Theater
Xinbei City International Arts Festival (2010新北市藝術節) is an international art carnival that began early this month and runs through Oct. 24. Forty-three groups from six countries including Malaysia, Australia, Italy and the US are scheduled to bring a myriad of theatrical, music, acrobatic and multimedia shows to more than 20 towns and villages in Taipei County. Performing groups slated for this week include Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group (明華園戲劇總團) and If Kids Theater Company (如果兒童劇團). For more information, go to
www.xinbei-arts.com.
■ Major venues include Taipei County Arts Center (台北縣藝文中心演藝廳), 62 Jhuangjing Rd, Banciao City, Taipei County (台北縣板橋市莊敬路62號) and the East Plaza (東岸廣場) in Bitan (碧潭)
■ Admission to most shows is free. Tickets for the indoor performances at the Taipei County Arts Center are available through NTCH and ERA ticketing or online at www.kham.com.tw
For Kungfu Poetry Nine Volumes (功夫詩'九卷), Beijing’s Poly Kungfu Performing Group (保利功夫明星表演團) updates and hybridizes shaolin (少林) martial arts with elements of Broadway musicals, ballet and modern dance, as well as yoga and Western classical music.
■ 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, tomorrow and Sunday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
For Entrance II (飛行樂園), Diabolo Dance Theatre (舞鈴劇場) injects a dose of visual opulence and high energy into diabolo, a traditional children’s game and Chinese acrobatic routine.
■ Nangang 101 (南港101), 71 Xingnan St, Taipei City (台北市興南街71號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 10:30am and 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Legend Lin Dance Theatre’s (無垢舞蹈劇場) highly acclaimed Song of Pensive Beholding (Chants de la Destinee, 觀) is the final part of the trilogy set in a mythological world inhabited by men and spirits by renowned choreographer Lin Li-chen (林麗珍). [See story on Page 13.]
■ Kaohsiung Cultural Center’s Chih-teh Hall (高雄市立文化中心至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City, (高雄市五福一路67號)
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Based on Nobel Prize-winning Italian playwright Dario Fo’s The Tale of a Tiger, Tiger and Soldier (老虎與士兵) is a one-man show by Indian stage director and actor Chongtham Jayanta Meetei from EX-Theatre Asia (EX-亞洲劇團), who uses traditional Indian forms of story-telling and dance to tell the Italian story.
■ Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區), 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
As part of the International Chopin Festival 2010 (20X10蕭邦CHOPIN國際音樂節), pianist Gwhyenth Chen (陳毓襄), who first performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra when she was just 13, will perform a program of Chopin nocturnes and ballads in two concerts over the weekend.
■ Today at 7:30pm (Taipei) and tomorrow at 7:30pm (Taichung)
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City, and Chunghsing Concert Hall, Taichung (台中中興堂), 291-3 Cingwu Rd, Taichung City (台中市精武路291之3號)
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,800 (Taipei) and NT$350 to NT$1,000 (Taipei), available through ERA ticketing or online at www ticket.com.tw. Also available before the day of the performance through 7-Eleven ibon, Family Mart (全家) FamiPort and Hi-Life (萊爾富) Life-ET kiosks
ATS 20th Anniversary Concert Series (台灣絃樂團歡慶20週年系列 音樂會) presents the Academy of Taiwan Strings (台灣絃樂團) quartet performing a program that includes Haydn’s String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, No. 1, Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in A Minor, Op.13 and Schumann’s String Quartet in A Major, Op. 41, No. 3.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Performing Arts Hall of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taoyuan County Government (桃園縣政府文化局演藝廳), 21 Sianfu Rd, Taoyuan County (桃園市縣府路21號)
■ Tickets are NT$200 to NT$500, available through ERA ticketing or online at www ticket.com.tw. Also available before the day of the performance through 7-Eleven ibon, Family Mart (全家) FamiPort and Hi-Life (萊爾富) Life-ET kiosks
2010 Taipei International Choral Festival (台北國際合唱音樂節) opens Sunday with a concert featuring the Gustaf Sjokvists Chamber Choir from Sweden and the Bratislava Boys’ Choir from Slovakia performing Haydn’s Nelson Mass together with the Taipei Philharmonic Chorus (台北愛樂合唱團) and the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (台北愛樂青年管弦樂團). The performance will also feature Chen Mei-ling (陳美玲), soprano, Chen Pei-chi (陳�?, alto, Vincente Fortunato Moran, tenor and Liau Chong-boon (廖聰文), bass. This opening concert will be followed by a recital by Gustaf Sjokvists Chamber Choir on Monday, the Bratislava Boys’ Choir on Tuesday and Rajaton from Finland on Wednesday. The festival runs until Aug. 1. Free choral concerts will be held at 3pm tomorrow at the No. 7 Underground Plaza of the Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station (忠孝復興捷運站), and at noon on Sunday at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (台北市立美術館), located at 181 Zhongshan N Rd, Taipei City (台北市中山北 路三段181號), and at noon on Monday at the NTUH Children’s Wing (台大醫院兒童醫療大樓), located at 8 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei City (台北市中山南路8號). More information on the festival can be found at www.tpf.org.tw.
■ Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. Mando-pop singer Harlem Yu (庾澄慶) holds concerts tonight and tomorrow, which are billed as the “2010 Harlem Night Club.” On Sunday Canadian indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene takes the stage [see article on Page 13]. On Tuesday, the TWinkle Rock Festival kicks off with UK psychedelic Brit-pop band Kula Shaker.
■ 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 tonight and tomorrow, Sunday at 7:30pm and Tuesday at 8:30pm
■ Admission is NT$1,400, NT$1,600 or NT$2,000 tonight and tomorrow, NT$2,200 on Sunday (NT$1,800 in advance) and NT$1,800 on Tuesday (NT$1,650 in advance). Tickets can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Indie rockers Touming Magazine (透明雜誌), electro-rock band Sunset Rollercoaster (落日飛車) and garage rockers The White Eyes (白目樂隊) perform tonight at The Wall. Tomorrow night it’s Orangegrass (橙草), a post-rock band with an emo-punk singer. Later on DJs Dim Mak, Mykal and Dino keep the venue moving with an all-night dance party billed “Mustard Pimp.” Japanese pop singer Megumi Nakajima appears on Sunday.
■ 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
■ Shows start at 8pm. Tomorrow’s DJ show starts at 11:30pm
■ Admission is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow for the bands, NT$900 (NT$600 in advance) for tomorrow’s dance party and NT$1,500 on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Witch House (女巫店) hosts indie-pop group Miss Silk Stocking (絲襪小姐). Tomorrow it’s indie singer-songwriters Huang Pei-yu (黃培育) and Liu A-chang (劉阿昌). Acoustic solo performer Marine and Taichung group FiFi Two (緋緋兔) split the bill 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).
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
■ Admission for music shows is NT$300
No shows are scheduled for tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) as of press time. Check the Web site for updates. Tomorrow jazz pianist Hsu Yu-ying (許郁瑛) performs to promote her latest release. On Sunday it’s jazz-rock group Seven Shekels (七舍客勒) and the Baba Band (爸爸辦桌). 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 all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ Admission is NT$400 tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150
on Monday
Tonight Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館) hosts Mando-pop singers Jason Chang (張正宗) and Tong-en (同恩). Tomorrow the venue hosts pop-rock band Crystal Dancer (舞璃), pop-punk group The Fen-Fens (紛紛樂團) and Indie Famous. On Sunday renowned metal musicians Michael Angelo and Neil Zaza perform in a tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio. Also appearing is local hard-rock guitar hero Marty Young (楊沛霖).
■ 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 and 7pm on Sunday
■ Admission is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow and NT$600 or NT$900 on Sunday afternoon. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Underworld (地下社會) hosts expat rockers Half Mile Radius and Mr Dirty. Electro-rock band Sunset Rollercoaster and Nintendo Generation Blues (任天堂世代憂鬱) take the stage tomorrow. Roxymoron appears on 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 for music shows is NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesdays
The Earl Hines II Jazztet appears tonight at Sappho de Base, the late-night lounge bar and hangout for musicians from Taipei’s jazz and blues scene. Tomorrow the venue hosts Jo Jo Ma Quintet, a group led by saxophonist Joseph Marchione. The Emo Jazz Trio appears on Tuesday, saxophonist Klaus Bru’s plays on Wednesday, and TNT Jazz hosts an open jam 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).
Tel: (02) 2700-5411. On the Net:
www.sappho102.biz
■ Music shows begin at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$100 tonight and Wednesday and NT$150 tomorrow, free on other nights
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tonight features punk group Autumn Tiger, The Last Chance and Drum N’ Keyboard. Tomorrow veteran punks Fire Ex (滅火器) celebrate their 10th anniversary. On Sunday the venue hosts Yan Yung-neng (嚴詠能), a folk singer who won the Best Taiwanese-language Album prize at this year’s Golden Melody Awards.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw,
www.thewall.com.tw
■ Shows start at 7:30pm tonight and tomorrow and Sunday at 7pm
■ Admission is NT$300 tonight and Sunday, NT$400 tomorrow
BY David Chen
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