Theater
Based on American writer Frances Hodgson Burnett’s children’s book of the same title, The Secret Garden (祕密花園) by If Kids Theater Company (如果兒童劇團) tells the story of a little girl called Lily and the secret she discovers in her reclusive uncle’s garden.
■ 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 10:30am, 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 10:30am and 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 and NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
NG Improv Club (新激梗社劇團) presents New Chicken Disease (新神雞病), a comedy about the newly discovered N1G1 virus, which sparks a global panic. Sufferers, upon hearing a rooster cry, can’t help but do what they are most afraid to. Audience members play along with the performing comedians to create the production.
■ Comedy Club, B1, 24 Taishun St, Taipei City (台北市泰順街24號B1)
■ Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 or NT$270 in advance at the door or online at
tickets.books.com.tw
Taiwan’s favorite grassroots comedians, Peng Chia-chia (澎恰恰) and Hsu Hsiao-shun (許效舜), return with My Dear Next Door (隔壁親家), a Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) musical and comedy about two farming families that are embroiled in a long-running feud.
■ 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)
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
In WoMan (這一夜—守歲) by Taiwan Drama Performance (台灣戲劇表演家), the skeletons in one family’s closet come out at a Lunar New Year gathering.
■ 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)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$250 to NT$1,200, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Godot Theatre Company’s (果陀劇場) The 39 Steps (步步驚笑) is a comedic espionage thriller adapted in Mandarin from the novel of the same title by John Buchan. The star-studded cast includes veteran thespians Chin Shih-chieh (金士傑) and Tien Hsin (天心) and television and theater actors Pu Hsueh-liang (卜學亮) and Renzo Liu (劉亮佐). The four play a total of 48 characters in the play. This is the first major Broadway production licensed in Chinese while the original runs concurrently in New York and London.
■ Kaohsiung Chihteh Hall (高雄至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市五福一路67號)
■ Tomorrow at 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
Classical music
Hu Ching-yun Piano Recital (耀夜極光 — 胡靜云2010鋼琴獨奏會) presents Hu Ching-yun (胡靜云), the winner of The 12th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in 2008 performing a program that includes Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 18 in D Major, Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit, Granados’ El Amor y la Muerte, from “Goyescas” and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor.
■ Sunday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$350 to NT$2,500, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Kiddy Zauberflote — Opera Show (歐普拉的《魔笛》秀 － 國家寶藏的探險) is a program of excerpts from Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute, produced for children. It nevertheless features some of Taiwan’s top operatic talent, including Chen Mei-lin (陳美玲) as Pamina, Tai Hsiao-chun (戴曉君) as Queen of Night and Liau Chong-boon as Papageno. The Taipei Symphony Orchestra (臺北市立交響樂團) will be conducted by Yang Chi-ching (楊智欽) and the performance hosted by television personality Chao Ting (趙婷).
■ Tomorrow at 3pm and 7:30pm (tickets for the 7:30pm performance are already sold out)
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese bands and international acts. Tonight Hong Kong rock musician and guitar maven Paul Wong (黃貫中) takes to the stage. Tomorrow it’s beloved indie-pop band 1976, which will be joined by a recent collaborator, pop singer Valen Hsu (許茹芸).
■ Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Center Five Hall (中五館), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Shows start at 8pm
■ Entrance is NT$1,500 at the door, NT$700 tomorrow (NT$600 in advance). Prices include one drink. Tickets are available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw or
www.legacy.com.tw
French indie/pop band Peppermoon is touring Asia and appears tonight at the The Wall (這牆). Tomorrow emo group Hindsight (光景消逝) and Mutaker, which mixes electronica and black metal, take the stage. Later on it’s organik 001, a techno dance party featuring DJs JJ, A-tao and DataBass. On Sunday the venue hosts Japanese post-rock group rururu, which has been described in its home country as “Mogwai meets Aphex Twin.” Supporting acts include XOXOXO (咻咻咻) and Bugs of Phonon (聲子蟲). On Wednesday it’s Japanese bands Aria Asia and Heaven’s Hemp, which share a billing with some of Taiwan’s best girl-power bands: Go Chic, The White Eyes (白目樂隊) and Anniedora (安妮朵拉).
■ 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
■ All music shows start at 8pm tonight, tomorrow (dance party tomorrow starts at 11:30) and Sunday, and 7pm on Wednesday.
■ Entrance fee is NT$700 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow, NT$600 for the dance party tomorrow (NT$400 in advance), NT$500 on Sunday (NT$400 in advance), NT$600 on Wednesday (NT$400 in advance). Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Amis folk rock group Passiwali (巴西瓦里) plays at Witch House (女巫店) tonight. Funk and nu-metal band Coach (教練) appears tomorrow night.
■ 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 and 11am to 1am Thursdays through Saturdays
■ Entrance fee for music shows is NT$300
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). Beloved Aboriginal folk singer Panai (巴奈) performs tomorrow. On Sunday it’s Sun Bi-nuo (孫碧娜), an aspiring South Korean-born Mando-pop singer and former contestant on the One Million Star (超級星) pop-idol show. Also appearing is singer Ai Ching (艾青). Monday is 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). Tel: (02) 2368-7310. On the Net: www.riverside.com.tw
■ Shows start at 9:30pm tonight and 9pm tomorrow and Sunday. Monday’s open jam starts at 9pm. For a list of standard songs and ground rules, visit the venue’s Web site.
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 on Monday
Tonight Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館) hosts Green Field (綠野仙蹤) and pop-rock duo Nature Morte (靜物樂團), with a special appearance by indie-pop musician and producer Ciacia (何欣穗). Taking the stage tomorrow night is Mando-pop band F.I.R. (飛兒樂團).
■ 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 and tomorrow
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight and NT$500 tomorrow. Tickets can be purchased online at www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse/ or tickets.books.com.tw.
Tonight Underworld (地下社會) hosts indie rockers Sunset Rollercoaster (落日飛車) and Varo. Low-key indie-rock duo Zag Lope (柴可洛噗) plays tomorrow night with Drum ‘n’ Keyboard (鼓打鍵盤). As of press time, no shows were scheduled for Wednesday.
■ 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 on Fridays and Saturdays is NT$300, which includes one drink
Jo Jo Ma Quintet, a group led by saxophonist Joseph Marchione, performs tonight at Sappho de Base. New Orleans funk and blues outfit the Kenyatta Quintet takes the stage tomorrow. On Tuesday, it’s the Emo Jazz Trio and on Wednesday the venue hosts Flaneur Daguerre, a jazz quartet that plays everything Bach to Bjork and Ornette Coleman to the Ramones. On Thursday DD Quartet plays fusion jazz.
■ 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 Friday and Saturday and 9:30pm on Tuesday and Thursday and 10pm on Wednesday. Closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is free
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include beloved female singer Tiger Huang (黃小琥), who performs two sets every Monday, Julia Peng (彭佳慧), a major draw who appears every Tuesday, and male crooner Shin Lung (辛隆), who performs every Saturday.
■ 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
Roxy Roots hosts rock band Aurora tonight and reggae group The Warmups tomorrow. Wednesday night is the venue’s musical showcase, featuring a roster of bands organized by a different musician every week. This week is hosted by South African expat musician Dawid Vorster. Come ready to dance on Thursday for Salsaton and Reggaeton 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
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is free
The Mercury (水星酒館) in Kaohsiung features indie bands every week. Grunge group The Last Chance takes to the stage tomorrow.
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市左營區立文路46號).
Tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Shows start at 9:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$100
Tomorrow night Taichung’s 89k hosts the DJ squad Colour Wolf.
■ 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
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