Kiddie kitsch and darker psychological themes fill Jessie McCall's latest offering, writes Bernadette Rae.

Christophe Rousset, one of the world's top harpsichordists, visits New Zealand next week.

The buyer of a treasured Goldie painting, sold tonight to man from China, will have to ask permission from the Government if he wants to take it out of the country.

A painting by one of the country's leading abstract artists has been sold for more than $40,000, after it was put under the hammer for the very first time since being painted over 40 years ago.

Roger Hall's collaboration with British singer songwriter Peter Skellern throws up an entertaining confection celebrating the joys and hazards of grandparenting.

Mahler's Third Symphony was the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's spectacular contribution to the 2009 Auckland Arts Festival.

At 70, Henare is taking on his biggest role ever as the Sultan in the popular blockbuster Aladdin, which opens in Sydney in August.

Working with the legendary Boulez was an unforgettable experience, says Barenboim.

Last year, it staged 111 shows - 62 in its regular programme, 23 in the Fringe, 26 in the NZ Comedy Festival and more than 100 "other" events.

Today, NZ Opera turns up the roller door at its Onehunga Technical Centre for an open day everyone is invited to.

One of the largest cultural hubs to be developed in the world could be influenced by one of Auckland's smallest theatres, The Basement.

Kanye West had reportedly offered an Australian artist "a pretty decent chunk of money" to remove a street mural of the rapper passionately kissing himself.

This Flaxworks production mentions the boyfriends but ignores the image, and instead presents a girlish Jean, enthusiastic and sweet.

No subject is off-limits in Dawn French's stage show Thirty Million Minutes, which tackles even the most harrowing of topics with charm and good humour.

In Antony & Cleopatra the clash of civilisations is set against the intimacy of a tender love story.

This year sees the return of Unwrap the Music, 3 early evening concerts where conductor Richard Gill introduce pieces coming up in later programmes.

A painting by one of the country's leading abstract artists will be auctioned for the first time at an expected value of between $25,000 to $35,000.

Our new literary heroines are dark, twisted - and a little closer to home. Kim Knight talks domestic noir with Paula Hawkins, ahead of the British author's Auckland visit.

The curtains lift, revealing a dancer seated solemnly to one side. All is quiet barring the sound of audience members settling into their seats.

This excellent one-man show is not chatty or casual. Tight, dramatic spotlights focus sharply on the orator in the dark.

Booker and Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and standout New Zealand writers are lined up for the Auckland Writers Festival.

The Great Downhill is about a boy who leaves his single mother to see the sea, riding downhill on his bike and encountering rag-tag characters.

If one of the roles of an arts festival is to present genre-blurring work, then the Auckland festival is doing its job with a show that opens this week.

A good part of the excitement at Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's latest dance project was experiencing our city's favourite orchestra in the faux-Egyptian temple of The Civic.

Overall, I enjoyed the production but, on reflection, would probably only give the performance six out of 10, writes Peter Bromhead.

Among the razzle-dazzle of the big shows, the Auckland Arts Festival always throws up some hidden gems like Waves.

Funny, sexy and feminist all at the same time, Australian cabaret star Meow Meow (Melissa Madden Gray) delivers wonderful frivolity.

The PM's daughter is known for Big Mac bras and provocative art but she says she's quite shy in real life.

Emily King music is described as existing "where the cafe meets the dancefloor" - understated pop and soul.