Theater
An-ping Capriccio (安平追想曲) by Shiu-kim Taiwanese Opera Group (秀琴歌劇團) is a contemporary Taiwanese operatic piece that took inspiration from the traditional Taiwanese folk song Remember An-Ping (安平追想曲) and tells of a love story that spans two generations.
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tomorrow and Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Riverbed Theatre’s (河床劇團) Beautiful Cruelty (美麗的殘酷) attempts to explore Antonin Artaud’s idea of Theatre of Cruelty by using the string quartet music composed by multimedia artist and musician Blaire Ko (柯智豪) as its theatrical text.
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 1:30pm and 4:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Taiwan Bangzi Opera Company (台灣豫劇團) teams up with Yu Opera Company of Hebi City (鶴壁市豫劇團) from China’s Henan Province to perform classic works of Bangzi opera, also known as Henan opera or Yu opera (豫劇), with a star-studded cast including China’s Jin Buhuan (金不換), who is noted for his chou (丑), or clown role.
■ Sun Yat-sen Hall of the National Sun Yat-sen University Art Center (國立中山大學逸仙館), 70 Lianhai Rd, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市蓮海路70號)
■ Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Tainaner Ensemble (台南人劇團) is staging a new rendition of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, set in Taiwan under Japanese rule.
■ Metropolitan Hall (台北市社教館城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Ping-Fong Acting Troupe (屏風表演班) is reviving Wedding Memories (女兒紅), a semi-biographical play based on the life story of the artistic director Hugh Lee’s (李國修) mother that premiered in 2003. The story centers on an obedient girl in China who, in an attempt to prevent a family scandal, volunteers to marry the man who impregnated her younger sister.
■ 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)
■ Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
Ayako Uehara 2012 Piano Recital (上原彩子首度抵台鋼琴獨奏會) brings the highly acclaimed pianist Ayako Uehara to Taiwan for the first time. Uehara was the first woman and the first Japanese national to win the coveted International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 2002, and has since gone on to build an illustrious career. She will perform a program that includes Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 “Pathetique” in C Minor, Liszt’s Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses “Benediction de Dieu dans la Solitude” and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing and online at www.artsticket.com.tw
NSO 25 — Legacy & Masters (NSO節慶系列-傳奇‧世紀) sees the National Symphony Orchestra (國家交響樂團) perform with piano soloist Garrick Ohlsson under the baton of conductor Gunther Herbig. The program includes Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23 and Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64.
■ Saturday at 7:30pm (Taipei) and Sunday at 7:30pm (Taichung)
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City and Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中市中山堂), 98 Syueshih Rd, Taichung City (台中市學士路98號)
■ Tickets for Taipei are sold out. Tickets for Taichung are NT$400 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing and 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. Tomorrow the venue hosts nakashi (那卡西)-punk pioneers Loh Tsui Kweh Commune (濁水溪公社, LTK). Taike (台客) rockers Children Sucker (表兒) open the show. On Saturday, it’s more nakashi rock with veteran band The Clippers (夾子電動大樂隊) and comedic indie rockers Wonfu (旺福樂團). On Wednesday, harpist and flutist Paige Su (蘇珮卿) performs jazz pop and fusion.
■ 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 tomorrow and Saturday, and 8:30pm on Wednesday
■ NT$500 tomorrow, Saturday and Wednesday. Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw, www.legacy.com.tw and at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
Tonight The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, hosts two French indie pop bands, Tahiti 80 and General Elektriks. Tomorrow, local post-rock bands Sorry Youth (拍謝少年) and Silverbus take to the stage, and on Saturday, it’s metal night with local stalwarts Beyond Cure, Infernal Chaos, Sideffect, Greasy Jelly for Mercy Killing and Die in Vain. On Sunday, the venue hosts indie rock bands My Skin Against Your Skin and expat group Roxymoron, which just released a new EP.
■ 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
■ Shows start at 8pm
■ NT$1,500 tonight, NT$500 tomorrow (NT$400 in advance), NT$600 on Saturday (NT$400 in advance) and NT$400 on Sunday (NT$300 in advance). 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 singer and guitarist Chen Hao (陳浩), with opening pop act Chen Chi-hui (陳智輝) and Huang Bo-lun (黃柏綸). Jelly Lee (李國瑋) of the funk-rock band Coach (教練) plays a solo set tomorrow, followed by metal band OverDose. On Saturday, it’s jazz group Gina’s Can (吉那罐子).
■ 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
Tonight rock club Revolver hosts an indie rock band Forests (森林合唱樂團), She Bang-a (死蚊子) and Floaty. Tomorrow night expat bands Blind Acid Date and Kid Millionaire take to the stage, with a DJ set later from Q-Bik and MC Fresh. On Saturday, The Combobulators play reggae and jam rock, with a DJ set from Leo 37.
■ 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 9:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$200 tonight, NT$250 tomorrow, NT$300 on Saturday (free entrance for women), includes a drink
Up-and-coming bands Belabus (白蘿蔔) and Eggplantegg (茄子蛋) appear tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow it’s Bing Wang (王治平) and RAY Band (雷樂隊), a trio of pop session musicians. Taiwanese folk-pop singer Hsiao Tse-lun (蕭澤倫) takes to the stage on Saturday, and on Sunday, the venue hosts jazz pop outfit Mr Why Why (壞壞嗓樂團) and Mando-pop singer Tuan Yuan-yu (童圓喻).
■ 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 9pm
■ NT$350 tonight and Sunday, NT$400 tomorrow and Saturday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Folk-pop duo JS appears tomorrow at Riverside Live House (河岸留言西門紅樓展演館). On Saturday, it’s a Yamaha-sponsored showcase for guitar students, featuring fingerstyle performers. Mando-pop singer Lan You-shi (藍又時) takes to the stage on Sunday.
■ 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$400 tonight, NT$ 150 tomorrow and NT$500 on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Piano/bass/drums jazz troupe Renaissance Trio performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts live jazz. Tomorrow French expat Olivier Baron and his quartet take to the stage.
■ 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, free all other nights
On Saturday, Bobwundaye, a small neighborhood pub on Heping East Road (和平東路) in Taipei, hosts Aboriginal blues singer and guitarist Stevie Ray and his band. The venue holds an open mic every Wednesday.
■ 77, Heping E Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市和平東路三段77號)
■ Shows start at 9:30pm
■ NT$200 on Saturday
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 Tiger Huang (黃小琥), who performs 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 (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at Italian restaurant Capone’s, with live music from electric blues band Taipei blues band Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). On Saturday, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans. Iris sings “romantic chansons” Sunday nights and on Wednesdays, 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, minimum charge of one drink. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
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 post-rock heroes Sugar Plum Ferry (甜梅號) take to the stage tomorrow. Indie rockers 2hrs and The Third Party (第三者) play on 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
■ Show starts at 7:30pm Saturday
■ NT$500 on Saturday, NT$300 on Sunday
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts live music every Saturday. This weekend, it’s punk band Random and post-rock group Low-Brightness Period.
■ 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
■ Starts at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$200, which includes one drink
Lecture
Respected Australian arts administrator Michael Lynch will deliver a lecture titled Is There Culture in a Cultural Center? on Saturday as part of the Lung Yingtai Cultural Foundation’s (龍應台文化基金會) MediaTek lectures. Lynch, who has run the Sydney Opera House as well as London’s Southbank Center and is currently CEO of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, will discuss how (and if) governments can respond to cultural development. The lecture will be moderated by Yang Tse (楊澤), chief editor of the China Times’ literary supplement, and will be followed by a discussion with essayist, critic and Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Lung Ying-tai (龍應台).
■ Zhongshan Hall, 98 Yenping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號). Admission is free, but those attending must register in advance by calling (02) 3322-4907 or logging on to www.civictaipei.org. The event will be conducted in English with simultaneous translation in Chinese
■ Saturday at 2pm
Sept.16 to Sept. 22 The “anti-communist train” with then-president Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) face plastered on the engine puffed along the “sugar railway” (糖業鐵路) in May 1955, drawing enthusiastic crowds at 103 stops covering nearly 1,200km. An estimated 1.58 million spectators were treated to propaganda films, plays and received free sugar products. By this time, the state-run Taiwan Sugar Corporation (台糖, Taisugar) had managed to connect the previously separate east-west lines established by Japanese-era sugar factories, allowing the anti-communist train to travel easily from Taichung to Pingtung’s Donggang Township (東港). Last Sunday’s feature (Taiwan in Time: The sugar express) covered the inauguration of the
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