Theater
The three-week-long 2009 Kuandu Arts Festival (2009 關渡藝術節) continues this weekend with six performances including Hong Kong-based dance troupe Mcmuimui Dansemble’s (雙妹嘜舞蹈劇場) Boot-leg Butter-fly (與山伯同床), a cross-over adaptation of The Butterfly Lovers (梁山伯與祝英台); American choreographer Amy Robin’s A Joy That Brings US Together; and The Summer of Avia by Israeli actress, novelist and film director Gila Almagor. On the Net: kdarts.tnua.edu.tw/festival.
■ Performances are being held at the Taipei National University of the Arts Dance Theater (國立臺北藝術大學舞蹈廳), 1 Xueyuan Rd, Taipei City (台北市學園路1號), and at the National Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Tickets are available through
NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
■ For complete information on performance times, venues and ticket prices, see the festival’s program (Chinese only), at kdarts.tnua.edu.tw/festival/file/0910_small.pdf
A localized rendition of American dramatist Beth Henley’s Pulitzer-winning play of the same title, Crime of the Heart is a tragic comedy in which three sisters are reunited at the military village where they grew up and are forced to confront ghosts from the past.
■ Eslite Xinyi Store (誠品信義店),
11 Songgao Rd, Taipei City
(台北市松高路11號)
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 8pm
■ Tickets are NT$400, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Legitimate Crimes (合法犯罪), the latest production by Ping-Fong Acting Troupe (屏風表演班), is a detective comedy that involves a murder in a amusement park. The stellar cast includes troupe founder Hugh Lee (李國修) and actor and comedian Gu Pao-min (顧寶明).
■ 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 and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Theatre de la Sardine (沙丁龐克劇團) presents Five Clowns and One Chair (五個小丑與一張椅子), which features five clowns who hate each other but must put on a show together.
■ Guling Street Theater (牯嶺街小劇場), 2, Ln 5, Guling St, Taipei City (台北市牯嶺街5巷2號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm and Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 and NT$450, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
In The Lonely Panda Series — Girls Fear Nothing (隱形貓熊系列—女生無敵) by If Kids Theater Company (如果兒童劇團), a 12-year-old girl named Ling Ling feels unnoticeable at school until one day an invisible panda shows her that every person has something others admire them for.
■ Novel Hall (新舞臺), 3-1 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路3-1號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 10:30pm, 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 10:30pm and 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Fou Ts’ong Haydn Piano Recital (傅聰鋼琴獨奏會) brings the renowned Shanghai-born pianist Fou Ts’ong (傅聰) to Taipei to perform a program of works by Haydn, including his piano concertos in D Major, B Minor and C Major.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Vocal Works by Tzyysheng Lee (第三首亡國詩 — 李子聲歌樂展) features a program by contemporary composer Tzyysheng Lee (李子聲) that includes the world premieres of New Works for Voice and Piano and “The Third Poem of the Nation’s Demise” for Baritone and Four Instruments, as well as “Two Poems of the Nation’s Demise” for Soprano and Four Instruments from 1991, and Five Chinese Art Songs.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ National Recital Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$250 to NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
From Leipzig to Vienna (從萊比錫到維也納 — 北市交與夏漢) sees the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團) performing under guest conductor Gilbert Varga and features violin soloist Hagai Shaham. The program includes Mendelssohn’s “Fingal’s Cave” Overture, Op. 26, Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26 and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$200 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
British Sea Power, a four-piece indie band from the UK that often draws comparisons with The Cure and Joy Division, appears tonight at the The Wall (這牆). Taking the stage tomorrow is Ayabie, a Japanese group whose music is described as Visual Kei, a uniquely Japanese version of glam rock in which performers often wear wild costumes and makeup. On Sunday it’s Bugs of Phonon (聲子蟲), post-rock-ish group Sun of Morning (晨曦光廊) and industrial hard-core band Roughhausen.
■ B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1).
Tel: (02) 2930-0162. On the Net:
www.thewall.com.tw
■ Music shows start at 8pm tonight, 7pm tomorrow and 8pm Sunday
■ Entrance is NT$1,500 tonight (NT$1,300 in advance), NT$1,500 tomorrow and NT$300 Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Solo acoustic act Easy takes the stage tonight at Witch House (女巫店). Tomorrow it’s indie rockers Queen Suitcase (皇后皮箱). On Thursday, acoustic folk group Xiaoyu Watermelon (小玉西瓜) opens for Every Planet (美味星球樂團).
■ 7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號).
Tel: (02) 2362-5494. On the Net:
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
Ray Band (雷樂隊), a trio of veteran session musicians, plays power rock originals and covers tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow the venue hosts a trio of Mando-pop artists: pop pianist and vocalist Csha (思涵), R ’n’ B singer Hsiao Hung-jen (蕭閎仁) and singer Queenie (方宥心). On Sunday it’s Rice Magnet and Believer. Monday is the venue’s weekly open-jam night.
■ 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). Tel: (02) 2368-7310. On the Net: www.riverside.com.tw
■ Shows start at 9:30pm tonight and 9pm tomorrow, Sunday and Monday. Open jam starts at 9pm. For a list of standard songs and ground rules, visit the venue’s Web site
■ Entrance is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 on Monday
Indie pop chanteuse Waa Wei (魏如萱), Mando-pop singer Chi Hsin-pei (季欣霈) and singer/guitarist Wing (羅文裕) are among seven acts appearing in support of the Typhoon Morakot benefit album Faith Map (信心地圖) tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館). Mando-pop singer Shadya (藍又時) takes the stage tomorrow. On Thursday Chinese-Canadian rock outfit io, winner of this year’s ICRT Battle of the Bands, opens for Golden Melody Award-winning Mando-pop singer-songwriter Debbie Hsiao (蕭賀碩).
■ 177 Xining S Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧南路177號). Tel: (02) 2370-8805. On the Net: www.riverside.com.tw
■ Shows start at 8:30pm tonight, tomorrow and Thursday
■ Entrance is NT$500 tonight, NT$450 tomorrow and NT$400 Thursday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw.
One-man electro-rock band Sonic Deadhorse appears tonight at Underworld (地下社會), along with Shishukong (屍術控). Tomorrow punks BB Bomb (BB彈) and Hot Pink share the bill with Japanese rockers Thee Out Mods. On Wednesday O2Sunshine and Savanna Band split the bill with rockers Killing Zoe.
■ B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Tel: (02) 2369-0103. On the Net: www.upsaid.com/underworld
■ 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. Happy Hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow and includes one drink, NT$100 on Wednesday
Earl Hines II Jazztet plays tonight at Sappho de Base. Tomorrow the venue’s Jazz Friends holds an open jam session. Louis Goldford Project plays on Tuesday, and on Wednesday the venue hosts KGR Jazz Trio (香塔樂團), which features Nbugu Kenyatta on drums and vocals. On Thursday Rocky and Friends preside over an open jam.
■ B1, 1, Ln 102, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段102巷1號B1).
Tel: (02) 2700-5411. On the Net:
www.sappho102.biz
■ Music shows begin at 10:30pm on weekends, 10pm on weekdays. Sappho is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is free
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). Tel: (02) 2508- 0304. On the Net: www.cosmo.com.tw
■ 8:30pm to 11pm on Wednesday
■ No entrance fee
Tomorrow 89k in Taichung hosts
high-energy rockers 88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽) and heavy metal/grunge
rockers Doublewide.
■ 21 Daguan Rd, Nantun Dist, Taichung City (台中市南屯區大觀路21號)
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$300
Roxy Roots, a bar and restaurant dedicated to reggae and blues fans, hosts Taichung-based country and western band Waysoon tomorrow night.
■ 90 Songren Rd, Taipei City (台北市松仁路90號). Tel: (02) 2725-3932.
On the Net: www.roxy.com.tw
■ Show starts at 10pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is free
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the coming week include beloved female crooner Tiger Huang (黃小琥), who performs two sets every Monday and Julia Peng (彭佳慧), a major draw who appears
every Tuesday.
■ 211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段211號). Tel: (02) 2738-3995. On the Net: visit www.ez5.com.tw
■ Music shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
■ Entrance fee (includes 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, 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). Tel: (02) 2579- 0558. On the Net: www.franzandfriends.com.tw
■ Minimum charge of NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, on other nights there’s a one-drink minimum
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