KIRCHNER

FRANKFURT
■ There is a good reason, other than business, to visit Frankfurt between 23 April and 25 July: Frankfurt’s Städel Museum will host the first Kirchner retrospective in Germany for 30 years. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is regarded as one of the most important figures in the Expressionist movement – his work is showcased in some of the world’s most prestigious galleries – but never before has a single exhibition brought 170 of his celebrated pieces together. The Centre Pompidou in Paris and MoMA in New York, are among those loaning sculptures, paintings and drawings, as is Berlin’s Brücke Museum, named after the expressionist group of artists that Kirchner founded (known as Die Brücke, meaning The Bridge). One of the first Kirchner exhibitions took place in Frankfurt in 1916; in 1919 the Städel was also the first museum ever to purchase a painting by the artist. For the upcoming event, the museum’s own Kirchner collection – among the most prominent in the world – will be enhanced by examples from every stage of the artist’s career. His paintings and works on paper will appear with his sculptures and crafts objects to convey the multifaceted character of his oeuvre. For the first time ever, curators are combining classical phases with nudes, street scenes from the Berlin years, and the entire collection of abstracts from Kirchner’s controversial ‘New Style’ phase. www.staedelmuseum.de

ENRON

NEW YORK
■ Bringing a real-life bankruptcy scandal to the stage in today’s fraught times is a stroke of genius. Or lucky timing for playwright Lucy Prebble, who started penning Enron long before the term ‘credit crunch’ was first uttered. This month, the theatrical epic follows its award-strewn run in London’s Royal Court Theatre and its (just extended) West End transfer by opening on Broadway on 27 April (previews from 8 April). Mixing classical tragedy with savage comedy, Enron charts the rise and fall of one of America’s biggest energy companies in 2001. In harking back to the chaotic 1990s, it casts a new light on today’s global crisis. The fluent storytelling is brought to life through video, music and dance including a routine using lightsabers to take a swipe at the chaos caused by electricity deregulation and power cuts in California. The portrayals of convicted Enron chiefs Jeffrey Skilling and Ken Lay are particularly powerful. www.broadhursttheater.net

SWAN LAKE/ MAGIA DE LA DANZA

LONDON
■ Having taken 60 years to get there, Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s debut at the London Coliseum is one not to be missed. From 30 March to 11 April, the world-renowned company, set up in 1948 by Cuba’s prima ballerina, Alicia Alonso, will showcase the technique and passion of Cuban ballet. While the appearance is generating plenty of column inches, it is the announcement that Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta will perform on four dates – the first time the Havana-born international star has danced with Ballet Nacional de Cuba in the UK – that is grabbing the critics’ attention. To say the on-stage chemistry will be captivating is something of an understatement. www.eno.org

ALSO ON THIS MONTH

NEW YORK
■ Picasso, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 27 April – 1 August. For the first time, The Met is showing its entire Picasso collection, spanning 250 paintings, drawings, sculptures and ceramics. www.metmuseum.org

BRUSSELS
■ Art Brussels, Brussels Expo, 23–26 April. Spot upcoming talent early, as 30,000 professionals, collectors and art lovers converge for this annual festival for contemporary art and galleries. www.artbrussels.be

ZURICH
■ Damien Hirst, Theology, Philosophy, Medicine, Justice, Galerie Andrea Caratsch, until 30 April. Besides getting busy with the formaldehyde again, Hirst turns to materials including gloss paint, dead flies, prescription drugs and the contents of an ashtray with surprising results. www.galeriecaratsch.com

MADRID
■ From Manet to Impressionism: A Modern Renaissance, Fundacíon MAPFRE, until 22 April. Featuring 100 masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, this touring exhibition tells the story of Impressionism’s early years and moves on to San Francisco in May. www.exposicionesmapfrearte.com

PARIS
■ Yves Saint Laurent Retrospective, Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts, until 29 August. A chance to see the entire back catalogue of the famed designer in Paris, the home of haute couture. www.yslretrospective.com

LONDON
■ Il Turco in Italia, Royal Opera House, 3–19 April. This revival of The Turk in Italy sees Ildebrando D’Arcangelo return in the title role of Rossini’s complicated but comedic story. www.roh.org.uk