HIGHLIGHT
The National Theater Concert Hall and the National Culture and Arts Foundation have teamed up once again to present a showcase for rising young artists from the worlds of music, theater and dance — Young Stars, New Vision 2010 — Dance (2010 新人新視野舞蹈-蛻變的肢體). This weekend is the last in the three-part series and in the three-performance program at the Experimental Theater.
While the four featured choreographers may be “young” in terms of age and/or number of works they have produced, they are not exactly new to audiences, since they have all made names for themselves as dancers.
Photo courtesy of Chen Chang-chih
Lin Yu-ju (林祐如) has danced with Cloud Gate 2 (雲門2) and Taipei Crossover Dance Company (台北越界舞團), but now she’s a freelancer. Her Amarcord takes its inspiration from Italian director Federico Fellini’s film in the sense that it is about recalling the past.
I first saw Lee Guo-chi (李國治) when she performed with WCdance (林文中舞團) in December 2008 at the Crown Theater. Her piece, A Drop of Water Under the Microscope (顯微鏡下的一滴海水), examines life close-up, because what the unaided eye sees may not necessarily be true.
Century Contemporary Dance Company (世紀當代舞團) dancer Tien Hsaio-tzu's (田孝慈)piece, Road (路), is set on three dancers and interprets life’s journey.
Meanwhile, Yeh Ming-hwa (葉名樺), formerly of Thomas/Ortiz Dance Company and Kaohsiung City Ballet (高雄城市芭蕾舞團) dancer, presents Flake (脫落).
■ Young Stars, New Vision 2010 — Dance (2010新人新視野舞蹈-蛻變的肢體)
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:45pm at the Experimental Theater (國家戲劇院實驗劇場), 21-1 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei City (台北市中山南路21-1號)
■ Admission is NT$300, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw. Only a few tickets for tonight are left
- BY DIANE BAKER
THEATER
The Benevolent Has No Hatred (仁者無仇) is the newest installment of Tang Mei Yun Taiwanese Opera Company’s (唐美雲歌仔戲團) ongoing series of performances inspired by Buddhist stories. The play tells the story of a prince who finds it in himself to forgive a rival king who takes his country by force.
■ 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$500 to NT$3,000, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
In The Italian Garden by Italy’s Compagnia TPO, which was founded in 1981 and uses digital technologies to create innovative productions, performers create “sensory landscapes” by dancing to images and sounds.
■ Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), East Second Hall (東二館), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:45pm, Sunday at 10:30am and 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Representation Theatre (再現劇團) explores poverty and illegal immigration in The 8th Day (第八日), which recounts the tale of a poor Mexican farmer’s family.
■ Cinema Park (台北市西門町電影公園), 19 Kangding Rd, Taipei City (台北市康定路19號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 4pm and 8pm and Sunday at 4pm
■ Tickets are NT$400, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Sayonara My Love (大國民進行曲) is a dark comedy by Golden Bough Theatre (金枝演社) that tells the story of several Japanese army officers who refuse to accept their country’s surrender at the end of World War II and retreat to the mountains with a detachment of Taiwanese soldiers in the belief that they are still fighting for their emperor. The production’s score was composed by folk legend Chen Ming-chang (陳明章).
■ Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中中山堂), 98 Syueshih Rd, Taichung City (台中市學士路98號)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
CLASSICAL MUSIC
A Thousand and One Nights — The St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra With Yuri Temirkanov (指揮大師泰密卡諾夫與聖彼得堡愛樂 — 一千零一夜) sees the internationally acclaimed orchestra visiting Taiwan for two concerts, one in Taipei, the other in Kaohsiung. The program includes Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 and Rimsky–Korsakov’s Symphonic Suite Scheherazade, Op. 35.
■ Tuesday (Taipei) and Wednesday (Kaohsiung) at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City and Kaohsiung Cultural Center’s Chih-teh Hall (高雄市立文化中心至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City, (高雄市五福一路67號)
■ Tickets are NT$1,200 to NT$4,800, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Led by guest conductor Vladimir Verbitsky and featuring Gerard Causse on viola, the Taipei Symphony Orchestra’s (台北市立交響樂團) How to Cook a Swan (烤天鵝的滋味-治療你的音樂飢餓) program includes Hindemith’s Der Schwanendreher and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36.
■ Wednesday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,200, available through NTCH ticketing or 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. The 15th Crown Art Festival (第十五屆皇冠藝術節) opens with three performances this weekend by flamenco dancer Chang Feng-hsiang (張鳳翔). The 62-year-old performer teamed up with local dancers to produce I Am a Traveler (我是寄居的客旅), a show that mixes flamenco with Taiwanese ballads and music from the erhu (二胡) and bamboo flute. For more information about the festival, visit www.wretch.cc/blog/CAF15th. On Sunday, Japanese rock group Plastic Tree, which formed in 1993, takes to the stage, while on Wednesday the 2010 Maximilian Hecker Asian Tour Taipei (麥斯米蘭亞洲巡迴台北站) sees the German pop meister, whose newest album I Am Nothing but Emotion, No Human Being, No Son, Never Again Son was released in May, perform.
■ 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). On the Net: www.legacy.com.tw
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, 7pm on Sunday and 8pm on Wednesday
■ Tonight and tomorrow’s shows are NT$800 and NT$1,200, Sunday’s is NT$1,600, Wednesday’s NT$1,350 (NT$1,200 in advance). Tickets available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at ibon electronics kiosks at 7-Eleven stores
Tonight The Wall (這牆) hosts indie-folk singer Huang Jie (黃玠), tomorrow Japanese rock band Guitar Wolf takes to the stage [see story on Page 14], hard-core heavy metal act Beyond Cure (病入膏肓) performs on Sunday, and indie-rock band Tanapo (坦娜普), which has released a new single, plays on Wednesday.
■ 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
■ Entrance fee is NT$600 (NT$500 in advance) tonight, NT$800 (NT$600) tomorrow, NT$700 (NT$500) on Sunday, NT$400 (NT$300) on Wednesday. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Singer/songwriter A-len Yue (余佳倫) performs with Cheng Kai-fan (鄭凱帆) on bass and Lin Wei-chung (林偉中) on drums at Witch House (女巫店) tonight. Indie rockers Green!Eyes take to the stage tomorrow, and on Thursday Transition (前進樂團) performs.
■ 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 from 11am to midnight Sundays through Wednesdays; 11am to 1am Thursdays through Saturdays
■ Entrance fee for music shows is NT$300
Tonight, Canto-pop outfit at17, which is composed of Eman Lam (林二汶) and Ellen Joyce Loo (盧凱彤), performs at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館), tomorrow alternative folk-rocker Deserts Chang (張懸) takes to the stage and on Thursday Alvin Liu (艾爾文) shares the bill with female-led pop-punk band The Fen-Fens (紛紛樂團).
■ 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
■ Entrance fee is NT$800 (NT$650 in advance) tonight, NT$650 tomorrow, NT$400 on Thursday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse/ or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) hosts Timeless Fusion Party (無限融合黨), a jazz band led by pianist Fred Lu (呂聖斐) and Tony Tung (董舜文), tomorrow indie bands Fun People and Buzzman share the bill, and on Sunday folk-pop singer Europa Huang (黃建為) performs.
■ 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, 9pm tomorrow and Sunday
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday
Tonight expat rockers Half Mile Radius and alt-rock band Silent Toads (啾吉惦惦) perform at Underworld (地下社會). Tomorrow Long Hair Monster and post-rock group Lily et Coco (哩扣) take to the stage.
■ 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. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance is NT$300, which includes one drink
Sappho de Base, a late night lounge and jazz venue, tonight hosts the Pietro Valente Jazz Quartet, tomorrow the Earl Hines II Jazztet takes to the stage, on Sunday Misterioso performs the songs of Thelonius Monk and Ornette Coleman, and on Wednesday it’s gypsy jazz band Dark Eyes.
■ 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 tonight, 8pm tomorrow, 10pm on Sunday and Wednesday
■ Cover charge is NT$250 tonight, NT$150 tomorrow; no cover charge on Sunday or Wednesday
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tonight Guitar Wolf, supported by KoOk and the Deadly Vibes, performs, and on Sunday Taiwanese indie-rock institution 1976 takes to the stage.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw, www.thewall.com.tw
■ Shows begin at 7pm tonight, 7:30pm Sunday
■ Entrance is NT$400 tonight and Sunday
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include Mando-pop songstress Julia Peng (彭佳慧) and male crooner Shin Lung (辛隆), who performs every Saturday. Legendary pub songstress and pop singer Tiger Huang (黃小琥) performs on Mondays.
■ 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
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
The following three paragraphs are just some of what the local Chinese-language press is reporting on breathlessly and following every twist and turn with the eagerness of a soap opera fan. For many English-language readers, it probably comes across as incomprehensibly opaque, so bear with me briefly dear reader: To the surprise of many, former pop singer and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ex-lawmaker Yu Tien (余天) of the Taiwan Normal Country Promotion Association (TNCPA) at the last minute dropped out of the running for committee chair of the DPP’s New Taipei City chapter, paving the way for DPP legislator Su
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
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