Adding a dose of positivity and hope to the New Year, India’s premier cultural institute, the National Centre for the Performing Arts is back with a fine array of live performances as the stage comes alive once again. The NCPA will be opening its doors to the public from 3rd February 2021 and art enthusiasts can now enjoy classical concerts, recitals, plays, stand-up shows and more, bringing back the good old days of live performances.

The opening concert is a curated SOI Chamber Orchestra performance featuring a beautiful rendition of old classics. The reopening night also includes a digital broadcast of “A Homage to Abbaji – Ustad Allarakha”, presented at the NCPA in February 2019 to mark the tabla legend’s 100th birth anniversary, with a percussive ensemble led by his son and shishya Zakir Hussain. The February calendar is dotted with a vibrant mix of plays, one of which will feature Pratik Gandhi of the the1992 Scam fame as the protagonist in ‘Mohan’s Masala’. Pop, jazz, swing and rock ‘n’ roll lovers can relive the good old days with ‘The Golden Years’ featuring Darren Das, Giselle Pinto and the Sixth Sense. ‘Shiva’ featuring Vaibhav Arekar & Sankhya Dance Company, and ‘Readings in the Shed’ directed by Nikhil Katara, will leave you enraptured with their engaging and empowering storytelling through mudras and words. The CITI-NCPA Promising Artistes Series will showcase artistes from the ‘Citi-NCPA Support to Gurus’ CSR initiative, an evening for connoisseurs of Indian classical music that will showcase the beats of the pakhawaj and compositions in the rare dhrupad form.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Khushroo N Suntook, Chairman, NCPA, said, “NCPA programmes have always encouraged performances by the finest of international and local talents. This time our focus is solely on creating quality performances featuring local artistes and resident musicians of the SOI. We are reopening with SOI Chamber Orchestra performing some beautiful old classics followed by an array of events lined up for the whole month.”

Adding on the safety and hygiene measures undertaken for the reopening he said, “We are also thoroughly prioritising hygiene at the NCPA and I can vouch for our safety protocols since they have been designed in adherence to the rules laid down by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. We’ve made sure that all venues, green rooms and washrooms are sanitised and have kept temperature and oxygen-level checks upon entry for the safety of our audience.”

So, mark your calendar as the National Centre for the Performing Arts is all set to start to bring a grand bouquet of live shows which cannot be missed!