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EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Highlight

OrBe is a jazz duo that performs original compositions inspired by modern jazz and French musette. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEREMY PAULIN

Tomorrow night, two French music groups on tour in Taiwan, orBe and VOY, perform at the Huaden Art Center (華燈藝術中心) in Tainan. OrBe, a jazz duo of trombonist Olivier Baron and guitarist Olivier Roussel, plays jazz in a minimalist style, while VOY is the musical project of solo singer and pianist Veronique Truffot, who performs with two dancers. Truffot improvises when she sings — her “words” are not real, but rather ad-libbed. The meanings of her songs come from the “emotional sounds” that she sings. The two dancers, Daphne Abecassis and Pauline Meguerditchian, who also perform as the Item Company, provide a visual presentation of Truffot’s music. In several numbers the dancers are tethered to the piano by ropes, making them appear to be physically linked to Truffot. The two groups also perform in Chiayi at the Beirong Church at 10:30pm, after the morning service. ▲ VOY and orBe: live jazz and dance performances tomorrow at 7pm at the Huaden Art Center (華燈藝術中心), 85 Shengli Rd, Tainan City (台南市勝利路85號), call (06) 222-2587, and tomorrow at 10:30am at Beirong Church (北榮長老教會), 266 Sirong St, Chiayi City (嘉義市西榮街266號) ▲ Admission is free ▲ On the Net: VOY, www.myspace.com/veroniquetruffotcompositions and www.myspace.com/compagnie_item; orBe, www.myspace.com/orbepaca

Theater

Water, cobwebs, bubbles and dry ice are some of the methods Slava’s Snow Show uses to wow audiences. There are also clowns and a snow blizzard of confetti that blankets the audience in this award-winning tragicomedy that follows the life of a clown who tries to find meaning in a hostile world.

▲ Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中市中山堂), 98 Hsuehshi Rd, Taichung City (台中市學士路98號)

▲ Today, tomorrow and Sunday at 7:30pm and tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm

▲ Tickets are NT$1,000 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing

An early Hakka and Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) musical, April Rain (四月望雨) returns to the stage tomorrow. The multilingual performance — Hoklo, Hakka, Mandarin and Japanese — is based on the life of Teng Yu-sian (鄧雨賢), a Japanese-colonial era composer who has been hailed as the father of Taiwanese folk music. Teng is portrayed as an artist caught between different cultures and torn between idealism and reality.

▲ Tainan Municipal Cultural Center (台南市立文化中心), 332, Chunghua E Rd Sec 3, Tainan City (台南市中華東路三段332號)

▲ Tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm

▲ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing

Who is the fairest of them all? Song Song Song Children’s & Puppet Theater (九歌兒童劇團) has adapted Snow White into a story of unrequited love in A Dwarf Who Loved Snow White (愛上白雪公主的小矮人), a children’s performance that sees one of the seven dwarfs falling in love with the kingdom’s fairest princess.

▲ Jhongli Arts Center (中壢藝術館), 16 Jhungmei Rd, Jhongli City (中壢市中美路16號)

▲ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm

▲ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$800, available through NTCH ticketing

Classical music

Passion & Despair — Victor Coo & Yahsin Wu in a Concert (Passion & Despair — 維多.高與吳亞欣音樂會) features Victor Coo on cello and Wu Yahsin on piano performing a program that includes Shostakovich’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in D Minor, Op.40, Rachmaninoff’s Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in G Minor, Op.19 and Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango for Violoncello and Piano.

▲ Today at 7:30pm

▲ Chihshan Hall, National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center, Kaohsiung City (高雄市立文化中心至善堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City, (高雄市五福一路67號)

▲ Tickets are NT$200 and NT$300, available through ERA ticketing

2008 Chung-Lin Lee Flute Recital “French Tradition” (2008 李宗霖長笛獨奏會「左岸時光」) has flautist Lee Chung-lin (李宗霖) performing works by Boismortier, Devienne, Borne and Jolivet accompanied by pianist Hsieh Shu-ya (謝舒雅). A second concert will be held at the Forum Auditorium (十方樂集音樂劇場演奏廳) in Taipei on July 25.

▲ Today at 7:30pm

▲ Forum Auditorium (十方樂集音樂劇場演奏廳), 4, Ln 187, Minzu W Rd, Taipei City (台北市民族西路187巷4號)

▲ Tickets are NT$250, available through ERA ticketing

Li Cheng-yu and Andrew Page Jazz Duet (李承育與葉祖安爵士二重奏) features the two University of Texas alumni performing saxophone and piano in a program that includes works from Cole Porter, Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins.

▲ Tomorrow at 7:30pm

▲ Forum Auditorium (十方樂集音樂劇場演奏廳), 4, Ln 187, Minzu W Rd, Taipei City (台北市民族西路187巷4號)

▲ Tickets are NT$250, available through NTCH ticketing

2008 Wansha Music Salon — Su En-chia Piano Recital (2008涴莎夏季樂集 — 未來新秀蘇恩加鋼琴獨奏會) introduces 17-year-old Su En-chia (蘇恩加), who will perform a program including Bach’s Toccata in F Sharp Minor, BWV 910, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 11 in B Flat Major, Op. 22, and Debussy’s Estampes.

▲ Sunday at 2:30pm

▲ Wansha Classical Music Salon (涴莎古典音樂沙龍), 12, Alley 16, Ln 167, Tungmen Rd Sec 2, Tainan City (台南市東門路二段167巷16弄12號)

Contemporary

The Taipei International Jazz Festival continues with a free show tomorrow evening at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Performers include Hope & Gin’s Guitar Duo featuring Wei-jiun, a trio composed of two guitarists and violinist Huang Wei-jiun (黃偉駿), and Ya-wen and the OFF Trio (爵士情人夢—歌手孫雅文與OFF三重奏 ), a group led by female vocalist Sun Ya-wen (孫雅文) playing “jazz for lovers.” See Page 13 of the June 20, 2008, edition of the Taipei Times for more details on the festival.

▲ 181, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市中山北路3段181號); near Yuanshan MRT Station (圓山捷運站)

▲ Starts at 6:30pm

▲ No entrance fee

Appearing tonight at Center Stage (formerly the Living Room, now under new management) is Paper Scissors Stone Band, which plays folk rock and classic rock covers “from the 50s to the present.” Tomorrow it’s a triple bill of rockers Auto de Fe, bluegrass band Pine Top Surgeons, and hard-core Taiwanese punk band Angry Young Man.

▲ 3F, 8, Nanjing E Rd Sec 5, Taipei City (台北市南京東路五段8號3樓). Call (02) 8787-4154 or visit www.myspace.com/taipeicenterstage for more information

▲ Shows start at 10pm

▲ NT$200 entrance fee

Tonight at Sappho de Base is Sam’s Jazz Quintet (蘇聖育爵士五重奏), which features musicians participating in the Taipei International Jazz Festival. Blues Vibrations appear tomorrow playing blues and surf rock. On Tuesday night, Grace Jazz Trio plays a set, with an open jam afterwards. KGD Jazz Trio appears on Wednesday, and on Thursday it’s DJ Zulu, spinning what he calls “timeless and positive black sounds.”

▲ 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

▲ No entrance fee

Pan Africana, a drum ensemble of African and Caribbean expats, takes to the stage tonight at Bliss. Tomorrow, it’s Sinister Sound Syndicate, which plays electro-house, disco punk and minimalist techno.

▲ 148, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段148號), one block east of Dunhua South Road (敦化南路). Call Bliss at (02) 2702-1855 or log on at www.bliss-taipei.com. For more information on live performances at Bliss, visit www.myspace.com/blisslivehouse

▲ Tonight and tomorrow at 10pm. Bar/kitchen open from 7pm daily. Ladies night Fridays; women get one free cocktail of their choice

▲ Entrance to the bar is free. NT$200 cover for music shows

Appearing tonight at Underworld (地下室) is electronica rock outfit Unfamiliar Friends Party (不熟的朋友) with rock band Touming Magazine. Tomorrow it’s Underflow, an industrial band led by Eric Duan of Mynamar and indie-rockers Double Wide. On Wednesday it’s indie rock band Passionate Winker (激情睫毛) and The Strike.

▲ 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

▲ Live shows go from 9:30pm to 11:30pm. The bar is open from 8pm daily, closed Mondays

▲ Entrance on Fridays and Saturdays is NT$300 and includes one drink; NT$100 on Wednesdays

Witch House (女巫店) hosts indie singer Huang Pei-yu (黃培育) tonight and harmonica trio Sirius Sharp (天狼星口琴樂團) tomorrow. Singer Huang Jie (黃玠) appears on Thursday, with a backing band of two acoustic guitarists and an accordionist.

▲ 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

▲ NT$300 entrance includes one drink

Tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) it’s acoustic and jazz standards by Real Collective (河岸留言精選爵士四重奏), the band composed of Riverside’s owner and guitar maestro Geddy Lin (林正如),

with Toshi Fujii (藤井俊充) on drums, keyboardist Uno (烏野薰) and Kinya (池田欣彌) on double and electric bass. Pop singer Shino (林曉培) performs tomorrow. On Sunday it’s punk band White Eyes (白目) and disco-rockers Cosmic Man (宇宙人).

▲ 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). Call (02) 2368-7310 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information

▲ Shows start at 9:30pm

▲ NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday. Admission includes one free drink. There is a one-drink cover on Monday

Tonight a group of bands takes to the stage at 89k: The Endless Trip, Budduh, Taiwanese rockers 88 Balaz (八十八顆芭樂籽) and Taichung punks Damn Kidz. Pan Africana, a drum ensemble of expats from Africa and the Caribbean, plays tomorrow.

▲ 25 Daguan Rd, Taichung City (台中市大觀路25號). Call (04) 2381-8240 for more information

▲ Shows start at 10:30pm

▲ Entrance fee NT$300; includes one drink

Every Wednesday night at Cosmopolitan Grill there’s a blues open mic, held by the Blues Society on Taiwan and hosted by Torch Pratt. All are welcome to bring their instruments and sit in on guitar, bass, or drums.

▲ 1F, 218 Changchun Rd, Taipei City (台北市長春路218號1樓). Call 2508-0304 or visit www.cosmo.com.tw for more information

▲ 8pm to 11pm every Wednesday

▲ Free admission

The Diner’s (樂子) new branch on Dunhua Road hosts The Diner Jam, an open mic session every Thursday.

▲ 6, Ln 103, Dunhua S Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路二段103巷6號), just off Anhe Road (安和路), in the lane adjacent to Carnegie’s. Call (02) 2700-1680 or visit www.thediner.com.tw for more information

▲ 9:30pm to midnight every Thursday

▲ Free admission

Exhibition

Oversized Hanging and Hand Scrolls (巨幅名畫). The National Palace Museum has selected seven famed large works of Chinese brush painting from the Sung and Qing dynasties for its latest exhibition. The ensemble includes Tung Chi-chang’s (董其昌, 1555 to 1636) Shady Trees in a Summer Landscape and Giuseppe Castiglione’s (1688 to 1766) The Imperial Rites of Sericulture.

▲ National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院), 221, Zhishan Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市至善路二段221號). Open Mondays to Sundays from 9am to 5pm; Saturdays until 8:30pm. Call (02) 2881-2021

▲ Until Sept. 25

Totem and Taboo: Solo Exhibition by J.C. Kuo (圖騰與禁忌:郭振昌個展). A celebrated member of the first generation of contemporary artists of post-World War II Taiwan, Kuo is known for his visually and emotionally expressive style that reflects the hybridity of Taiwanese culture. The exhibition features works by Kuo from the 1990s onwards, when the artist explored the blending of folk beliefs, traditional Chinese myths and Eastern and Western religions in Taiwanese society.

▲ Taipei Fine Arts Museum (台北市立美術館), 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; Saturdays until 8:30pm. Call (02) 2595-7656

▲ Until Sept. 21

Beyond 20 Degrees Celsius — Exhibition of Room Temperature Luminescence From Taiwan’s Contemporary Imaging Art (非20度C — 台灣當代藝術的常溫影像). The exhibition brings together works by 14 local artists to explore the fusion of photography, conceptual and installation art in the 1990s.

▲ National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (國立台灣美術館), 2, Wuchuan W Rd Sec 1, Taichung City (台中市五權西路一段2號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9am to 5pm. Call (04) 2372-3552

▲ Until July 27

Who’s Dongguri? (誰是Dongguri?) Dongguri is a character created by South Korean artist Kwon Ki-soo. It appears in many of the artist’s works made in various media, including painting, sculpture and video art. Warm, innocent and childlike, Dongguri is a simple creature that lives in never-never land and doesn’t like to ponder philosophical questions.

▲ Metaphysical Art Gallery (形而上畫廊), 7F, 219, Dunhua S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路一段219號7樓) Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 6:30pm. Call (02) 2771-3236

▲ Until Aug. 5

You to Be — Chen Song-jei Solo Exhibition (你在 — 陳松志個展) features four of Chen’s newest works that utilize glass and mirrors to use the “viewer” as a framework.

▲ Museum of Contemporary Art (台北當代藝術館), 39 Changan W Rd, Taipei City (台北市長安西路39號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Call (02) 2552-3720

▲ Until Aug. 24

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