikroutsikos has a leading position. From the era of "Political Songs" (1975) from where you will hear "The most beautiful sea" in lyrics by Nazim Hikmet and "I'm tired of them" in lyrics by Wolf Biermann, from "The Musical Act to Brecht" (1978) ("Anna don't cry") and the "Southern Cross" (1979) in the poetry of Nikos Kavadias ("Bitterness", "Thessaloniki", "Aladdin's Lamp", «Willie»)to the latest "Hamlet of the Moon" (2002) from where the title track as well as "Song Blues" will be heard (f.:K. Tripolitan) and "I'm No Other" (f.: Manos Eleftheriou). Inextricably linked to the style and ethos of the event, and the songs "Kemal" by Manos Hadjidakis (from his "Reflections". 1993, in lyrics by Nikos Gatsos) and “Anti-dizziness (My child, do not sleep)» by Eleni Karaindrou (from his "Great vigilance". 1972). The satirical Brechtian lyrics of the ballad "Mack the knife" set to music by Kurt Weill from "The Quintessential Opera" and the "Alabama song" from the iconic "Rise and Fall of Mahogany City". As well as "Counting time" with music by Lucio Dalla (and lyrics by Dionysis Savvopoulos from his album "The Hotel", 1997) but also his melodic "Caruzo" which Maria Farandouri had recorded for the first time in 1991, in a duet with D. Savvopoulos for the album "17 songs".

Source : culturenow.gr

The State Theater of Northern Greece and the "Hellenic World" Cultural Center present "Madame Sousou" by Dimitris Psathas in Athens as well, after the huge success he achieved in Thessaloniki! From the 25 April, the unsurpassed comedy of Dimitris Psathas is staged at the "THEATER" of the "Hellenic World" Cultural Center, directed by Giorgos Armenis, with Fotini Baxevanis in the lead role and Kostas Santas in the role of Panagiotakis.

This is the only anecdotal theatrical text of Psathas, where it was written 1942 and was presented for the first time by Ms. Katerina – Katerina Andreadis – (Susu) and Emilios Veakis (Panagiotakis), with Spyros Mousouris in the role of Kantakouzenos, marking an unprecedented triumph within the Italo-German occupation.

The role of Susous in the theater was also performed by Mary Aroni (1946), Anna Panagiotopoulou (1998), Marika Nezer in cinema (1948), Georgia Vasiliadou on the radio (1950) and Anna Paitazi on TV (1972) and Anna Panagiotopoulou (1983). Except Emilios Veakis, equally great actors played the role of Panagiotakis: Costas Rautopoulos (1946), Vassilis Logothetidis (1948), Iakovos Psarras (1972), Thanasis Papageorgiou (1982) and Stavros Paravas (1998).

Dimitris Psathas presented "Madame Sousou" for the first time as a euthymogram in continuations from the columns of the pre-war weekly magazine "Thesavros" (1939-1941) entitled "Life and State of Madame Soussos" with enormous success, later she made a compilation of her independent adventures and published it in a book (1941), then he wrote the play (1942), the motion picture followed (1948) which is not preserved nowadays, while in the early 1950s "Madame Soussou" was presented on the radio by Georgia Vasiliadou. End, it was followed by the television series, always scripted by the author himself (1972 and 1986), all with huge success.

CASE
Vouthoulas and Kolonaki. The neo-enrichment and the sudden landing of the "newly impoverished" Greek reality. "Decadance" and delusions of grandeur and good times. But also the misprints of the "sousouds" that we meet around us. All this, through the pen of Dimitris Psathas, in an extremely apt comedy that feels as relevant as ever.

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

It was sunny. Thessaloniki was happy, full of light, and like a little girl in white stockings and black patent leather shoes, he left the laptop and played lame, jumping rope, around everyone and to it, to the ring. What beauty… What kindness, what a shame and pride, what childlike innocence.

I was going to meet Sotiris, my friend, the Director of the State Theater of Northern Greece. He drank his coffee with our beloved Ersi Drini in "Romeo". I sat with them, after of course the three crossed kisses of Sotiris and the crazy hugs of my Ersis.

– Well, George, you will make me a work of Psathas;
– Which of all, I asked.
– Madame Soussou.
– Oh no, no, I don't like it.
– You've read it;
– No.
– Ε, read it and see you later.

And to be at the Director's office the next day, let's talk about Madame Soussou. For today's Sousoudes, for the ego-promoting nouveau riche, belittling others, believing themselves to be of a superior class, despising the,what does not come from her.

What nonsense, what a nutcase, to deny your class, your folk origin, the manners and customs of your people, what immense stupidity... To spend for temporary power, false positions sprinkled with gold dust and like made-up monkeys leaping and somersaulting on the Persian carpets of the living rooms, playing with moral values, our history and culture. Somewhere here I said yes.

Yes, I will upload the work of our great comedian Dimitris Psathas and this because his talent sensed the danger of the modern Greek, his inclination to the so-called, to the snob, at a time when the country was emerging from a fascist war and a civil war, since the arrival of the Americans with the Marshall Plan and UNRA, who filled the province with scumbags, powdered milk and salted peanut butter.

I said a lot, but I don't hide from you that the so-called suffocates me, by the way and our kipasia.
Ας δούμε το κοριτσάκι με τα άσπρα καλτσάκια, τα λουστρινένια παπούτσια, να παίζει ανέμελο, πλημμυρισμένο στο φως και ας υποκλιθούμε, δίνοντας όρκο ότι θα προστατεύσουμε την όμορφη εικόνα.

Ευχαριστώ, πρώτα απ’ όλα, τον Διευθυντή και το ΔΣ του ΚΘΒΕ, τη βοηθό σκηνοθέτη Αγγελική Κίτρινη, τη χορογράφο Αλεξάνδρα Τσοτανίδου, τους συναδέλφους μου ηθοποιούς, τους τεχνικούς και όσους μόχθησαν γι’ αυτό το ανέβασμα. Πάνω απ’ όλα, την κυρία Φωτεινή Μπαξεβάνη, τον Κώστα Σαντά, τον Βασίλη Ευταξόπουλο, τον Δημήτρη Σιακάρα και τη Μαριάννα Παπασάββα.

Closing, θέλω να πω ένα μεγάλο ευχαριστώ στον σκηνογράφο μας Γιάννη Μετζικώφ και βέβαια στον σπουδαίο μουσικό της Χώρας μας Γιώργο Χριστιανάκη.

Καλή διασκέδαση.
With love
George Armenis

Source : culturenow.gr