Theater
Human Condition (人間條件), Green Ray Theater’s (綠光劇團) newest play, centers on the life of a 17-year-old girl who rebels against her dysfunctional family’s listless existence. One day, the grandmother’s spirit returns and possesses her teenage granddaughter.
▲Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中市中山堂), 98 Hsuehshi Rd, Taichung City (台中市學士路98號)
▲Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Tickets for Godot Theater Company’s (果陀劇場) much-anticipated Chinese-language production of Shakespeare’s Othello (針鋒對決) are running out fast. The production features accomplished Taiwanese stage actors Lee Li-chun (李立群) and Chieh Shih-jie (金士傑).
▲Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25 Bade Rd, Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
▲Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm and tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$1,000 to NT$4,000, available through NTCH ticketing (Note: NT$1,000 and NT$1,500 tickets are sold-out)
The Fifth Chinese Character Festival (第五屆漢字文化節), which aims to promote the use of Chinese characters and is organized by the Council for Cultural Affairs (文化建設委員會), ends on Sunday at Huashan Culture Park in Taipei City. This weekend’s performance, Welcoming the Spring of the Year of the Ox (迎春牛逼), looks at the significance of the coming Chinese zodiac .
▲Plum Wine Factory (烏梅酒廠), Huashan Culture Park (華山創意文化園), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
▲Tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$200, available through tickets.books.com.tw or by calling (02) 2782-1100
The Village (寶島一村) takes a nostalgic look at Taiwan’s veteran villages through the lives of three families, from 1949 to the present day. Television producer Wang Wei-chung (王偉忠) teams up with respected director Stan Lai (賴聲川) to produce a dramatic and humorous work about the communities that did much to shape modern Taiwan.
▲Chiayi Performing Arts Center (嘉義縣表演藝術中心), 265, Jianguo Rd Sec 2, Minsyong Township, Chiayi County (嘉義縣民雄鄉建國路二段265號)
▲Tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,800, available through NTCH ticketing (Note: NT$400 to NT$1,800 tickets are sold-out)
The Little Matches Girl (賣番仔火的小女孩) by Taiyuan Puppet Theater Company (台原偶戲團), tells the story of a greedy grandmother who forces her granddaughter to work in a factory that makes matches. The girl befriends a little boy and together they discover that the matches are alive. One night, a disaster threatens the lives of both children and their match friends.
▲Nadou Theater (納豆劇場), 79 Xining N Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧北路79號)
▲Tomorrow at 3pm
▲Tickets are NT$200, available through NTCH ticketing
Classical music
Piano Music From Formusica — New Piano Compositions by Taiwanese Composers (大音希聲 — 2009新台灣音樂鋼琴作品發表會) showcases recent works by 10 Taiwanese composers.
▲Today at 7:30pm
▲National Recital Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Taipei National University of the Arts Autumn/Winter Concert Series (國立臺北藝術大學2008秋冬系列音樂會) concludes its traditional Chinese music component with three concerts this weekend.
▲Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Taipei National University of the Arts Concert Hall (國立臺北藝術大學展演藝術中心音樂廳), 1 Xueyuan Rd, Beitou Dist, Taipei City (台北市北投區學園路1號)
▲Tickets are NT$100, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Discovering Chien Nan-chang — TCO Special Project 2 (TCO 特別企劃2 — 發現錢南章) features work by Golden Melody Award (金曲獎) and National Culture and Arts Foundation Awards (國家文藝獎) winner Chien Nan-chang (錢南章). The program includes his work for Chinese drums, arrangements of Aboriginal melodies and Taiwanese folk songs and the world premiere of a newly commissioned work for eight gehu (革胡) — a kind of Chinese cello — and orchestra titled The Eight Generals (八家將). The work will be performed by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra (台北市立國樂團), conducted by Lee Ying (李英) and feature soprano Mewas Lin (林惠珍).
▲Tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂), 98 Yenping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號)
▲Tickets are NT$200 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The Red Cello (紅色大提琴) sees cellist Alexander Baillie perform with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Martin Fischer-Dieskau. The program includes Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante, Op. 125 and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 4.
▲Sunday at 2:30pm
▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$200 to NT$800, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
Tonight at VU Live House it’s an evening of minimal techno with
Ear Worm German Sound (耳朵蟲德國之聲).
▲B1, 77, Wuchang St Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市武昌街二段77號B1). Call (02) 2314-1868 for more information
▲11pm tonight
▲NT$400 admission, includes one drink
Tonight The Wall (這牆) hosts a party for the release of You Can Play That Again Vol. 2, a compilation album featuring indie bands The Chairman (董事長樂團), The Shine and Shine and Shine and Shine (閃閃閃閃), Jacuzzi, Rabbit Is Rich (兔子很有錢) and Bitter. Tomorrow Pen Sauce (筆醬) plays its first concert of the year. Canadian indie-pop band Stars, which shares several members with indie super-group Broken Social Scene, performs on Monday night. [See story above].
B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Call (02) 2930-0162 or visit www.thewall.com.tw for more information
▲8:30pm tonight, 8pm tomorrow and Monday
▲Cover is NT$450 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow and NT$2,000 on Monday. Tickets for the Stars show are available in advance at the venue
Tonight at Witch House (女巫店), Come on! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!), which has an indie-pop sound similar to Belle and Sebastian, takes to the stage. Playing tomorrow are indie-rockers Neon, who enjoy a loyal following, particularly for they’re charismatic lead singer and songwriter Jun Lee (李昀熹.) On Thursday it’s acoustic solo act Koumis.
▲7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號). For more information call (02) 2362-5494 or visit www.witchhouse.org
▲Performances start at 9:30pm. Restaurant/bar with queer/feminist bookstore and large collection of board games open 11am to midnight Sundays through Wednesdays, 11am to 1am Thursdays through Saturdays
▲Entrance fee for music shows is NT$300, includes one drink
Veteran jazz combo JEG (這個爵士樂團) plays standards, Latin, funk, rock and fusion tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Indie-rockers Love Manana (愛的大未來) appear tomorrow night along with pop-rock pretty boys Rock Oriental Express (搖滾東方). On Sunday it’s Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤), the thinking music lover’s hip-hop crew, sharing the bill with Japanese group Start of the Day.
▲B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號B1), next to Taipower Building (台電大樓). Call (02) 2368-7310 or go to www.riverside.com.tw for more information
▲9:30pm tonight, 9pm tomorrow and Sunday
▲Admission is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow and NT$350 Sunday, includes one drink
Riverside Cafe also runs Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館), a larger venue with a spacious interior and state-of-the-art equipment located in Ximending’s historic Red House Theater (西門紅樓). Appearing tomorrow are garage rockers White Eyes (白目) and electronica rockers Space Cake (太空蛋糕) and The Shine and Shine and Shine and Shine (閃閃閃閃).
▲177 Xining S Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧南路177號). Call (02) 2370-8805 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information
▲8:30pm tomorrow
▲Entrance NT$450, includes one drink
Jazz Your Mind appears tonight at Sappho de Base. Blues Vibrations play blues and surf rock music tomorrow night. The Sappho House Band hosts the venue’s weekly open jam on Tuesday. On Wednesday The Phase-In Jazz Quartet takes to the stage, featuring original compositions by saxophonist Michael Haack. Kate’s Trio performs on Thursday.
▲B1, 1, Ln 102, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段102巷1號B1). Call (02) 2700-5411 (after 9pm) or visit www.sappho102.biz for more information
▲Performances begin at 10:30pm on weekends, 10pm on weekdays
▲No admission fee
Tonight at Tone 56 Live Bar Rubber Band plays rock, pop and dance music. Adoga, a pop and rock cover band, plays tomorrow. On Sunday the group Stoked Pokey hosts an open acoustic jam.
▲1F, 56, Minquan E Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市民權東路三段56號1樓), near the corner of Fuxing North (復興北) and Minquan East (民權東) roads. Call (02) 2517-3869 for more information
▲Music shows go from 9:30pm to 12:30am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 7:30pm to 9:30pm on Sundays
▲No admission fee
The Bearbabes (熊寶貝樂團) perform at Underworld (地下社會) tonight. The band’s sparse, atmospheric sound showcases the ethereal voice of female singer and bassist Cookie (餅乾). Shishukong (屍術控) plays tomorrow night, along with one-man electro-band Sonic Deadhorse and experimental noise act Null Bomb. As of press time, no shows are scheduled for Wednesday.
▲Music shows go from 9:30pm to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays
▲Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow and includes one drink, shows on Wednesdays are NT$100
Tomorrow at Bliss The Nixon Tapes, a DJ from South Africa, spins tech house, electro house and filthy electro.
▲148, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段148號), one block east of Dunhua South Road (敦化南路). Call Bliss at (02) 2702-1855 or log on at www.bliss-taipei.com. For more information on live performances at Bliss, visit www.myspace.com/ blisslivehouse
▲Tomorrow at 10pm. Bar/kitchen open from 7pm daily. Ladies night Fridays; women get one free cocktail of their choice
▲No entrance fee
Both established and aspiring Taiwanese pop musicians perform regularly at EZ5 Live House. This homey pub and restaurant on Anhe Road with a diverse clientele is one of the few places where people actually turn off their cell phones and listen attentively to the performers. EZ5 hosts three different singers every night. Recommended performers include beloved female crooner Tiger Huang (黃小琥), who performs two sets every Monday, and Julia Peng (彭佳慧), who appears on Tuesdays. Other highlights this week include Liu Wei-zen (劉偉仁) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Hsing Lung (辛隆) on Saturdays.
▲211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段211號). Call (02) 2738-3995 or go to www.ez5.com.tw for more information
▲Music shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
▲Cover ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer, and includes two drinks
Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill there’s a blues open mic, held by the Blues Society on Taiwan. All are welcome to bring their instruments and sit in on guitar, bass or drums.
▲1F, 218 Changchun Rd, Taipei City (台北市長春路218號1樓). Call (02) 2508-0304 or visit www.cosmo.com.tw
▲8pm to 11pm every Wednesday
▲No admission fee
Exhibitions
With CowParade Taipei 2009 (2009台北奔牛節), Taipei becomes the 65th city to host CowParade, one of the world’s most successful public art events. Huanshan Cultural Park has been transformed into a “Moootel,” where artists from different disciplines gather to create oxen statues, which will be displayed until Feb. 1. From Feb. 3 through March 31, some 130 of the statues will be placed throughout the capital. For more information, visit cowparade-taipei.com.
▲Huashan Cultural Park (華山創意園區), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號). Open Mondays to Fridays from 10am to 6pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 9pm.
▲Tel: (02) 2358-1166
▲Until March 31
The Circus of Den-Den-Giao-Jean: Exhibition by Tsui Yung-yen (崔永嬿—蹬蹬腳尖兒馬戲團). Award-winning designer and illustration artist Tsui extended her toy designs for the National Palace Museum by creating a new serious of paintings that feature characters from ancient Chinese paintings transformed to become circus performers.
▲Free Hugs Street Gallery, 200, Roosevelt St Sec 4, Taipei City
▲(台北市羅斯福路四段200號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 4pm to 12am. Tel: (02) 2930-2934
▲Until Feb. 8
1/2Q’s Theme Park (1/2Q遊樂園). Since its inception in 2006, 1/2Q Theatre has experimented with integrating diverse elements such as installation art, modern dance and theater, kun opera (崑劇) and multimedia visual art. For this exhibition, the troupe is revisiting visual elements from its previous productions.
▲Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村), 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號). Open Mondays to Sundays from 10am to 7:30pm.
▲Tel: (02) 3393-7377
▲Until Jan. 18
Hope and Dreams (豐衣足書—耶誕跨年特展). The third exhibition held at the Zhongshan Metro Book Mall by the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei aims to close the gap between the public and the art world. Hope and Dreams features cross-discipline and mixed-media installations that include a white Christmas tree composed of dresses and gowns.
▲Zhongshan Metro Book Mall, Taipei City (台北捷運中山地下書街). Open daily 11am to 9pm. Tel: (02) 2552-3720.
▲Until Jan. 31
Climate change, political headwinds and diverging market dynamics around the world have pushed coffee prices to fresh records, jacking up the cost of your everyday brew or a barista’s signature macchiato. While the current hot streak may calm down in the coming months, experts and industry insiders expect volatility will remain the watchword, giving little visibility for producers — two-thirds of whom farm parcels of less than one hectare. METEORIC RISE The price of arabica beans listed in New York surged by 90 percent last year, smashing on Dec. 10 a record dating from 1977 — US$3.48 per pound. Robusta prices have
A few years ago, getting a visa to visit China was a “ball ache,” says Kate Murray. The Australian was going for a four-day trade show, but the visa required a formal invitation from the organizers and what felt like “a thousand forms.” “They wanted so many details about your life and personal life,” she tells the Guardian. “The paperwork was bonkers.” But were she to go back again now, Murray could just jump on the plane. Australians are among citizens of almost 40 countries for which China now waives visas for business, tourism or family visits for up to four weeks. It’s
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