Theater
Principal dancers from troupes in Europe, North America and South Korea join forces this weekend at the Sixth International Ballet Star Gala in a program packed with classics and many contemporary duets and solos not seen before in Taipei.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$1,200 to NT$6,000, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
A collaboration between Song, Song, Song Children’s and Puppet Theatre (九歌兒童劇團) and Theatre Mala Scena in Croatia, Play & Play (遊戲狂想曲) is a children’s theatrical piece that fuses dance and acrobatics to portray the imaginary worlds of a boy and a girl.
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday at 10:30am, 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 10:30am and 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through ERA ticketing and online at www.ticket.com.tw
Performed by two dancers and a drummer, 2012 Love — Marine Universe Love (2012戀 — 海洋宇宙之戀) by Moon Echo Theatre (羊喚劇場工作室) is a contemporary dance piece that tells of love among gods, spirits and animals.
■ Wenshan Theater (文山劇場), 32 Jingwen St, Taipei City (台北市景文街32號)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
For Entrance (奇幻旅程), Diabolo Dance Theatre (舞鈴劇場) takes audiences on a journey through the eyes of a little girl with its visually opulent, high-energy performance of diabolo, a traditional children’s game, and Chinese acrobatics. The show runs from Wednesdays to Sundays until the end of March.
■ Expo Hall at Taipei Expo Park (花博公園舞蝶館), located at the intersection of Zhongshan North Road (中山北路) and Minzu East Road (民族東路) in Taipei City
■ Tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Flying-Group Theatre (飛人集社劇團) presents The Dying Fish (魚), which centers on the tragic yet comic romance between a kindergarten teacher and her insurance salesman boyfriend. An uninvited guest comes along and shakes up the couple’s dull life together.
■ Wansha Music Salon, Yonghua branch (涴莎古典音樂沙龍永華館), 75 Yonghua 1st St, Greater Tainan (台南市永華一街75號)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$350, available through NTCH ticketing and 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 pop performers and international acts. No shows are scheduled for tomorrow as of press time. On Saturday, Aboriginal singer and Taiwanese folk legend Kimbo Hu (胡德夫) takes to the stage. And on Wednesday, indie rock performers Metronomy, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Naked and Famous and The Jezabels perform [see story on page 13].
■ 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, except Wednesday’s, which begins at 7pm
■ NT$1,000 on Saturday (NT$800 in advance), NT$2,000 on Wednesday (NT$1,700 in advance). Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw and www.legacy.com.tw and at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Tonight, The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, hosts electro-band XOXO (叉圈叉圈), which has just released a new EP, Small Potato (小人物) and pop-ska group Pops Candy (跳跳糖). Tomorrow, indie rock bands Green!Eyes and Come on! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!) take to the stage. On Saturday, the venue hosts Mandarin-rapping hip-hop artist Mr Brown (布朗) of the group Da Xi Men (大囍門). On Sunday, it’s indie upstarts New Sunglasses (新墨鏡), Subway and Low Brightness Period (低明度時期).
■ 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
■ NT$400 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow (NT$400 in advance), NT$450 on Saturday, and NT$400 on Sunday (NT$300 in advance). Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Witch House (女巫店), an intimate coffeehouse-style venue in the National Taiwan University area, hosts solo indie performers Chan Yu-chi (詹宇琦) and Marine (馬林). Tomorrow, pop-rocker Ady Chang’s Ocean Band (張十二的海派樂隊) takes to the stage, and on Saturday it’s electro-rock from Sonic Deadhorse and 2Hrs.
■ 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
■ Shows 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 for music shows is NT$300
Noise rock group She Bang-a (死蚊子) and garage band rockers Vampire Watching Television (吸血鬼看電視) take to the stage tomorrow at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. On Saturday, the venue hosts Hong Kong synth duo Hence and Comma and local post-rock heroes Aphasia (阿飛西雅). On Wednesday, it’s up-and-coming bands Sleeping Brain and Smashing Tangerines (捏爆柳丁).
■ 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
■ Shows run from 9pm to 11pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesdays. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance is NT$300 tomorrow (includes one drink) and NT$500 on Saturday (includes one drink before 11:30pm, two drinks after). Entrance for Wednesday shows is NT$100
Tonight Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) hosts acoustic guitar duo Woody Woody. Tomorrow, veteran jazz combo JEG (這個爵士樂團) plays standards, Latin, funk, rock and fusion. Alt-rock band Silent Toads (啾吉惦惦) and Mystery (謎團) take to the stage on Saturday. On Sunday, it’s solo folk rock sets from Ady Chang (張十二) and Birdman (日京江羽人).
■ 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
■ Show starts tonight at 9:30pm, 9pm all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ NT$350 tonight, NT$450 tomorrow, NT$500 on Saturday (NT$400 in advance) and NT$350 on Sunday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館) hosts Mando-pop singer Dave Fu (傅宇昊). Tomorrow, Mando-pop singer-songwriter Ric Huang (荒山亮) takes to the stage, and on Saturday it’s an evening of hard rock and pop-punk from Overnight, GunPowder (槍砲樂團) and Broken Flowers (碎紙花).
■ 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
■ NT$350 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow and NT$400 on Saturday (NT$350 in advance). Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Guitar and bass duo Duno performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar. Jazz drummer Yifang Lee and her band take to the stage tomorrow. No shows are scheduled on Saturday as of press time. On Tuesday, the Sappho House Band leads an open jam, and on Wednesday, it’s alto saxophonist Gilad Edelman and his quintet.
■ 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
■ Shows start at 10pm. The venue is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is NT$200 tomorrow, free other nights
Acclaimed Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君) performs every Thursday at EZ5 Live House, which hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), who performs every Saturday, and veteran singer Ann Lang (郎祖筠) on Wednesday.
■ 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
■ Shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Tonight, The TAV Cafe (村落餐廳), a bar and cafe located at the Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村), hosts pianist Hsu Yu-ying (許郁瑛) and her quartet. Tomorrow, it’s Be My Guest, a new jazz group. On Saturday, trombonist and pianist Chris Stiles and friends take to the stage.
■ 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號), tel: (02) 3393-7377, X207
■ Shows start at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$200, which includes one drink
Italian restaurant Capone’s hosts pop/rock band Mary Jane and her Quartet every Friday. On Saturday, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans. On Wednesday nights, it’s Latin music from guitarist Roberto Zayas.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號), tel: (02) 2773-3782
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ On Fridays, minimum charge of one drink. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tomorrow the venue hosts indie bands Enfys (恩菲斯) and The Third Party (第三者). On Saturday, punk band Damnkidz headlines a bill that includes power-pop band NPMC (北衛) and grunge rockers Memory Trader (記憶販子).
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (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
■ NT$300 tomorrow and Saturday
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts live music every Saturday. This weekend features Weekend Pie (周末派) and acoustic fingerstyle guitar duo Woody Woody.
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市左營區立文路46號), tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Starts at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$200, which includes one drink
Classical music
Gil Shaham Solo Violin Recital — Special Evening of Bach Solo (夏漢小提琴獨奏會 — 巴哈無伴奏特別演出) presents Israeli-American violinist Gil Shaham performing a program of Bach that includes the composer’s Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006, Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005 and Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available from ERA ticketing and online at www.ticket.com.tw
Salute! Voices of 40 (愛樂四十 — 40聲部的禮讚) celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir (台北愛樂室內合唱團) with a program that includes the Taiwan premiere of Thomas Tallis’ Spem in Alium and Jan Dismas Zelenka’s Magnificat, and Bach’s Singet dem Herrn ein Neues Lied, BWV 225, and Handel’s Utrecht Jubilate. The choir, supported by the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (台北愛樂青年管弦樂團) will be conducted by Wu Shang-lun (吳尚倫).
■ Saturday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,000, available from NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
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