This weekend we want to go to ...

Australian jazz trumpeter James Morrison joins the Auckland Philhamonia Orchestra in concert.

ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre: If you believe the weekend begins on Thursday night (and we do), then start it in style with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and internationally renowned virtuoso trumpeter James Morrison who channels "Satchmo" in a concert that celebrates jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. The APO, Morrison and vocalist Emma Pask perform enduring hits from the Great American Songbook including Basin Street Blues, I've Got The World on a String, Lazy River and Hello, Dolly.
James Morrison, ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Thursday, August 16

Basement Theatre: The Basement this week ushers in a two-week season of I Ain't Mad At Cha, the rap-musical theatre show about young Māori connecting with American hip-hop culture. The show, which received rave reviews during its shorter run in last year's Matariki season, sends audiences back to 1999 where Kiwa, struggling with "the whole being Māori thing", falls in love with the hip-hop music of the time. Expect nostalgia, coming-of-age and great beats all rolled into one gripping show.
I Ain't Mad At Cha, Basement Theatre, until Saturday, August 25

Jennifer Ludlam plays the queen bee, Yetta, in Filthy Business, a homage to the family's retail business by playwright Ryan Craig.

ASB Waterfront Theatre

: Tired of working for the man? Maybe starting a family business is the way to go — then again, UK playwright Ryan Craig might have some interesting thoughts about that one. He grew up in the fourth generation of rubber retailers in North London. Rather than run from his past, he's re-imagined it through his fiery new family comedy that's won rave reviews. Billed as "hysterically funny and historically fascinating", it opens tonight with

Shortland Street

's Jennifer Ludlam in the lead role as a family matriarch determined to hold on to her mini-empire at all costs.

Filthy Rich, ASB Waterfront Theatre, until Wednesday, August 29

Pati Solomona Tyrell's Fagogo earned his a nomination in this year's Walters Prize.

Auckland Art Gallery

: In a first, the biennial Walters Prize — considered the most prestigious award in contemporary New Zealand visuals arts — opens this weekend coinciding with the first comprehensive survey show of the artist it was named after, Gordon Walters. Art lovers can check out the Walters Prize Exhibition, where the nominated works are

BAD VISUAL SYSTEMS

by Ruth Buchanan,

The Making of Mississippi Grind 2017

by Jacqueline Fraser,

Whol Why Wurld

by Jess Johnson and Simon Ward, and

Fāgogo

by Pati Solomona Tyrell. After taking it all in, head to

Gordon Walters: New Vision

for an in-depth look at the man who inspired the award and what fuelled his creative vision.

Walters Prize Exhibition, Saturday, August 18 — Sunday, January 20 and Gordon Walters: New Vision, until Sunday, November 4, Auckland Art Gallery

Wine Cellar: Anthony Lander, formerly of the neo-psychedelic group Moses, has returned with a new four-piece named Moon Lander. To celebrate the release of its first single as a band, Moon Lander play an introductory show at the Wine Cellar, where they'll be joined by The Paul Cathro Band — featuring musicians from bands such as Ha the Unclear and Dictaphone Blues — and Dunedin expats Two Cartoons. It'll be an eclectic evening, drawing crowds into an array of some of the best rising alt-rock and pop that New Zealand has to offer.
Moon Lander, Wine Cellar, Saturday