Theater
Les Ballets C de la B’s Out of Context — for Pina is no ordinary dance performance. The production’s performers use minute movements, such as jerking limbs and chattering teeth, to explore deformity and the emotional power of the human body. Troupe founder and choreographer Alain Platel, who previously worked with disabled children, is staging the 85-minute long Out of Context as part of the Taiwan International Festival of Arts (2011台灣國際藝術節). For more information about the festival, visit the event’s bilingual Web site at tifa.ntch.edu.tw.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Tickets range from NT$700 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing, online at www.artsticket.com.tw and at 7-Eleven ibon and Hi-Life Life-ET kiosks.
Led by eminent ballerina Nina Ananiashvili, the State Ballet of Georgia’s tour of Taiwan begins tomorrow with performances of Swan Lake and Giselle.
Photo Courtesy of NTCH
■ Tomorrow and Sunday at Taoyuan Performance Center (桃園展演中心), 1188 Jhongjheng Rd, Taoyuan City (桃園市中正路1188號); Wednesday and Thursday at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (國父紀念館), 505, Renai Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市仁愛路四段505號)
■ Tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,600 for the Taoyuan shows, NT$500 to NT$4,200 for the Taipei shows, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Photo: Taipei Times
Tuesdays With Morrie, Godot Theatre’s (果陀劇場) latest production, is the stage adaptation of US author Mitch Albom’s 1997 memoir. In the best-selling work, Albom recounts the lessons he learned from visiting his former professor Morrie Schwartz, who was dying of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a terminal disease caused by the degeneration of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. The cast is led by actor Chin Shih-chieh (金士傑) in the role of Morrie.
■ 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
Photo Courtesy of Arrival Music
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Having toured Taiwan and the US with Into the Flood (在大水中), which premiered in 2009, Sun Son Theatre (身聲劇場) is bringing the production back to its Tamsui home. The show is performed by more than 20 dancers, musicians, puppeteers and storytellers who recount a mythological tale about a young man’s struggle to save his village.
■ Bamboo Curtain Studio (竹圍工作室), 39, Ln 88, Chungcheng E Rd Sec 2, New Taipei City (新北市中正東路二段88巷39號)
■ Tomorrow and Sunday at 3:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The Miserable Chen Baohuei (陳寶慧的一天) by Thirteen Month Theater (十三月戲劇場) is a comedy about the disintegration of a housewife’s routine life
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$450, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
The Pearl on Strings — Midori (東方珍珠—宓多里) brings Japanese American violinist Midori Goto to Taiwan for a concert with the National Symphony Orchestra (國家交響樂團). The award-winning violinist became a musical sensation after a now legendary 1986 concert with Leonard Bernstein at the Tanglewood Music Festival when she was just 14, and has gone on to record extensively with the likes of Zubin Mehta. The program includes Sibelius’ The Swan of Tuonela, Op. 22 and Symphony No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 39 as well as Bartok’s Violin Concerto No. 2. The orchestra will be conducted by Lu Shao-chia (呂紹嘉).
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tainan Municipal Cultural Center Performance Hall (台南市立文化中心演藝廳), 332, Jhonghua E Rd Sec 3, Greater Tainan (台南市中華東路三段332號) and the National Concert Hall, Taipei
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,000 for Tainan and NT$400 to NT$1,500 for Taipei, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Let’s Go! Follow the Music! — Stephanie Chou Piano Recital (周佳臻鋼琴獨奏會—走吧!跟著音樂去旅行!) presents emerging pianist Stephanie Chou (周佳臻) in a recital that includes Mozart’s Sonata in B-Flat Major, Chopin’s Mazurkas Op. 59, Medtner’s Sonata in G Minor, Op. 22, and Schumann’s Fantasiestucke Op. 12. More information about the artist can be found on her Web site at www.stephaniechou.com.
■ Monday at 7:30pm
■ National Recital Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 and NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Philippe Bernold Flute Recital (班諾德長笛演奏會) is part of a series of performances by three flautists who have been invited to Taiwan by New Aspect (新象). Philippe Bernold will hold two recitals, one in Kaohsiung, the other in Taipei, of a program that includes Schubert’s Variations for Flute and Piano on “Trockne Blumen” in E Minor Op. 160, Martin’s Ballade for Flute and Piano, Connesson’s Le Rire de Sarai for flute and piano and Prokofiev’s Sonata Op. 94. Bernold will be accompanied on piano by Chika Nishiwake. Bernold’s performance will be followed with recitals by Felix Renggli on March 15 and by Andrea Oliva on April 26.
■ Monday at 7:30pm (Kaohsiung) and Wednesday at 7:30pm (Taipei)
■ Kaohsiung Cultural Center’s Chihteh Hall (高雄市文化中心至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市五福一路67號) and National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$600 to NT$1,500 (Kaohsiung) and NT$500 to NT$2,500 (Taipei), 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. Tonight it’s the venue’s Next Big Thing showcase, featuring both new and well-established indie rock groups. Performers include psychedelic indie rockers Macbeth (馬克白), My Skin Against Your Skin and Echo (回聲樂團). Tomorrow’s show with legendary pub songstress and pop singer Tiger Huang (黃小琥) is sold out, as is Sunday’s performance by American soul singer Macy Gray.
■ 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)
■ 7pm tonight, 8pm tomorrow and 7:30pm on Sunday
■ NT$400 tonight, sold out tomorrow and Sunday. Tickets for the venue’s 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
A set of Aboriginal rock and pop performers take to the stage tonight at The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists. The roster includes singer-songwriter duo HE (有激人), Gelresai (陳世川) and Puyuma singer Leo Chen (陳永龍). [See story above.] Tomorrow, it’s post-rock/folk-rock band We Save Strawberries (草莓救星), which has just released a new CD. On Sunday, the venue hosts an evening of emo and nu-metal bands, including The Hindsight (光景消逝).
■ 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
■ All shows start at 8pm
■ NT$500 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow and Sunday. Tickets for shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Sissey Chao (趙一豪), who sounds like Jim Morrison singing in Mandarin, and his band Double X, play tonight at Witch House (女巫店), which regularly hosts shows from both indie rock bands and folk artists in a coffeehouse setting. Tomorrow, it’s folk-rock group Mos.
■ 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
■ 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
■ Entrance for music shows is NT$300
Veteran jazz combo JEG (這個爵士樂團) plays standards, Latin, funk, rock and fusion tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Monday is the venue’s weekly open jam. Japanese blues guitarist Shun Kikuta, who is based in Chicago and was a long-serving member of Koko Taylor’s band, performs tomorrow night. On Sunday, Aboriginal guitarist and folk singer Hao-en (昊恩) takes to the stage, sharing the bill with the Baba Band (爸爸辦桌). Monday is the venue’s 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), tel: (02) 2368-7310. On the Net: www.riverside.com.tw
■ Show starts 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
■ NT$400 tonight, NT$450 tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 on Monday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Mando-pop songstress Meeia (符瓊音) performs tonight at Riverside Live House. Tomorrow the venue hosts Crystal Dancer (舞璃) and veteran pop-rock band Rock Oriental Express (搖滾東方). On Sunday, it’s indie-pop acoustic duo DingDing and ShiShi (丁丁與西西).
■ 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 is NT$400 tonight, tomorrow and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Post-rock group Collider and one-man electro-rock band Sonic Deadhorse perform tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. Tomorrow Huang A-jen (黃阿人) and happy punk band Children Sucker (表兒) 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
■ 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 for music shows is NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesdays
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), who performs every Saturday, and acclaimed Taiwanese Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君), who performs on Thursday.
■ 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
The Earl Hines II Jazztet takes to the stage tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts mostly live jazz and blues performances. Tomorrow, it’s the Danny Deysher Quartet. The venue hosts Yohei’s Jazz Trio on Tuesday.
■ 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
■ Shows start at 10pm. The venue is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is NT$150 tonight, NT$200 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.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號)
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ 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.
■ 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
■ 9:30pm to midnight
■ Entrance is free
Tomorrow 89k, Taichung’s long-established spot for local indie bands, hosts The Homo Jews and Roxymoron. [See story on Page 14.]
■ 21 Daguan Rd, Nantun Dist, Greater Taichung (台中市南屯區大觀路21號)
■ Show starts at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$300 for all shows
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tomorrow night Matzka (瑪斯卡) brings his unique blend of reggae, rock and Aboriginal folk to the venue.
■ 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
■ Show starts at 7:30pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$400 tomorrow
A hard-hitting lineup of expat and local bands is scheduled for this weekend at Pipe, an Italian restaurant located near the riverside section of Taipei Water Park (台北自來水園區) in Gongguan (公館). Tomorrow night features Pan Africana, a drum ensemble of African and Caribbean expats, and local ska favorite Skaraoke. On Sunday night, it’s synth-punks The Looking Glass and electro-band Jindowin (觔斗雲).
■ 1 Siyuan St, Taipei City (台北市思源街1號) On the Net: www.pipemusic.com.tw
■ Shows start at 10:30pm
■ Entry is NT$400 each night, includes one drink
The year was 1991. A Toyota Land Cruiser set out on a 67km journey up the Junda Forest Road (郡大林道) toward an old loggers’ camp, at which point the hikers inside would get out and begin their ascent of Jade Mountain (玉山). Little did they know, they would be the last group of hikers to ever enjoy this shortcut into the mountains. An approaching typhoon soon wiped out the road behind them, trapping the vehicle on the mountain and forever changing the approach to Jade Mountain. THE CONTEMPORARY ROUTE Nowadays, the approach to Jade Mountain from the north side takes an
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April 15 to April 21 Yang Kui (楊逵) was horrified as he drove past trucks, oxcarts and trolleys loaded with coffins on his way to Tuntzechiao (屯子腳), which he heard had been completely destroyed. The friend he came to check on was safe, but most residents were suffering in the town hit the hardest by the 7.1-magnitude Hsinchu-Taichung Earthquake on April 21, 1935. It remains the deadliest in Taiwan’s recorded history, claiming around 3,300 lives and injuring nearly 12,000. The disaster completely flattened roughly 18,000 houses and damaged countless more. The social activist and