Theater
Taipei Children’s Art Festival (台北兒童藝術節) ends this weekend with a series of performances that include A Good Time at Antique Le-Le’s Music Box (古董店的幸福時光~樂樂的音樂盒) by Shiny Shoes Children’s Theatre (鞋子兒童實驗劇團), Dance Forum Taipei’s (舞蹈空間) The Adventure of Spiders — Spiderina (史派德奇遇記之八腳玲瓏) and The Princess and the Jesters (小丑與公主) by The Puppet and Its Double Theater (無獨有偶親子劇場).
▲Venues include Family Theater at Taipei City Hall (台北市政府親子劇場), Da-an Forest Park (大安森林公園) and Kuandu Nature Park Auditorium (關渡自然公園多媒體演講廳).
▲Today through Sunday
▲For performance times and ticketing information visit www.taipeicaf.org, call (02) 2528-9580 X191 to X199 or send an e-mail to info@taipeicaf.org
Based on American playwright Neil Simon’s play of the same title, Godot Theatre Company’s (果陀劇場) Fools (傻瓜村) is a lighthearted comedy about a young schoolteacher trying to lift a 200-year curse of stupidity cast on the inhabitants of a remote Chinese village. Stars accomplished stage actor Lee Li-chun (李立群). Tickets for tomorrow evening and Sunday’s shows are sold out
▲National Theater, Taipei City
▲Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday
at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The latest musical by Tafen Musical Theater (大風劇團), It’s a Wonderful Life (美好的人生), is a light-hearted comedy about four young thespians pursuing their dreams while struggling to make ends meet in Taipei. The 21-member cast includes theater veterans Wang Bosen (王柏森) and Huang Shih-wei (黃士偉). [See story on Page 15.]
▲Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (國父紀念館), 505, Renai Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市仁愛路四段505號)
▲Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$3,000, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Holo Taiwanese Opera Troupe (河洛歌子戲) gives Taiwanese opera a feminist touch in Love and Hatred in Mountain Fortress (山寨情仇), which tells the tale of a woman’s struggle against patriarchal society.
▲Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
▲Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday
at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Le Sacred du Printemps (春之祭), Stravinsky’s celebrated ballet, is Chamber Ballet Taipei’s (台北市內芭蕾) latest production.
▲Tainan Municipal Cultural Center (台南市立文化中心), 332, Jhonghua E Rd Sec 3, Tainan City (台南市中華東路三段332號)
▲Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm
▲Tickets are NT$600 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Paganini Festival in Taiwan (帕格尼尼大賽四位首獎得主聯合大師班暨系列音樂會) includes concerts and master classes that feature emerging local violinists Lu Siqing (呂思清), Huang Bin (黃濱), Huang Mengla (黃蒙拉) and Ning Feng (寧峰). In concert, they will perform with the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (長榮交響樂團) under Gernot Schmalfuss. The festival begins today with a recital by Huang Bin of works by Paganini, Tchaikovsky, and Dvorak (arranged by Kreisler). On Wednesday all four violinists play a program of concertos by Saint-Saens, Bruch and Beethoven. Members of the public may sit in on master classes, which begin today and run through Aug. 7.
▲Concerts today and Wednesday at 7:30pm; daily master classes start tomorrow and end on Aug. 7
▲Today at the International Convention Center of the Chang Yung-fa Foundation Building (財團法人張榮發基金會國際會議中心), 11 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei City (台北市中山南路11號); Wednesday at Novel Hall (新舞臺), 3-1 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路3-1號); master classes at the Chi Mei Museum in Tainan (奇美博物館), 59-1 Sanjia Village, Rende Township, Tainan County (台南縣仁德鄉三甲村59之1號) and International Convention Center of the Chang Yung-fa Foundation Building in
Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$500 to NT$1,500 for today’s recital, NT$800 to NT$2,000 for Wednesday’s concert, and NT$250 for master class audience tickets, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
The 2009 Taipei International Choral Festival (台北國際合唱音樂節) ends this weekend with concerts by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, under Stephen Cleobury (today), The University of North Texas A Cappela under Jerry McCoy (tomorrow), with a finale on Sunday featuring four of the choirs that took part in the festival, including Club of Five, The University of North Texas A Cappela and Fred Sjoberg leading the Taipei Philharmonic Choir with mezzo soprano Shih I-chiao (石易巧) and tenor Mu Fu-chun (穆福淳) in a performance of Argentine composer Luis Enriquez Bacalov’s Misa Tango.
▲Today and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$600 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Lost in Wonderland — Guess Who I Am (兒童樂園 — 猜猜我是誰) sees the Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra (台北市愛樂管弦樂團) continue its series of children’s concerts with a quartet composed of violin, cello, piano and flute performing music from cartoon and movie favorites, including the theme from ET and The Mickey Mouse March.
▲Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Henry Mazer Music and Culture (台北愛樂暨梅哲音樂文化館), B1, 7, Jinan Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市濟南路一段7號B1)
▲Tickets are NT$250, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
The Other Side, a new nightclub opened by Ling Wei (凌威), owner of the capital’s long-standing Roxy venues, has its grand opening tonight. The new club is a “party-until-the-sun-comes-up” spot like one of Ling’s old ventures, the recently closed Roxy Vibe. But The Other Side promises a classier atmosphere, with sofa seating and a modern lounge interior befitting of its locale in Taipei’s East District (東區). House DJs will spin classic dance and rock from bands like Nirvana, The Ting Tings, Oasis, the Cure and Michael Jackson. Entrance is free tonight.
▲B1, 20, Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路20號B1)
▲Venue is open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 10pm until 4am, and from 10pm until 7am on Fridays and Saturdays. To reserve a sofa (NT$3,000 minimum charge for six to eight persons) or a table, call (02) 2723-3257
▲Entrance is free tonight for the grand opening. Entry, which includes one drink, is NT$400 on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and NT$500 on Friday and Saturday
Tonight at The Wall (這牆) it’s io, a group of Chinese-Canadians from Vancouver, and a set of new rockers on the scene, The Little. Tomorrow post-rock group Aphasia shares the bill with folk rocker Europa Huang (黃建為). On Sunday pop singer Fan Fan (范瑋琪), who launched her
new album F One at the venue several weeks ago, returns for an encore performance.
▲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
▲All shows start at 8pm
▲Admission is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow. Sunday’s show is NT$500, or free with the purchase of three CDs
Singer and guitarist Marine (馬林), accompanied by a pianist, plays tonight at Witch House (女巫店). She opens for Amis singer Hsiao Mei (小美), who is part of Wild Fire Music (野火樂集), an Aboriginal artist collective.
▲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
▲Admission for music shows is NT$300
Tonight Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) hosts percussion virtuoso Rich Huang (黃瑞豐) and friends. Taking to the stage tomorrow is R ’n’ B singer Raymond Hu (胡恩瑞), who goes by the stage name N-RAY, and pop pianist Chen Hsi (陳熙). On Sunday Alto Madness makes an appearance, and on Monday it’s the venue’s weekly open jam.
▲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
▲Shows start at 9:30pm tonight and 9pm tomorrow and Sunday. Open jam starts at 9pm (for a list of standard songs and ground rules, visit the venue’s Web site)
▲Admission is NT$450 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow, NT$350 Sunday and NT$150 Monday
All day tomorrow Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館) hosts the 2009 Taiwan Original Music Awards
(臺灣原創流行音樂大獎), a songwriting contest for both upcoming and established artists. Taiwanese rock legend Bobby Chen (陳昇) will hold a brief performance before the announcement of the winners. On Thursday renowned fingerstyle guitarist Dong Yun-chang (董運昌) appears with singer Koumis (蓓麗). They share the bill with Golden Melody Award-winning singer-songwriter Debbie Hsiao (蕭賀碩).
▲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
▲From 1pm to 7pm tomorrow and from 8:30pm Thursday
▲Entrance is free tomorrow, NT$400 on Thursday
Tonight is a warm-up party for the Music Terminals festival [see story on Page 13 and Highlight on this page], featuring two Chinese bands in the program, Carsick Cars and White. No shows are scheduled for tomorrow. Taking to stage on Wednesday are Hsia Ning-shan (夏寧衫) and Bitter (阿彰).
▲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
▲Music shows run from 9:30pm to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays
▲Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow and includes one drink, NT$100 on Wednesday
Jason Hayashi Quartet performs tonight at Sappho de Base. Tomorrow night it’s Jazz Friends, who will be jamming on “unorthodox instruments.” The Double J Rock Band appears on Tuesday. On Wednesday Chris Stiles Jazz Trio, which plays modern jazz including interpretations of contemporary Chinese pop, takes to the stage. On Thursday it’s Belgian expat bassist Martijn Vanbuel playing ethnic folk and jazz trio Orbit Folks.
▲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. Sappho is closed on Sundays and Mondays
▲No entrance fee
Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill there’s an open mic hosted by keyboardist Andrew Page, with the music mainly covering blues and jazz. All are welcome to join in, 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
▲8:30pm to 11pm every Wednesday
▲No entrance fee
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights this week include pub legend and songstress Tiger Huang (黃小琥), who performs every Monday. Julia Peng (彭佳慧) is another major draw who appears every Tuesday. Male crooner Liu Wei-zen (劉偉仁) performs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
▲Music shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
▲Entrance (including two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Franz and Friends (城市舞台藝文沙龍), an upscale restaurant and performance space in Taipei’s East District (東區), 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 and television presenter, 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, on other nights there’s a one-drink minimum
Exhibitions
Wild Aspirations — The Yellow Sheep River Project (野想－黃羊川計畫) is an exhibition of picture books created by Chou Ching-hui (周慶輝) that merge photography and painting and examine the relationship between children and the physical landscape in which they live.
▲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
▲Until Aug. 30
Yang Hung-kuo’s (楊紅國) fantastical pastel-colored oil paintings depict a surreal and mechanized world in The Ultra-Dimensional Adventures of Pets (寵物們之超時空冒險). The paintings use animal imagery to personify and critique contemporary society.
▲Dynasty Art Gallery (朝代藝術), 41, Leli Rd, Taipei City (台北市樂利路41號). For a viewing, call (02) 2377-0838
▲Until Aug. 15
Look Toward the Other Side — Song of Asian Foreign Brides in Taiwan III (望向彼方—亞洲新娘之歌(三)) is the third part of Hou Shur-tzy’s (侯淑姿) series that explores through photography the lives of female foreign nationals who marry Taiwanese men.
▲Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts (關渡美術館), 1 Hsuehyuan Rd, Taipei City (台北市學園路1號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm. Tel: (02) 2896-1000
▲Until Sept. 20
Li Shao-ming (黎少明) and Yin Yu (尹愚) combine Chinese knotting with jade artifacts from their personal collections to create new works of art. Old Jades, New Inventions: An Exhibition of Ming and Yu’s Creation (古玉新飾:明&愚創作展) brings together 170 of these intriguing sculptures that were created over the past decade.
▲National Museum of History (國立歷史博物館), 49 Nanhai Rd, Taipei City (台北市南海路49號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 2361-0270
▲Until Aug. 30
Since their leader Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and others were jailed as part of several ongoing bribery investigations, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) has risen in the polls. Additionally, despite all the many and varied allegations against Ko and most of the top people in the party, it has held together with only a tiny number of minor figures exiting. The TPP has taken some damage, but vastly less than the New Power Party (NPP) did after it was caught up in a bribery scandal in 2020. The TPP has for years registered favorability in the thirties, and a Formosa poll
Chiayi County is blessed with several worthwhile upland trails, not all of which I’ve hiked. A few weeks ago, I finally got around to tackling Tanghu Historic Trail (塘湖古道), a short but unusually steep route in Jhuci Township (竹崎). According to the Web site of the Alishan National Scenic Area (阿里山國家風景區), the path climbs from 308m above sea level to an elevation of 770m in just 1.58km, an average gradient of 29 percent. And unless you arrange for someone to bring you to the starting point and collect you at the other end, there’s no way to avoid a significant amount
While global attention is finally being focused on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) gray zone aggression against Philippine territory in the South China Sea, at the other end of the PRC’s infamous 9 dash line map, PRC vessels are conducting an identical campaign against Indonesia, most importantly in the Natuna Islands. The Natunas fall into a gray area: do the dashes at the end of the PRC “cow’s tongue” map include the islands? It’s not clear. Less well known is that they also fall into another gray area. Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) claim and continental shelf claim are not
Nov. 4 to Nov. 10 Apollo magazine (文星) vowed that it wouldn’t play by the rules in its first issue — a bold statement to make in 1957, when anyone could be jailed for saying the wrong thing. However, the introduction to the inaugural Nov. 5 issue also defined the magazine as a “lifestyle, literature and art” publication, and the contents were relatively tame for the first four years, writes Tao Heng-sheng (陶恒生) in “The Apollo magazine that wouldn’t play by the rules” (不按牌理出牌的文星雜誌). In 1961, the magazine changed its mission to “thought, lifestyle and art” and adopted a more critical tone with
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