Literary classics are being staged in Taipei and Taichung this weekend and next, with shows that will appeal to what are likely mutually exclusive fan bases: Beijing opera purists, Robert Wilson affecianados and those who cannot get enough of French rock musical extravaganzas.
One of the hottest tickets in the nation have been those for the two performances of the Berliner Ensemble at the National Taichung Theater on March 3 and March 4, where the famed troupe will be performing Wilson’s musical version of Erich Kastner’s adaptation of Peter Pan, James Barrie’s tale of the boy who does not want to grow up.
However, Wilson’s show, which premiered almost four years ago at the ensemble’s home theater, is decidedly not a tale for children. The theater cautions that is not recommended for children younger than seven.
Photo Courtesy of Lucia Janach
Wilson’s Peter Pan is a darkly comic, sometimes scary tale for adults, that explores both the dark and light sides of Peter’s character — and Tinkerbell is portrayed by man in a tutu with a 1920’s style blond wig.
As with all Wilson productions, the visuals are the main attraction.
The music was composed by the Brooklyn-and-Paris-based “freak folk” duo CocoRosie and will be performed by eight musicians.
Photo courtesy of Notre-Dame de Paris
The show will be performed in German and English with Chinese surtitles and the performance runs two-and-a-half hours, with a 20-minute intermission.
For those who want to stay closer to home that weekend, the 27-year-old Taipei Li-yuan Peking Opera Theater (台北新劇團) is staging the Peking Opera Showcase for Young Artists (台北新劇團青年匯演) at the Taipei Eye, the small theater on the third floor of the Taiwan Cement building.
The weekend showcase features a host of up and coming performers and excerpts from two classic works of the “Shanghai Beijing opera” genre.
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, AP
Hong Bi Yuan (宏碧緣) will be performed on March 3 and March 4, while the tale of a famous woman general, Mu Quei Ying (穆桂英), will be performed on March 5.
Hong Bi Yuan, which premiered in 1915, is a rare example of the Shanghai style, which brought more lively physicality to the traditional art, while Mu Quei Ying, which tells the tale of a woman who leads her army to battle shortly after giving birth, requires superb martial arts skills by both the lead and her opponents.
More information about the shows and performers can be found on the troupe’s Web site, in Chinese only (liyuan.koo.org.tw/2017YF/index.html).
Taipei audiences just cannot seem to get enough of the hunchback of Notre Dame. The rock musical version of Victor Hugo’s story, Notre-Dame de Paris, or as one of the producers Nicolas Taler likes to say, a “musical spectacular,” has played here several times since 2005, both in French and English versions.
The French-Canadian show, with a score composed by Riccardo Cocciante and a story by playwright Luc Plamondon, debuted on Sept. 16, 1998 in Paris and since then has become one of the most internationally traveled productions, even setting a Guiness World Record for the most successful first year of any musical.
One of the reasons it travels so well is that there is no dialogue. The story is told completely in song, some of which (Belle and Le temps des Cathedrales) have become almost classic ballads. The emotional power comes largely from the score, since most critics appear to agree that the lyrics are pretty trite.
The latest version to hit Taipei features the cast from the new production that opened in November last year at the Palais des Congres in Paris, including Hiba Tawaji as Esmeralda and Angelo Del Vecchio as Quasimodo. The costumes are new, but the post-modern stage design that uses Brutalist mobile blocks to represent Paris’ famed centuries-old cathedral remains the same.
The two-hour show opens tomorrow night at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall for a total of 13 performances, including Saturday and Sunday matinees this weekend and next. The performers will have a night off on Wednesday.
Performance Notes
WHAT: Peter Pan
WHEN: March 3 and March 4 at 7:30pm
WHERE: National Taichung Theater (臺中國家歌劇院大劇院), 101 Huilai Rd, Sec 2, Situn District, Taichung City (臺中市惠來路二段101號)
ADMISSION: Just a handful of NT$900 seats left for the March 4 performance; available at the theater box office, online at www.artsticket.com.tw and at convenience store kiosks
Performance Notes
WHAT: Notre-Dame de Paris
WHEN: Tomorrow at 7:30, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and March 3 at 7:30pm, March 4 and March 5 at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
WHERE: 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)
ADMISSION: Tomorrow night is sold out and only the top priced seats are left for rest of shows, ranging from NT$2,800 to NT$4,800
ON THE WEB: tickets.udnfunlife.com/application/UTK02/UTK0201_.aspx?PRODUCT_ID=D0GORG44
Performance Notes
WHAT: The Peking Opera Showcase
WHEN: March 3 at 7:30pm and March 4 and March 5 at 2:30pm
WHERE: Taipei Eye (台北戲棚) at the Taiwan Cement Building (台泥大樓士敏廳), 3F, 113, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市中山北路二段113號3樓)
ADMISSION: NT$500 and NT$800, available online at www.artsticket.com.tw, at convenience store kiosks and at the theater the days of the show
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