Theater
Broadway musical Jekyll and Hyde’s tour of Taiwan starts tonight at the National Theater in Taipei. It will then move to Tainan, Taichung and Kaohsiung. For more information, visit www.kham.com.tw.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$1,200 to NT$5,800, available online at www.kham.com.tw, by calling (07) 780-9900 or from 7-Eleven ibon and Family Mart (全家) FamiPort kiosks
In Wu Liao (吳聊) Chinese cross-talk (相聲) master Wu Jau-nan (吳兆南) returns to the stage with a stellar cast of comedians including Fan Kuang-yao (樊光耀), Hou Kuan-chun (侯冠群) and Ann Lang (郎祖筠).
■ Taipei Zhongshan Hall (台北中山堂), 98 Yanping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號)
■ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
Divided into four parts and composed by five choreographers, Liao-mo-shi Dance Theater’s (廖末喜舞蹈劇場) Taiwan Women (台妹) drew inspiration from the true love story of Hakka novelist Chung Li-ho (鍾理和) and his wife Chung Tai-mei (鍾台妹).
■ Crown Art Center Theater (皇冠小劇場), 50, Ln 120, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei City (台北市敦化北路120巷50號)
■ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$350, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Irma la Douce (巴黎花街) by Godot Theatre (果陀劇場) tells the story of a laid-off cop who falls in love with a prostitute named Irma la Douce, after the pair meet at a seedy bar in 1960s Paris. The ex-cop becomes La Douce’s pimp and gradually loses all sense of reality as he becomes increasingly jealous of her clients.
■ 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$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The Treasure Village (又一村), Comedians Workshop’s (相聲瓦舍) newest Mandarin stand-up production, is composed of two stories. In the first, the residents of a veterans’ villages, or juan cun (眷村), dream of getting rich by digging up ancient Chinese treasures, while the second story takes its inspiration from Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s 1921 novel In a Grove.
■ Novel Hall (新舞臺), 3 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路3號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$12,00, available through ERA ticketing or online at
www.ticket.com.tw
Classical music
The King’s Singers 2010 (2010國王歌手演唱會) presents the now-legendary a cappella group in a concert that ranges across the musical landscape, from works by William Byrd to Swimming Over London, taken from its most recent album.
■ Wednesday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available from ERA ticketing or online at
www.ticket.com.tw
NSO Chamber Music — Swinging Bach (NSO室內樂系列 — 搖?? has four members of the NSO performing with the Stacey Wei Jazz Quartet (魏廣爵士四重奏) in a concert of music taken from the works of JS Bach.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ National Recital Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400, available from NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and Kirishima Festival Cellisten (日本國寶堤剛大提琴饗宴) is a concert by one of Japan’s most esteemed cellists, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, who will be performing with Takashi Asahi, principal cellist of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Yunosuke Yamamoto, a former principal cellist with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and Janet Chien (簡荿玄), principal cellist with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團). The program includes Mozart’s Overture From “Marriage of Figaro,” arranged for four cellos, Popper’s Suite for Two Cellos, Bach’s Suite No. 1 for Solo Cello and Haydn’s Concerto in C Major.
■ Sunday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are sold out
Contemporary
Mando-pop artist Tarcy Su (蘇慧倫) performs tonight at Legacy Taipei as part of the venue’s “urban female singers” series. Later on, Spiked and Perpetual Motion present AQUAhooligan, a dance party featuring the UK’s Atomic Hooligan, Aquasky and MC Genesis. [See the Vinyl Word.] Tomorrow it’s pop punk group Circus (Circus 樂團) and rappers Free Expression (自由發揮). Female crooner Emi Fujita of Japan, who enjoys a following for her renditions of easy listening classics, appears at the venue on Sunday. Taitung reggae rocker Matzka performs with fellow Puyuma Aboriginal and songstress Jiajia (家家) on Wednesday.
■ 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, 7pm Sunday, 8:30pm Wednesday
■ Entrance fee is NT$800 tonight (NT$650 in advance) for Su’s show and NT$1,200 at the door for the dance party , NT$600 tomorrow, NT$2,200 or NT$2,000 on Sunday and NT$400 on Wednesday. Tickets available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Tonight The Wall (這牆) hosts experimental rock band Skip Skip Ben Benand Slack Tide. Japan’s D=Out, a glam rock band, performs tomorrow night. Comedy rockers Won Fu (旺福) take the stage on Sunday. Wednesday is emo and pop-punk night with Punkhoo (胖虎), Hotpink and Don’t Turn Away of Japan. On Thursday it’s indie-rock bands Touming Magazine (透明雜誌), Boyz and Girl and We Are So Sad (傷心欲絕).
■ 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
■ 9pm tonight, 7pm tomorrow and Sunday, 8pm on Wednesday and Thursday
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight, NT$1,500 tomorrow (NT$1,300 in advance), NT$500 Sunday, NT$300 on Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Mando-pop group Every Planet (美味星球) takes the stage tonight at Witch House (女巫店). Tomorrow it’s acoustic pop group Digo (硬漢迪哥). Indie groups Deepest (深層樂團) and Liquid Punch perform 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 open 11am to midnight Sundays through Wednesdays, 11am to 1am Thursdays through Saturdays
■ Entrance fee for music shows is NT$300
RAY Band (雷樂隊), a trio of veteran session musicians, plays power-rock originals and covers tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Pop rocker Misi Ke (柯泯薰) and her band D-Power take the stage tomorrow. On Sunday it’s an evening of fusion and acid jazz with Hands Up Band (分享器) and Pezen and Banshouli (伴手禮樂團). Monday is the venue’s weekly open jam. Performing on Wednesday are popular funk and nu-metal band Coach (教練樂隊) and La Petit Nurse (小護士).
■ 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
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and Wednesday, NT$150 on Monday
Tonight Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館) hosts pop band Tank and veteran power-chord rock duo Power Station (動力火車). Singer and multi-instrumentalist Suming (姜聖明) of indie-rock band Totem (圖騰) performs tomorrow night to promote his new solo album. Indie-folk duo katncandix2 (棉花糖) appears on Sunday. High-energy garage rockers 88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽) and Rock N’ Rap (凍頂樂團) take the stage on Thursday.
■ 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 7:30pm tonight, 8:30pm tomorrow
■ Entrance fee is NT$500 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow, Sunday and Thursday . Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Japanese pop-punk band Kingons appears tonight at Underworld (地下社會). Joining them are local favorites Children Sucker (表兒) and 88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽). Tomorrow night metal bands Bazooka and Brain Corrosion take the stage. On Wednesday it’s garage rockers My Skin Against Your Skin and punk girl band BB Bomb.
■ 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
■ Entrance on Fridays and Saturdays is NT$300, which includes one drink, NT$100 on Wednesdays
Roxy Roots is holding a “surprise party” tonight. Belgian indie-rock duo Tip Toe Topic performs there tomorrow.
■ 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 NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays (NT$200 credited toward food and drink). Free entrance on Wednesdays
The Wall (這牆) started programming regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區) last month. Appearing tonight are nu-metal bands The Hindsight
(光景消逝), Respect (尊敬樂團) and punk group Beright. Tomorrow night it’s Bugs of Phonon (聲子蟲) and Aphasia (阿飛西雅).
■ 1 Dayung Rd, Yancheng Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net:
pier-2.khcc.gov.tw or visit www.thewall.com.tw for a full schedule
■ Shows start at 7:30pm
■ Entrance fee is NT$300 tonight and NT$400 tomorrow
The Mercury (水星酒館) in Kaohsiung hosts Half Mile Radius tomorrow night.
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市左營區立文路46號). Tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Show starts at 9pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$200, includes one drink.
Taiwan can often feel woefully behind on global trends, from fashion to food, and influences can sometimes feel like the last on the metaphorical bandwagon. In the West, suddenly every burger is being smashed and honey has become “hot” and we’re all drinking orange wine. But it took a good while for a smash burger in Taipei to come across my radar. For the uninitiated, a smash burger is, well, a normal burger patty but smashed flat. Originally, I didn’t understand. Surely the best part of a burger is the thick patty with all the juiciness of the beef, the
This year’s Miss Universe in Thailand has been marred by ugly drama, with allegations of an insult to a beauty queen’s intellect, a walkout by pageant contestants and a tearful tantrum by the host. More than 120 women from across the world have gathered in Thailand, vying to be crowned Miss Universe in a contest considered one of the “big four” of global beauty pageants. But the runup has been dominated by the off-stage antics of the coiffed contestants and their Thai hosts, escalating into a feminist firestorm drawing the attention of Mexico’s president. On Tuesday, Mexican delegate Fatima Bosch staged a
The ultimate goal of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the total and overwhelming domination of everything within the sphere of what it considers China and deems as theirs. All decision-making by the CCP must be understood through that lens. Any decision made is to entrench — or ideally expand that power. They are fiercely hostile to anything that weakens or compromises their control of “China.” By design, they will stop at nothing to ensure that there is no distinction between the CCP and the Chinese nation, people, culture, civilization, religion, economy, property, military or government — they are all subsidiary
Would you eat lab-grown chocolate? I requested a sample from California Cultured, a Sacramento-based company. Its chocolate, not yet commercially available, is made with techniques that have previously been used to synthesize other bioactive products like certain plant-derived pharmaceuticals for commercial sale. A few days later, it arrives. The morsel, barely bigger than a coffee bean, is supposed to be the flavor equivalent of a 70 percent to 80 percent dark chocolate. I tear open its sealed packet and a chocolatey aroma escapes — so far, so good. I pop it in my mouth. Slightly waxy and distinctly bitter, it boasts those bright,
RSS