Theater
M.O.V.E. Theater Group (動見体劇團) kicks off the 14th Crown Art Festival (皇冠藝術節) with My Angel and Demon: Sleeping Beauty (我的天使魔鬼—睡美人), which looks at sex and love through the eyes of a melancholy woman. The festival runs through Nov. 29.
■ Crown Theater (皇冠藝術中心小劇場), 50, Ln 120, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei City (台北市敦化北路120巷50號). On the Net: www.ntat.org/14caf
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow
at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday
at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$450, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Known previously for its innovative attempts to make Beijing opera relevant to contemporary audiences by combining it with elements of Western theater, Contemporary Legend Theatre (當代傳奇劇場) is for the first time in its 23-year history staging traditional Beijing opera performances. The remaining two shows to be performed this weekend are Young Heroes (英雄美少年) and Loves That Topple Empires (傾國之戀). Both are sold out. The stellar cast is led by Beijing opera innovator Wu Hsing-kuo (吳興國) and diva Wei Hai-min (魏海敏). Performances are in Mandarin with Chinese and English subtitles.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Sold out
This weekend the Koo Foundation’s (辜公亮文教基金會) new program, New Style Bejing Opera (大型移植新編京劇), presents a couple of daring operas performed by a talented cast led by Li Baochun (李寶春). It will revive the 2008 production of The Jester (弄臣), which is based on Verdi’s opera Rigolettom, and The Wilderness (原野), adapted from an unfinished play by China’s modern playwright, Cao Yu (曹禺).
■ Novel Hall (新舞臺), 3-1 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路3-1號)
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
The Taipei Folk Dance Theater’s (台北民族舞團) latest production, Dancing Portrait of Taiwan (舞語台灣), features works by three male choreographers, including Kuo Jui-lin (郭瑞林) and Hu Min-shan (胡民山), who find inspiration in rural southern Taiwan. [See story above.]
■ Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Dark Eyes Performance Lab (黑眼睛跨劇團) presents its adaptation of Scottish playwright David Harrower’s Blackbird, a play that raises questions about morality through the tale of a pedophile and his victim.
■ Tainan Municipal Cultural Center (台南市立文化中心), 332, Jhonghua E Rd Sec 3, Tainan City (台南市中華東路三段332號)
■ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available
through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Lilya Zilberstein Piano Recital (齊柏絲坦鋼琴獨奏會) sees the Russian pianist Lilya Lilberstein performing two concerts in Taiwan with a program including Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2 and Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata” and Brahms’ Eight Piano Pieces, Op. 76, Eleven Variations on an Original Theme in D Major,
Op. 21, No. 1 and Fourteen Variations
on a Hungarian Melody in D Major
Op. 21, No. 2.
■ Sunday at 2:30pm (Taichung) and Tuesday at 7:30pm (Taipei)
■ Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中市中山堂), 98 Syueshih Rd, Taichung City (台中市學士路98號), and National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000 for Taichung and NT$350 to NT$2,000 for Taipei, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Peter-Lukas Graf Flute Recital (葛拉夫長笛演奏會), part of the 2009 International Flute Festival (2009國際長笛藝術節), features flautist Peter-Lukas Graf performing arrangements of works by Schubert, Chopin, Bartok and Paganini. He will be accompanied by Hsu Chia-chi (徐嘉琪) on the piano.
■ Tomorrow 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
All Time Russian Favorites (俄國經典之夜) is a concert by the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (臺北市立交響樂團) with guest conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky, pianist Viktoria Postnikova and violinist Sasha Rozhdestvensky. The program includes Haydn’s Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra, Schnittke’s Concerto Grosso No. 6 for Piano, Violin and String Orchestra, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64.
■ Sunday at 2:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$200 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The Boston Conservatory Piano Trio (極光森林—波士頓音樂院鋼琴三重奏), featuring Chuang Ya-fei (莊雅斐) on piano, Lynn Chang (張萬鈞) on violin and Rhonda Rider on cello, will perform a program including Beethoven’s Trio for Violin, Piano and Cello in B-Flat Major, Op. 11, Chopin’s Scherzo No. 4 in E Major, Op. 54 and Brahms’ Trio for Violin, Piano and Cello in B Major, Op. 8.
■ 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), B1, 7 Jinan Rd Sec 1, Taipei (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.tw
Contemporary
Tonight the The Wall (這牆) hosts indie-rockers The Tic Tac, whose post-punk sound flirts with baroque pop. They open for Orangegrass (澄草), a popular indie group that combines emo-style vocals and post-rock instrumentals. Tomorrow Japanese group 10-Feet brings their slick emo punk to the venue, with local punk veterans Fire Ex (滅火器) opening. Acoustic indie rockers Silverbus (銀巴士) are on Sunday, and on Wednesday, it’s Macbeth (馬克白), post-rock band Donhail (擋哈鵝) and Green! Eyes (綠色眼睛), which describes its music as having a “flavor of guitar pop and a bit of country”
■ 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
■ Music shows start at 8pm tonight, 8pm and 11pm tomorrow, 8pm Sunday and 8pm Wednesday
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight, NT$1,000 at the door or NT$800 in advance tomorrow, and NT$300 on Sunday and Wednesday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Big-band jazz ensemble Dizzy Jazz Band (底細爵士樂團) appears tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow pop-rock band Rock Oriental Express (搖滾東方) takes the stage. Singer Wang Lan (王蘭) appears on Sunday. The venue’s weekly open jam is on Monday.
■ 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, Sunday and Monday. 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$500 on Sunday and NT$150 on Monday
Goofy rocker A Chord (謝和弦) and Sea Level (海平面樂團) appear tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館). Newcomer Mando-pop singer Zhang Jing (張婧) takes the stage tomorrow. On Sunday solo act Mia Tzeng (曾鈺婷) performs to promote her first release Faith in Love (相信•愛). On Thursday the venue hosts Chinese-Canadian rock outfit io, winner of this year’s ICRT Battle of the Bands, new garage rock band Icon Girl Pistols and rock group Picks (痞克四), who are perhaps best-known for their song Fly Away, from the sound track to the hit film Orz Boyz (囧男孩).
■ 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, 8pm tomorrow, 7:30pm on Sunday, 8:30pm on Thursday
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight, NT$300 tomorrow, NT$350 on
Sunday and NT$400 Thursday. Tickets can purchased online through
www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Experimental electronica act Shishukong (屍術控) and indie rockers Macbeth (馬克白) share the bill tonight at Underworld (地下社會). Posh Inverse (優雅逆轉) and post-rock-ish group Sun of Morning (晨曦光廊) take the stage tomorrow. Until Seeing Whale’s Eyes (直到看見鯨魚的眼睛) and metal band Ashen play on Wednesday to promote their latest releases.
■ 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 is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow and includes a drink, NT$100 on Wednesday
The Jason Hayashi Quartet performs tonight at Sappho de Base. Tomorrow it’s Jo Jo Ma Quartet, a group led by saxophonist Joseph Marchione. On Tuesday, T and T Jazz Trio and Friends take to the stage, and on Wednesday it’s 3Q, a trio with Lionel Pinard on piano and Japanese musicians Waka on tabla and Yo on sitar. On Thursday, it’s funk, acid disco and hard rock with Double J.
■ 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 weekends, 10pm on weekdays. Sappho is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is free
Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill there’s an open mic hosted by keyboardist Andrew Page, with the music mainly covering blues and jazz. All are welcome to join in, and participants receive 20 percent off drinks.
■ 1F, 218 Changchun Rd, Taipei City (台北市長春路218號1樓). Tel: (02) 2508- 0304. On the Net: www.cosmo.com.tw
■ 8:30pm to 11pm on Wednesday
■ No entrance fee
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week include beloved female singer Tiger Huang (黃小琥), who performs two sets every Monday, and male crooner Huang Chung-yuan (黃中原), who performs every Friday.
■ 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
Tonight 89k in Taichung hosts
two punk groups, Inhuman Species (非人物種) and Eyeball Killer (眼球殺手). Country-western outfit Way Soon and Dirty Skies, a rock
and cowpunk band, take to the
stage tomorrow.
■ 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
Tonight Roxy Roots hosts a Latin night with live music from Taipei Latin Soul, with DJs Jose and Kola spinning tunes until the wee hours. Tomorrow is an open blues jam hosted by Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ) to promote next weekend’s Blues Bash festival. Next week, the venue starts its Wednesday Nights at Roots series, starting with folk and rock from Australian expat Joe Lee.
■ 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 to all shows
Yanjue (嚴爵) is an up-and-coming performer who plays blues, funk
and folk tonight at Witch House (女巫店), followed by metal core/emo band 831 (八三夭). Folk singer
Panai (巴奈) takes to the stage tomorrow night. A-Chang (阿彰) of
the Manchester rock-influenced
band Bitter splits the bill on
Thursday with another solo act,
Mia Tzeng (曾鈺婷).
■ 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
■ Entrance fee for music shows is NT$300
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. The music tends to play it safe, ranging from wistful love songs and opera to lounge jazz. Weekly highlights include Denise Juan (阮丹青), a former pop singer turned piano teacher and television presenter, and her band Sunshine Costa. They play tonight. Tomorrow it’s Buona Sera, 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). Tel: (02) 2579-0558. On the Net: www.franzandfriends.com.tw
■ Minimum charge of NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, on other nights there’s a one-drink minimum
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