Theater
Star performers from the National China Beijing Opera Theatre (中國國家京劇院) have traveled to Taipei with members of an opera troupe from Dalian and China’s National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts (中國戲曲學院) to stage 11 classics on eight consecutive days.
▲National Theater, Taipei City
▲Tuesday to Thursday at 7pm
▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The latest stand-up comedy production by Comedian’s Workshop (相聲瓦舍), The Unmatchable Mates (兩光康樂隊) stars Feng Yi-gang (馮翊綱) and Song Shao-qing (宋少卿) as two villagers forced to provide entertainment for the night after the village’s movie projectionist is thrown into jail for stealing money from his boss.
▲Novel Hall (新舞薹), 3-1 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路3-1號)
▲Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,200, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Popular among children and their parents, Moscow Magic Clown Theater returns for a countrywide tour of interactive performances that combine magic tricks, pantomime
and acrobatics.
▲Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taoyuan County (桃園縣文化局演藝廳), 21, Sianfu Rd, Taoyuan City (桃園市縣府路21號); Chiayi Cultural Center (嘉義市文化中心), 275, Jhongsiao Rd, Chiayi City (嘉義市忠孝路275號); Taipei City Government Family Theater (台北市政府親子劇場), 2F, Taipei City Hall, 1 Shifu Rd, Taipei City (台北市市府路1號2樓); Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中市中山堂), 98 Syueshih Rd, Taichung City (台中市學士路98號); Tainan County Cultural Center (台南縣立文化中心), 23, Jhongjheng Rd, Sining City, Tainan County (台南縣新營市中正路23號) on Wednesday
▲Tonight (Taoyuan), Tuesday (Taichung) and Wednesday (Tainan) at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 3pm (Chiayi), Sunday at noon and 3pm (Taipei)
▲Tickets are NT$400 to NT$800, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Kaohsiung City Ballet (高雄城市芭蕾舞團) has revived its 2007 production The Peony Pavilion (牡丹亭) for a national tour that visits Hsinchu tomorrow night. The production is inspired by Tang Xiazu’s (湯顯祖) tale of the same name.
▲Hsinchu Cultural Center (新竹市文化中心), 1, Ln 15, Dongda Rd Sec 2, Hsinchu City (新竹市東大路二段15巷1號)
▲Tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Acme Physical Theatre’s (極至體能舞蹈團) unique dance production Puppet Ballet (掌中芭蕾) combines the tradition of Chinese hand puppetry with Western ballet. The performers assume different puppet roles and dance to a wide range of music, from traditional beiguan (北管) to electronica.
▲Keelung Cultural Center (基隆市文化中心), 181 Xinyi Rd, Keelung City (基隆市信一路181號)
▲Tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$300, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical
Live From Buena Vista — The Havana Lounge (樂士浮生錄—記憶哈瓦那) brings some of the biggest stars of Cuban music to Taiwan. Their three-city tour comes to an end in Tainan tomorrow. The lineup
includes vocals by Julio Alberto Fernandez Colina, Maria Victoria Rodriquez Sosa, and Regla Teresa Garcia Caturla with an orchestra of outstanding instrumentalists.
▲Tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲ Tainan Municipal Cultural Center Performance Hall (台南市立文化中心演藝廳), 332, Jhonghua E Rd Sec 3, Tainan City (台南市中華東路三段332號)
▲Tickets are NT$600 to NT$2,500, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
The concert Farewell My Concubine (霸王別姬) will be the occasion for the world premiere of two new works, the first, Farewell My Concubine: Double Concerto for Erhu and Cello by prolific Taiwanese composer Liu Shueh-shuan (劉學軒) and Prelude to Ambush All Around (十面埋伏序曲) by Kuan Nai-chung (關迺忠), a Chinese-born composer now based in Canada. Both works are based on epic tales and will feature the National Chinese Orchestra (國立台灣交響樂團) performing under the baton of Wen Yi-jen (溫以仁) and featuring soloists Yang Wei (楊惟) on pipa, Yang Wen-hsin (楊文信) on cello and Wang Ming-hua (王明華) on erhu.
▲Tonight at 7:30pm
▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Yuri Bashmet & Moscow Soloist Chamber Orchestra
(尤里•巴什梅特與莫斯科獨奏家室內樂團) will feature viola virtuoso and artistic director Yuri Bashmet leading the Moscow Soloist Chamber Orchestra in a program that includes Grieg’s Holberg Suite for Strings, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Hindemith’s Trauermusik for Viola and Strings and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C-Major, Op 48.
▲Monday at 7:30pm
▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets from NT$1,200 to NT$2,500 remain, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
Roxy Vibe is closing for good next weekend, but the venue intends to go out with a bang. Tonight is the Hard, Fast and Heavy Show, with DJ-fueled music spun by local hard rockers Jesse Infernal of Chthonic, Ting of Consider the Meek and Collider and Mac Wooley of Doublewide. Tomorrow it’s an evening of girl rock, with punk band Go Chic, My Skin Against Your Skin, the new band of the vocalist Andrea Huang (黃盈誼) from Rabbit Is Rich (兔子很有錢), and Taichung’s BB Bomb (BB彈). [See Highlight above.]
▲B1, 155, Jinshan S Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市金山南路一段155號B1)
▲Shows begins at 11:30pm tonight, 10pm tomorrow
▲Entrance is NT$300 tonight and NT$350 tomorrow, includes one drink
Tonight at The Wall (這牆) Chiang Ming-juan (江明娟), best known from the TV reality show Super Idol (超級偶像), appears for a “mini-concert.” Later on it’s Dance Rock Taipei, a party with music spun by DJs Clash The Disko Kids from Singapore, F Dragon and Spykee Fat. Tomorrow indie-pop chanteuse Waa Wei (魏如萱) plays two sets, followed by a late-night electro-rock romp with Chill Da Dog, Unfamiliar Friends Party, Digihai and Salamander. Performing on Sunday are post-rock bands Sorry Youth, Sloth Scamper and Aphasia (阿飛西雅).
▲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
▲Shows start at 8pm and
11:30pm tonight and tomorrow;
8pm on Sunday.
▲Entrance fee is NT$800 for each show tonight, NT$450 for Waa Wei tomorrow and NT$300 for the late-night show, and NT$350 for
Sunday’s show
Jazz outfit AJP Trio, composed of a pianist, bassist and drummer, plays tonight at Witch House (女巫店). Plan to get there early tomorrow to get a seat for a solo set by iconic folk rocker Chen Ming-chang (陳明章). Laid-back indie folk band Smokering (煙圈) appears on Thursday.
▲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
▲Entry fee for music shows is NT$300
Tonight JEG (這個爵士樂團) jazz combo appears at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) with special guest Q-Mao (Q毛) on drums. Tomorrow, the venue hosts pop singer Shino (林曉培), while Sunday features Latin jazz group Mandinga (曼丁家拉丁團).
▲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 visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information
▲Show starts at 9:30pm tonight, 9pm tomorrow and Sunday
▲Entrance fees: NT$400 tonight, tomorrow and Sunday
Live Machine, a group of Chinese-Canadian and Chinese-American rockers, play Mando-rock tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館). Tomorrow it’s Latin dance night with live band Mandinga (曼丁家拉丁團), which will play salsa, tango and cha cha. DJ Zulu will keep everyone dancing afterwards. [See Vinyl Word.]
▲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
▲Tonight at 7pm and tomorrow from 7:30pm to 11:30pm
▲Entrance fee is NT$350 tonight and NT$1,400 at the door tomorrow or NT$1,100 in advance (call Infine Art for details at (02) 2742-3595)
Taking to the stage tonight at Sappho de Base is Jazz Your Mind. Tomorrow it’s blues, funk and surf rock with the Blues Vibrations. On Tuesday, it’s the Jazz Friends
Quartet, which presides over an open jam session later on. The Chris Stiles Trio plays modern jazz on Wednesday. Jo Jo Ma Quintet, a group led by saxophonist Joseph Marchione, plays 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
Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill there’s an
open mic hosted by Jake Stanley of the acoustic duo Stoked Pokey.
All are welcome to participate,
and participants receive 20 percent
off drinks.
▲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 for more information.
▲Wednesdays from 8:30pm to 11pm
▲No admission fee
EZ5 Live House hosts
Mando-pop singers backed by a
live band every night. Highlights
this week include male crooners
Su Tzu (蘇子) tonight and
Hsing Lung (辛隆) tomorrow.
Julia Peng (彭佳慧), one of the venue’s major draws, appears
every Tuesday.
▲211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段211號). Call (02) 2738-3995 or visit www.ez5.com.tw for
more information
▲Music shows run from 9:45pm
to 12:30am
▲Entrance (including two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer. Call the venue for exact fees
Psychedelic alt-rock band Flat Club (假文藝青年俱樂部) appears with La Petite Nurse (小護士) tonight at Underworld(地下社會). Tomorrow metal bands Anti Cross and Catapult take to the stage. Splitting the bill on Wednesday are Tough Black Tea and Soundboss.
▲B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Call (02) 2369-0103 or visit www.upsaid.com/underworld for more information
▲Shows are 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, NT$100 on Wednesday
Franz and Friends (城市舞台藝文沙龍), an upscale restaurant and performance space in Taipei’s East District, hosts music shows every night. The music tends to play it safe, ranging from wistful love songs and opera to lounge jazz. Weekly highlights include Denise Juan (阮丹青), a former pop singer turned piano teacher, television presenter and traveler, and her band Sunshine Costa. They play tonight. Tomorrow it’s Buona Sera, a group featuring soprano Chang Hsiao-ni (張曉倪).
▲25, Bade Rd, Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號B1). Call (02) 2579-0558 for reservations, or visit
www.franzandfriends.com.tw for
more information.
▲Minimum charge of NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, one-drink minimum other nights
Exhibition
X Beyond O: Calligraphy-Sign-Space (無中生有:書法 符號 空間) mixes calligraphy, architecture and design to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary
media. The collaborative exhibition includes calligrapher Tung Yang-tze (董陽孜), Hong Kong director
Matthias Woo (胡恩威) and architect Roan Ching-yueh (阮慶岳).
▲Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei (MOCA, Taipei), 39 Changan W Rd, Taipei City (台北市長安西路39號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 2552-3721. On the Net: www.mocataipei.org.tw
▲Until Aug. 9
Ariel Kuo (郭芃君) uses photography and painting to deconstruct the color and atmosphere of Tainan in her solo exhibit Place (地方).
▲Dogpig Art Cafe (豆皮文藝咖啡館), 2F, 131, Wufu 4th Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市五福四路131號2樓). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 5pm to 12am. Tel: (07) 521-2422
▲Until June 28
Cultural Insights From Taiwanese Documentary Photography (台灣美術系列─紀錄攝影中的文化觀) explores Taiwan’s cultural values and social environment through 152 photographs covering the past century. The images are culled from the museum’s permanent collection.
▲National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (國立台灣美術館), 2, Wucyuan W Rd Sec 1, Taichung City (台中市五權西路一段2號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9am to 5pm. Tel: (04) 2372-3552
▲Until July 19
A Thousand, Thousand Churning Waves — The Legendary Red Cliff Heritage (捲起千堆雪—赤壁文物特展) is an exhibit on the Battle of Red Cliffs (赤壁之戰), a famous engagement fought at the end of the Han Dynasty. The National Palace Museum revisits this legendary event with historical documents, books, works of art and prints depicting the period and its people.
▲National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院), 221, Zhishan Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市至善路二段221號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9am to 5pm, open until 8:30pm on Saturdays. Tel: (02) 2881-2021. On the Net:
www.npm.gov.tw
▲Until Aug. 31
Pan Ping-yu (潘娉婷)weaves together a variety of media such as fabric, wire, colored beads and spangles into dreamlike sculptures in Eternal Nature (永恆是情景的回復).
▲Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), 181, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市中山北路三段181號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9:30am to 5:30pm, open until 8:30pm on Saturdays. Tel: (02) 2595-7656. On
the Net: www.tfam.museum
▲Until June 28
Taiwan’s plants, animals and folk customs serve as Hsiao Mei’s (蕭媺) visual language in her solo exhibit Here Is Where We Meet (飄遊.境遇). The show features more than 30 of her dreamlike oil paintings created between 2003 and this year.
▲Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), 181, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市中山北路三段181號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9:30am to 5:30pm, open until 8:30pm on Saturdays. Tel: (02) 2595-7656. On
the Net: www.tfam.museum
▲Until June 26
Japanese artist Maruyama Junko uses recycled materials such as cooking oil and plastic bags for installations and sculpture in her solo exhibit Cancam.
▲Taipei National University of the Arts—Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts (台北藝術大學關渡美術館), 1 Xueyuan Rd, Beitou Dist, Taipei City (台北市北投區學園路1號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm. Tel:
(02) 2893-8871
▲Until June 21
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