Theater
An annual large-scale performance art event, this year’s Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival (高雄春天藝術節) program is composed of theatrical and musical performances as well as orchestral, puppetry and Taiwanese opera productions. Highlights include Salzburger Marionettentheater, a prestigious puppet company from Austria, and the Kronos Quartet from the US. Tadashi Suzuki’s La Dame aux Camelias opens the festival tomorrow at 7:30pm. For more information, visit w4.khcc.gov.tw/ksaf2011.
■ The festival starts tomorrow and runs through June 18
Photo: Taipei Times
■ Venues include Kaohsiung Chih-teh Hall (高雄至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市五福一路67號) and Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (高雄市立美術館), 80 Meishuguan Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市美術館路80號)
■ Admission prices vary. Check the Web site for further details
In La Naissance (初生), Flying-Group Theatre’s (飛人集社劇團) latest puppet production, a girl finds an egg inside the mouth of a whale. Together the girl and the whale embark on a magical journey.
Photo: Taipei Times
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 11am, 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 11am and 2:30pm
■ Guling Street Avant-Garde Theatre (牯嶺街小劇場), 2, Ln 5, Guling St, Taipei City (台北市牯嶺街5巷2號)
■ Tickets are NT$400, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Photo: Todd Cole, Courtesy of Sub Pop
Renowned circus troupe Cirque du Soleil returns to Taipei with Varekai, a spectacular show based on the Greek myth of Icarus, who falls to his death from the sky because he flies too close to the sun. In Cirques’ version of the story, Icarus lands in a world populated by exotic beings and falls in love with a beautiful nymph.
■ Today, tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 1pm and 5pm
■ Parking lot next to Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall (台北世界貿易中心南港展覽館), Ln 105 Jingmao 2nd Rd, Taipei City (台北市經貿二路105巷)
Photo Courtesy of Peter O’Driscoll
■ Tickets are NT$2,175 to NT$7,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Bad Neighbor Yiyi (惡鄰依依), Comedians Workshop’s (相聲瓦舍) newest Mandarin stand-up production, begins with two guys realizing they have dated the same woman, named Yiyi. The cast is led by veteran comedians Feng Yi-kang (馮翊綱) and Sung Shao-ching (宋少卿).
■ 7:30pm tomorrow, 2:30pm Sunday
■ Tainan City Municipal Cultural Center (台南市立文化中心), 332, Jhonghua E Rd Sec 3, Greater Tainan (台南市中華東路三段332號)
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,200, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw.
Part of the Taiwan International Festival of Arts (2011台灣國際藝術節), (A)Pollonia by Poland’s Nowy Teatr Warszawa is a study on the despair of war that weaves together multiple texts, including Alcestis by ancient Greek playwright Euripides and J.M. Coetzee’s Elizabeth Costello, into a provocative performance. For more information about the festival, go to the event’s bilingual Web site at tifa.ntch.edu.tw.
■ Tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Flowing Memory of the Glorious Century (流轉的記憶‧百年風華音樂會) is a celebration of a century of music in Taiwan. The performance, by the National Chinese Orchestra, Taiwan (台灣國家國樂團), has been shaped by conductor Su Wen-ching (蘇文慶) and includes a selection of works meant to represent the country. The musical styles presented in the program span Western classical and Chinese traditional music. The program also showcases top local concert pianist Yeh Lu-na (葉綠娜) and panpipe specialist Chang Chung-li (張中立).
■ Monday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$200 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com
Hubert Soudant conducts the Taipei Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday.Photo courtesy of TSO
Sublime Charisma (拘謹的魅力) brings Dutch conductor and musical director of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra Hubert Soudant to Taipei for a performance with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團). The program includes Haydn’s Symphony No. 104 in D Major (“London”) and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 in E Major.
■ Tuesday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com
Contemporary
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. Tonight it’s Mando-pop artist Alan Kuo (柯有綸), while tomorrow electro-pop band The Girl and the Robots (女孩與機器) performs in support of a newly released CD, Miss November. [See story on Page 14.] On Wednesday, two Hakka artists take to the stage, folk rocker Hsieh Yu-wei (謝宇威) and songstress Yachun Asta Tzeng (曾雅君).
■ 7:30pm tonight, 7pm tomorrow and 7:30pm 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)
■ NT$600 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow and Wednesday (NT$400 in advance). Tickets for the concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
No shows are scheduled tonight at The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, but tomorrow the venue hosts LA post-punk duo No Age. [See story above]. Opening the show is local indie rock outfit Touming Magazine (透明雜誌). On Sunday, it’s Doremidan, a band that performs in the visual kei style (a Japanese version of glam rock).
■ Tomorrow at 8pm, Sunday at 7pm. Shows usually start on time
■ 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
■ NT$1,000 tomorrow and NT$1,500 on Sunday. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight, it’s ska and reggae at the newly opened bar and music club Revolver with Skaraoke, High Tide and Mary Bites Kerry (瑪莉咬凱利).
■ Show starts at 9:30pm
■ 1-2, Roosevelt Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路一段1-2號), tel: (02) 3393-1678
■ Entrance tonight is NT$300, includes one drink
Tonight rock performers Goumao and Friends (狗毛與朋友們) take to the stage at Witch House (女巫店), which regularly hosts shows from both indie rock bands and folk artists in a coffeehouse setting. Tomorrow, singer-actress and neo-folk singer Enno Cheng (鄭宜農) takes to the stage, opening for post-rock group Cicada. On Thursday, the venue hosts solo performers Mia Tzeng (曾鈺婷) and Marine.
■ Shows 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
■ 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
■ Entrance for music shows is NT$300
Expect a full house tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言), which is hosting a “jazz plus rock” performance by pianist Chang Kai-ya (張凱雅) and violinist Hsieh Chi-pin (謝啟彬). The two lead a jazz band that performs classic rock and pop songs, which in the past have included Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song and the Jackson Five’s Going Places. Tomorrow, pop-rocker pretty boys Champion (強辯樂團) take to the stage. On Sunday, it’s Aboriginal rockers SE, who open for Puyuma songstress Jia Jia (家家). Monday is the venue’s weekly open jam.
■ Tonight at 9:30pm, 9pm on all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ 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
■ NT$400 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 Monday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Popular funk rock band Coach (教練樂隊), pop-punk group The Fen-Fens (紛紛樂團) and alt-grunge rockers Monkey Pilot (猴子飛行員) share the bill tonight at Riverside Live House. Tomorrow the venue hosts female Mando-pop singer Shadya (藍又時).
■ Shows start at 8pm tonight and 8:30pm tomorrow
■ 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
■ Entrance is NT$400 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Post-rock group Lily et Coco (哩扣) and Slack Tide perform tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. Tomorrow My Skin Against Your Skin and Floaty perform. On Wednesday, it’s Paper Girl (紙片女孩) and electro-rock group Forced Grrl (強迫女孩).
■ 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
■ 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
■ Entrance for music shows is NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesdays
Hope Yeh (葉賀璞) leads Hope’s Modern Jazz Project tonight at Sappho de Base, a late night lounge bar that hosts mostly live jazz and blues performances. Tomorrow, Takeshi Band, a jazz group from Thailand, takes to the stage. On Tuesday, DD Fusion performs jazz fusion, and on Wednesday it’s Roger’s Jazz Trio.
■ Shows start at 10pm. The venue is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ 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
■ Entrance is NT$150 tonight, NT$300 tomorrow, free other nights.
Soul and R ’n’ B singer Djavan performs on Friday nights at Italian restaurant Capone’s. Tomorrow, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans.
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號), tel (02) 2773-3782
■ On Fridays, minimum charge of one drink. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at The Tavern. Dancers of all levels are welcome.
■ 9:30pm to midnight
■ 415, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段415號), tel: (02) 8789-0892. On the Net: www.tavern.com.tw
■ Entrance is free
Tomorrow 89k, Taichung’s long-established spot for local indie bands, hosts an evening of reggae with expat favorite High Tide and Taiwanese group Hang in the Air (盪在空中).
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ 21 Daguan Rd, Nantun Dist, Greater Taichung (台中市南屯區大觀路21號)
■ Entrance is NT$300 for all shows
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), who performs every Saturday, and acclaimed Taiwanese Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君), who performs on Thursday.
■ Shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
■ 211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段211號), tel: (02) 2738-3995. On the Net: www.ez5.com.tw
■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). No shows are scheduled tonight, but tomorrow the venue hosts Taiwanese rapper Dog-G (大支). On Sunday, it’s a trio of post-rock groups: Sky Post (天空郵局), Sorrow of Youth (少年維特的煩惱) and Penguin Bear Likes to Eat Chicken Balls (企鵝熊愛吃雞肉球).
■ Shows start at 7pm tomorrow and 7:30pm Sunday
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw, www.thewall.com.tw
■ Entrance is NT$400 tomorrow, NT$300 Sunday
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts electro-rock bands Nintendo Generation Blues (任天堂世代憂鬱) and Sunset Rollercoaster (落日飛車) tomorrow.
■ Show starts at 9pm
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市左營區立文路46號), tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Entrance is NT$250, which includes one drink
Kaohsiung bar and live music venue DC Stage hosts blues-rock performers The Rising Hedons and one-man delta blues band Jack Conqueroo tomorrow night.
■ Show starts at 9pm
■ 138-1 Ciouchang Rd, Niaosong Township, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市鳥松區球場路138-1號)
■ Entrance is NT$200
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