Theater
Based on writer Hao Yu-shiang’s (郝譽翔) novel of the same title, A Journey to Return (逆旅) by Fantasy Theatre (狂想劇場) opens with a man fleeing from China to Taiwan in 1949. Fifty years later, his daughter visits China in a quest to find a home for her father’s wondering soul.
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Oyster Girl’s Wish (蚵女的願望) is a cabaret performance by Mr Eyeball (眼球先生) that fuses traditional Taiwanese songs, dance and glittering costumes and comedy to tell the story of an oyster-harvesting girl’s battle with the mollusks she collects.
■ Plum Wine Factory (烏梅酒廠), Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 10pm and Sunday at 3pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Two of Comedy Club’s most popular groups, Stand-Up Gang (站立幫) and Double Happiness (雙囍門), have teamed up for a series of special shows titled Comedy 101, Oh Yeah (卡米地101,耶!).
■ Comedy Club, 20, Ln 553, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段553巷20號)
■ Tonight to Sunday at 8pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 at the door or NT$360 in advance, available online from www.walkieticket.com. Alternatively, contact the Comedy Club to reserve seats by sending an e-mail to ticket@comedy.com.tw or by calling (02) 2764-5529
King Porky, an English-language puppet show for children, tells a humorous story about a piglet’s adventures when he becomes king.
■ Nadou Theater (納豆劇場), 79 Xining N Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧北路79號)
■ Saturday at 2pm
■ Tickets are NT$200, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
My Ancestors of 18 Generations (三口組.我的祖宗十八代) by Taiwan Drama Performance (台灣戲劇表演家) fuses rock music, dance and Mandarin stand-up comedy to tell a tale of friendship that spans 18 generations and dates back to China’s Three Kingdoms Period (三國時代).
■ Hsinchu City Performance Hall of Bureau of Cultural Affairs (新竹市文化局演藝廳), 17, Dongda Rd Sec 2, Hsinchu City (新竹市東大路二段17號)
■ Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Riverbed Theatre (河床劇團) returns to the stage with Rice Dreams (夢遊), a remix of its “rice productions” — Riz au Lait, Riz Flambe and Riz Souffle — inspired by musicians who search for new sounds from older works. The company will be taking the hour-long show on tour to Stuttgart and Mannheim, Germany, in March.
■ Arki Galeria (築空間), B1, 2, Chongqing S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市重慶南路一段2號B1)
■ Wednesday to Dec. 30 at 8pm, Dec. 31 at 3pm
■ Tickets are NT$450, available at
the NTCH box office and from
www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
NSO Basically Beethoven — Ultimate Beethoven (NSO就是貝多芬系列 — 完全貝多芬華人三傑) presents a concert of the German composer’s music by four local musicians who have achieved international reputations. Pianist Gwhyneth Chen (陳毓襄), violinist Hu Nai-yuan (胡乃元) and cellist Yang Wen-sinn (楊文信) will perform with the National Symphony Orchestra under Lu Shao-chia (呂紹嘉). The program includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36, Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 and the Triple Concerto for Violin, Violoncello and Piano in C Major, Op. 56.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw. Only a few seats remain
Say “I Do” in Year 100 (TSO百年好合的奇蹟金婚100分) is a Christmas concert by the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團) and the Taipei Symphony Orchestra Chorus (台北市立交響樂團附設合唱團), which will perform under the baton of Wu Hsiu-ling (吳琇玲). The program includes lots of light classics such as the first movement of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Bizet’s Carillon from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 1, and Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major.
■ Sunday at 4:30pm
■ Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂), 98 Yanping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號)
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticket outlets and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Cavatina Duo (瓦緹娜二重奏音樂會) is an award-winning flute and guitar partnership composed of husband and wife Eugenia Moliner and Denis Azabagic, who have won plaudits for their unique interpretations and technical skills. The program includes a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from Bach’s Sonata in E Major to Alan Thomas’ Variations on the Carnival in Venice.
■ Today at 7:30pm (Taipei) and Sunday at 4:30pm (Pingtung)
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City and Pingtung County Art Center (屏東縣藝術館), 427, Heping Rd, Pingtung City (屏東市和平路427號)
■ Tickets are NT$350 to NT$600 for Taipei and NT$200 for Pingtung, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.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. No shows are scheduled tonight as of press time, but tomorrow the venue hosts The Next Big Thing, a showcase of up-and-coming music performers. Scheduled acts include indie-folk group Hush!, rock group I Get It (那我懂你意思了), metal band Flesh Juicer (血肉果汁機) and shoegazer outfit Doodle. Mando-pop singer LaLa Hsu (aka Hsu Chia-ying, 徐佳瑩) takes to the stage on Saturday for a Christmas Eve show. On Wednesday, it’s Chou Girls (鄒女), a trio of female Aboriginal vocalists who sing Mando-pop-style songs in their native Tsou (鄒族) language.
■ 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, except Wednesday’s, which begins at 8:30pm
■ NT$200 tomorrow, NT$800 Saturday (NT$700 in advance), and NT$500 on Wednesday (NT$400 in advance). Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw and www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Tonight, The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, hosts indie-folk duo katncandix2 (棉花糖), Good Husband (好好先生) and acoustic female pop-duo The Freshman (插班生). Tomorrow, all-girl Japanese pop group Danceroid Fes takes to the stage. On Saturday night, the venue hosts metal bands Anthelion (幻日), Beyond Cure (病入膏肓), Flesh Juicer (血肉果汁機), Solemn (恕) and Sideeffect (賽德費). On Sunday, it’s indie dance groups The Shine and Shine and Shine and Shine (閃閃閃閃), Gonzo and P!SCO. Polished indie rockers Tree of Life (生命樹樂團) headline a bill on Wednesday that includes The Silence (沉默之音) and emo-punk band Crazy Lazarus (瘋狂拉薩路)
■ 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
■ 8pm tonight, 7:30pm tomorrow, 7pm on Saturday, 8pm on Sunday
■ NT$600 tonight, NT$1,300 tomorrow, NT$1,000 on Sunday (NT$800 in advance) and NT$400 (NT$300 in advance) on Wednesday. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight Witch House (女巫店), an intimate coffeehouse-style venue in the National Taiwan University area, hosts indie bands Penguin Cat (企鵝貓) and solo act Hao Fang-chu (郝方竹). Tomorrow it’s popular indie-folk singers Huang Jie (黃玠) and Zulin Wu (吳志寧), and on Saturday, folk-rock singer Europa Huang (黃建為) and Pumpkin Li (李南瓜) take to the stage.
■ 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
Indie rock bands Silverbus (銀巴士) and Eaten By the Cab take to the stage tomorrow at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. On Saturday it’s post-punk rock group Manic Sheep and Come On! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!), whose indie-pop sound aspires to the likes of Belle and Sebastian. Afterwards, there’s a Christmas dance party with music spun by DJs William Lo, Mono Chao and Two and Half Stars (兩星半).
■ 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 9pm to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. 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. Entrance for Wednesday shows is NT$100. Saturday night’s party is NT$500 before 11:30pm, when the bands finish, or NT$300 afterwards
Tonight Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) hosts Mando-pop singer Rose Liu (劉明湘), whose show is titled Naughty and Nice Christmas. Tomorrow it’s Latin-jazz group Musa’s Trio, and on Saturday jazz piano and violin duo Chipin and Kaiya (啟彬與凱雅) team up with jazz combo Afternoon Tree (午後之樹). Taking to the stage on Sunday are folk and pop group Vast and Hazy and Crispy (脆樂團). 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$450 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow and NT$500 on Saturday (NT$400 in advance), NT$400 Sunday and NT$150 Monday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Tomorrow and Saturday Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館) hosts Christmas shows by indie pop singer-songwriter Peggy Hsu (許哲珮) and her group Circus (馬戲團).
■ 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
■ NT$600 tomorrow and Saturday (NT$500 in advance). Tickets can
be purchased online through
www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse and tickets.books.com.tw
Belgian expat composer and pianist Pierre Hujoe (aka Hue Yue, 胡月), who performs avant-garde pop sung in Mandarin, takes to the stage tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that regularly hosts live jazz performers. Tomorrow, saxophonist Terry Hsieh (謝明諺) and his quartet perform avant-garde and post-bop jazz. On Saturday, Ash and Friends play modern jazz standards. The Sappho House Band leads an open jam on Tuesday, and on Wednesday jazz singer Angela Wang performs in celebration of a new CD release.
■ 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$200 tomorrow and Saturday, and free other nights
Acclaimed Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君) performs every Thursday at EZ5 Live House, which 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 veteran performer Ann Lang (郎祖筠) on Wednesdays.
■ 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, which includes two drinks, ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Tonight indie rock club Revolver hosts indie bands Selfish Sucker (自私的混蛋), Die in Vain (死於枉然) and Fucking Need Not Reasons (幹不需要理由). Tomorrow, there’s a party titled Midnight Express, featuring DJs Anthony, Databass, Al Burro and A-Dao. On Saturday, DJs Sound Engineer, Subtle and Robi Roka, among others, take over the decks.
■ 1-2, Roosevelt Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路一段1-2號), tel: (02) 3393-1678
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is free tonight and tomorrow, NT$300 on Saturday and on Wednesday, which includes one drink
Italian restaurant Capone’s hosts pop rock band Mary Jane and her Quartet every Friday. Tomorrow, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans. On Wednesday nights, it’s Latin music from guitarist Roberto Zayas.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號), tel: (02) 2773-3782
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ On Fridays, there’s a minimum charge of one drink. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
The Village Cafe (村落餐廳), a bar and cafe located at the Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村), hosts alternative rock group Fugue State tonight. Tomorrow, it’s virtuoso blues guitarist Shun Kikuta, a former member of the band of the late blues singer Koko Taylor. On Saturday, the Olivier Baron Jazz Quartet performs. On Sunday, the venue hosts a flamenco performance by the Genio Dance Group (精靈幻舞舞團).
■ 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號), tel: (02) 3393-7377, X207
■ Shows start at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$350 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). Local indie rock heroes Sugar Plum Ferry (甜梅號) perform on Saturday.
■ 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
■ Tickets are NT$500
Event
The Taiwan Student Speaking Association meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month to allow students to practice their English-language speaking skills. The event takes place from 6pm to 7pm at the cafe on the third floor of the administration building of the National Taipei College of Business (國立臺北商業技術學院). Students give short speeches of about 20 minutes, preferably in English, but Mandarin is okay, and then take questions from the audience.
■ National Taipei College of Business (國立臺北商業技術學院) 3F, 321, Jinan Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市濟南路一段321號3樓)
■ Monday, from 6 to 7pm
■ Entrance is free. For more information send an e-mail to q028jc@gmail.com or inaandjill@hotmail.com or call 0955-091-717
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