Theater
Written and directed by theater doyen Stan Lai (賴聲川), Performance Workshop’s (表演工作坊) Light Years (陪我看電視) tells of the social changes in China over the past 30 years through the journey of a black-and-white television named Xiao Bao. The play premiered in Beijing in September featuring actors from China and Taiwan, including Fang Fang (方芳), Zhang Jingchu (張靜初) and Chu Chih-ying (朱芷瑩).
▲National Theater, Taipei
▲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
Happiness Part III — Forget
Me Not (浮浪貢開花3—勿忘影中人), the latest installment of Golden Bough Theatre’s (金枝演社) Happiness (浮浪貢開花) series, is a lighthearted, comic musical that tells the story
of a young bohemian and his search for happiness.
▲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 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Shitty Life (開運喜劇ㄕˇ味人生) is for and about those who have been laid off, dumped by their lovers and face the disapproval of their own mothers.
▲Comedy Club, B1, 24 Taihsun St, Taipei City (台北市泰順街24號B1)
▲Today, tomorrow and Sunday at 8pm
▲Tickets are NT$500 at the door, NT$450 in advance, available through tickets.books.com.tw
The Kingdom of Performance (2009說唱玩國) is Taipei Quyi Troupe’s (台北曲藝團) latest attempt to raise children’s interest in cross-talk (相聲), a Chinese comedic performance form.
▲Red House Theater (紅樓劇場), 10 Chengdu Rd, Taipei City (台北市成都路10號)
▲Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday
at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$300 and NT$500, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Capital Ballet, Taipei (台北首都芭蕾舞團) presents Ballet Pageant III (玩芭蕾3) inspired by Richard Strauss’ 1905 opera Salome
▲Chiayi Performing Arts Center (嘉義縣表演藝術中心), 265, Jianguo Rd Sec 2, Minsyong Township, Chiayi County (嘉義縣民雄鄉建國路二段265號)
▲Tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$250 to NT$400, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Nuance Chamber Ensemble 2009 Concert (微分音室內樂集2009) presents a program that includes Faure’s Pavane Op. 50 for Violin and Cello, Beethoven’s Piano Trio Op. 70 No.1 “Ghost Trio” in D Major and Brahms’ Piano Quartet Op. 25 in G Minor.
▲Sunday at 7:30pm
▲National Recital Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$500, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Absolutely Jazz (爵對Absolutely Jazz) will feature a program including Andrew Beall’s arrangement of the Pat Metheny Suite and Beck’s Jazz Variants.
▲Today at 7:30pm
▲Performance Hall of the Bureau of Cultural Affairs Hsinchu City (新竹市文化局演藝廳), 17, Dongda Rd Sec 2, Hsinchu City (新竹市東大路二段17號)
▲Tickets are NT$250 to NT$350, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Lost in Wonderland (兒童樂園—彈指之間室內樂團 樂活一夏) is a series of chamber concerts for children. This week the concert will feature Chu Yu-you (朱育佑) on violin and Hsieh Yi-hsuan (謝宜璇) on cello. The program includes Reinhold Gliere’s Eight Pieces for Violin and Violoncello, Op. 39, Handel-Halvorse’s Passacaglia for Violin and Violoncello arranged by Michael Press and Zoltan Kodaly’s Duo, Op. 7.
▲Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Henry Mazer Music and Culture (台北愛樂暨梅哲音樂文化館) at B1, 7 Jinan Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市濟南路一段7號B1)
▲Tickets are NT$250, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com
Tzu-Shan Huang Vocal Recital (幻象-黃子珊獨唱會) presents singer Huang Tzu-shan (黃子珊) performing the compositions of Benjamin Britten.
▲Tuesday at 7:30pm
▲National Recital Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$250, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com
Contemporary
Metal is on the menu tonight at The Wall (這牆) with Alien Avenge (異族亡魂), Nemesis (天譴) and Japanese
nu-metal group Head Phones President. Tomorrow and Sunday indie label U-Loud Music holds a party to celebrate its birthday. [See Highlight above.] Taking to the stage tomorrow are Silverbus, rapper Chang Jui-chuan (張睿銓), alt-rockers Orangegrass (橙草) and black metal group Chthonic (閃靈). On Sunday it’s ska group Shy Kick Apple (害羞踢蘋果), punks Fire Ex (滅火器) and post-rock band Sugar Plum Ferry (甜梅號). On Tuesday French rock duo Inspector Cluzo, which played at Spring Scream this year, returns for another show.
▲B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Call (02) 2930-0162 or visit www.thewall.com.tw for more information
VAll shows start at 8pm except for tomorrow’s, which starts at 6pm
▲Entrance fee is NT$550 tonight. Tomorrow and Sunday’s shows are NT$500 for one night, NT$800 for two nights, tickets are available at White Wabbit Records, located inside the venue. Tuesday’s show is NT$400
Jun Lee (李昀熹) of Neon plays a
solo show tonight at Witch House (女巫店). Tomorrow it’s another set
of solo acts: Ian (芮唯) and Puyuma singer Leo Chen (陳永龍). Electronica-rock band Dianzibiao (電子婊樂隊) and post-rock group Mosquilephant (蚊子大象) take to the stage 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). 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
▲Entry for music shows is NT$300
It’s jazz at the Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) tonight with saxophonist Tung Shuen-wen (董舜文) and friends. Up-and-coming folk rocker Connie Lu (呂莘) appears tomorrow night, while Sunday features acoustic performer Koumis (蓓麗) and Golden Melody Award-winning folk and pop singer Europa Huang (黃建為). On Monday, the venue hosts its 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). Call (02) 2368-7310 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information
▲Show starts at 9:30pm tonight and 9pm tomorrow and Sunday. 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 Sunday and NT$150 Monday
Taiwanese folk songstress Jasmine (庭竹) takes to the stage tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館). Tomorrow pop diva A-mei (張惠妹) appears as her alter-ego A-mit (阿密特). The concert is a “boys only” party: to get in, fans need to be identified as male on their ID cards and don something “rainbowy.” No shows are scheduled for Sunday. On Thursday, it’s Come on! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!), which has an indie-pop sound similar to Belle and Sebastian. Also appearing is indie-folk duo katncandix2 (棉花糖).
▲177 Xining S Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧南路177號). Call (02) 2370-8805 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information
▲All shows start at 8:30pm
▲Entrance (includes a drink) is NT$450 tonight, NT$450 on Thursday. For details on tomorrow’s show (in Chinese), visit www.starmei.com/bbs_page.php?pid=4662
Tonight at Underworld (地下社會) local indie favorite 88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽), electronica group Yoga Soul and punk band Damn Kidz take to the stage. Tomorrow it’s noise band Shebang-a (死蚊子) and Dangzai Kongzhong (蕩在空中). On Wednesday the venue hosts electronica-rock group Macbeth and People, Roll, Run and Jump (人, 滾跑跳).
▲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
▲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
▲Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow and includes a drink, NT$100 on Wednesday
Kate’s Jazz Quartet plays tonight at Sappho de Base. Tomorrow the vibe is Spanish with Lian La Familia Flamenco (賀連華家族舞蹈). Tuesday is an open jam session. On Wednesday the Chris Stiles Jazz Trio, which plays modern jazz and arrangements of Chinese pop music, takes to the stage. The Sappho Jazz Trio appears 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). Call (02) 2700-5411 (after 9pm) or
visit www.sappho102.biz for more information
▲Performances begin at 10:30pm on weekends, 10pm on weekdays. Sappho is closed on Sundays and Mondays
▲No entrance fee
Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill there’s an open mic session hosted by Jake Stanley of the acoustic duo Stoked Pokey. All are welcome to join in. Participants receive 20 percent off drinks.
▲1F, 218 Changchun Rd, Taipei City (台北市長春路218號1樓). Call (02) 2508-0304 or visit www.cosmo.com.tw for more information
▲8:30pm to 11pm every Wednesday
▲No entrance fee
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights this week include pub legend and songstress Tiger Huang (黃小琥), who performs every Monday. Julia Peng (彭佳慧) is another major draw who appears every Tuesday. Male singer Liu Wei-zen (劉偉仁) appears on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
▲Music shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
▲Entrance (including 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, hosts music shows every night. Weekly highlights include Denise Juan (阮丹青), a former pop singer turned piano teacher, television presenter and traveler, and her band Sunshine Costa. They play tonight. Tomorrow it’s Buona Sera, a group 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). Call (02) 2579-0558 for reservations, or visit
www.franzandfriends.com.tw for more information
▲Minimum charge of NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, on other nights there’s a one-drink minimum
Exhibitions
Tea and Coffee Towers brings together 22 architects from 10 countries to design tea and coffee
sets. The architects were encouraged to experiment with different forms
and technologies, the result being some pretty idiosyncratic creations that range from the minimalist to
the monumental.
▲Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), 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; closes at 8:30pm on Saturdays. Tel: (02) 2595-7656. On the Net: www.tfam.museum
▲Until Aug. 8
An air gun, hard disk and radio are among the objects used to create installations in TranSonic — Sounding Objects (超響—發聲體). The exhibit brings together seven contemporary Taiwanese artists who explore the concept of sound as a medium of creation and the many ways it can affect the listener.
▲Galerie Grand Siecle (新苑藝術), 17, Alley 51, Ln 12, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段12巷51弄17號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 1pm to 6pm. Tel: (02) 2578-5630
▲Until Aug. 9
Cheng Shen-chih (鄭森池) retraces the lives of Chinese laborers living in the gold mining towns of California during the mid-19th century and documents his impressions through photographs in Walking the Grade (覓金山鴻爪). Cheng spent three years wandering through abandoned towns and traveling along railway tracks to gain a sense of the grueling life these miners lived and the places where they worked.
▲Taipei National University of Arts — Guandu Museum of Arts (台北藝術大學關渡美術館), 1 Xueyuan Rd, Taipei City (台北市學園路1號). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Call: (02) 2896-1000. On the Net: kdmofa.tnua.edu.tw
▲Until Sept. 20
Used as a primer for teaching children the Chinese language as well as subjects such as nature, society, history and ethics, the Thousand Character Classic is an ancient and important cultural document. The Thousand Character Classic in Chinese Calligraphy (千字文書法展) provides several authentic examples of the text dating as far back as the Sui Dynasty, rendered in different styles of calligraphy.
▲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 Tuesdays to Sundays from 9am to 5pm; closes at 8:30pm on Saturdays. Tel: (02) 2881-2021. On the Net:
www.npm.gov.tw
▲Until Sept. 25
Futurism (飆未來) displays 143 Italian paintings, sculptures, clothing and poetry inspired by the Futurists, a movement of Italian artists that celebrated technology, youth
and speed.
▲National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall (國立台灣民主紀念館), 21 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei (台北市中山南路21號). Open daily from 9am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 2308-7111 X2350
▲Until Oct. 11
In late October of 1873 the government of Japan decided against sending a military expedition to Korea to force that nation to open trade relations. Across the government supporters of the expedition resigned immediately. The spectacle of revolt by disaffected samurai began to loom over Japanese politics. In January of 1874 disaffected samurai attacked a senior minister in Tokyo. A month later, a group of pro-Korea expedition and anti-foreign elements from Saga prefecture in Kyushu revolted, driven in part by high food prices stemming from poor harvests. Their leader, according to Edward Drea’s classic Japan’s Imperial Army, was a samurai
Located down a sideroad in old Wanhua District (萬華區), Waley Art (水谷藝術) has an established reputation for curating some of the more provocative indie art exhibitions in Taipei. And this month is no exception. Beyond the innocuous facade of a shophouse, the full three stories of the gallery space (including the basement) have been taken over by photographs, installation videos and abstract images courtesy of two creatives who hail from the opposite ends of the earth, Taiwan’s Hsu Yi-ting (許懿婷) and Germany’s Benjamin Janzen. “In 2019, I had an art residency in Europe,” Hsu says. “I met Benjamin in the lobby
April 22 to April 28 The true identity of the mastermind behind the Demon Gang (魔鬼黨) was undoubtedly on the minds of countless schoolchildren in late 1958. In the days leading up to the big reveal, more than 10,000 guesses were sent to Ta Hwa Publishing Co (大華文化社) for a chance to win prizes. The smash success of the comic series Great Battle Against the Demon Gang (大戰魔鬼黨) came as a surprise to author Yeh Hung-chia (葉宏甲), who had long given up on his dream after being jailed for 10 months in 1947 over political cartoons. Protagonist
Peter Brighton was amazed when he found the giant jackfruit. He had been watching it grow on his farm in far north Queensland, and when it came time to pick it from the tree, it was so heavy it needed two people to do the job. “I was surprised when we cut it off and felt how heavy it was,” he says. “I grabbed it and my wife cut it — couldn’t do it by myself, it took two of us.” Weighing in at 45 kilograms, it is the heaviest jackfruit that Brighton has ever grown on his tropical fruit farm, located