Theater
Wedding Memories (女兒紅) will be performed by Ping-fong Acting Troupe (屏風表演班) and will be staged at the National Theater follows the real-life story of director Lee Kuo-Shiu’s mother and is a tribute to her memory. It is a play about how a family tries to rebuild their home after great loss.
* National Theater (國家戲劇院), Taipei
* Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500 through NTCH ticketing
* Today, tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm
Wu Song Fights the Tiger (武松打虎) will be performed by Paper Windmill Theater Troupe (紙風車劇團) and tells the story of Wu Song who slays a tiger that has been preying on farmers, and becomes a local hero. The story will be performed using traditional opera with some more modern musical forms such as rap so as to appeal to a younger audience.
* Novel Hall (新舞台), 3-1 Songshou Rd, Taipei (台北市松壽路3-1號)
* Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,000 and can be purchased through ERA ticketing
* Today at 2:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 10:30am and 2:30pm
Scenes de Vie Boheme (浮浪貢開花) will be staged by the Golden Bough Theater (金枝演社) and is the story of a country bumpkin off to the city to pursue his wealth and fortune.
* Red Theater (紅樓劇場), 10 Chengdu Rd, Taipei (台北市成都路10號)
* Tickets are NT$600 and can be purchased through NTCH ticketing
* Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm and tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm
Lysistrata (利西翠妲), the ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, will be staged by the Tainaner Ensemble (台南人劇團) in Tainan. Written at the height of the Peloponnesian war (411B.C.), it tells the story of a group of women from Sparta and Athens — the two cities at war — who withhold sex from their husbands and barricade the public funds building as a means of protesting the war.
* Eternal Golden Castle (億載金城), 3 Kuangchou Rd, Anping District, Tainan
* Tickets are NT$500 and can be purchased through NTCH ticketing or by calling the Tainaner Ensemble at (06) 274-7605
* Starting Thursday at 7:30pm
Classical Music
The Night of Tango — Magic of Latin Music (探戈之夜) will be presented by Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra. The concert will feature violinist Paefel Gintoli, pianist Oscar De Elia, and dancers Paula and Cristian, who will perform their breathtaking and witty tango interpretations.
* Today at the National Concert Hall, Taipei and Sunday at the Chih-De Hall, National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center, 67, Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市五福一路67號).
* Tickets cost from NT$400 to NT$1,200 for Taipei concert and from NT$300 to NT$1,200 for Kaohsiung concert through ERA ticketing
* Today at 2:30pm and Sunday at 7:30pm
An Evening of Beiguan Music (北管e世代). Legendary Beiguan maestro Chiu Huo-Jung (邱火榮) will collaborate with several young talented players from the Luan-Tan-Chiao Beiguan Opera Troupe (亂彈嬌北管樂團). Although the troupe is relatively young, they have received high acclaim, and led by Chiu, will reveal the many facets of Beiguan music. The program will include a commissioned piece composed by television host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲).
* At the National Recital Hall, Taipei
* Tickets are from NT$300 to NT$500 and are available through NTCH ticketing
* Tomorrow at 7:30pm
Reiko Watanabe Violin Recital (渡邊玲子小提琴獨奏會). At 15, Reiko Wantanabe was regarded by many critics as the best violinist in Japan, and at 20, she was the top-prize winner in the Paganini, Viotti, and Gingold competitions. With Yori Kawashima as pianist, Watanabe will play Clara Schumann's 3 Romanze, Op.1, Szymanowski's Myth, Op.30, Kreisler's Caprice Viennois, Liebesfreud, Liebesleid, and Schon Rosmarin, Paganini's Mose's Fantasy, and Enesco's Sonata, No.3.
* At the National Concert Hall, Taipei
* Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000, through NTCH ticketing
* Sunday at 2:30pm
D'un Entrange Dialogue — Affinites Musicales Paris Taipei (奇異的對話--台法知音). To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Forum Music (十方樂集) will hold a performance produced by Hsu Po-nien (徐伯年). Composers, performers, conductors, and crossover artists from Taiwan and France are invited to contribute for this gala event. Composers Lu Yan (盧炎), Yang Tsung-shien (楊聰賢) and Chung Yao-kuang (鍾耀光) have been commissioned to write the Forum Music Concerto (十方協奏曲), Beyond the Sound Curtain (簾聲之外), and Multivector (十方) respectively. In addition, French composer Carlos-Roque Alsina's D'un Entrange Dialogue will be performed by conductor Diego Masson, percussionist Gaston Sylvestre, and the Forum Music Ensemble. Other artists performing in this concert include pianist Carlos-Roque Alsina, who will play a piano duet with Lo Mei-yah (羅玫雅), dancer Aline Skoaga, harpist Shannon Chieh (解瑄), and the Little Sun Music and Theater Troupe (小太陽音樂劇場).
* At the National Concert Hall, Taipei
* Tickets cost from NT$300 to NT$1,200 and are available through NTCH ticketing
* Tuesday at 7:30pm
Ensemble Wien-Berlin (維也納柏林木管五重奏). Established in 1983, Ensemble Wien-Berlin is composed of eminent flutist Wolfgang Schulz, oboist Hansjorg Schellenberger, clarinetist Norbert Taubl, horn player Stefan Dohr, and bassoonist Daniele Damiano, who come from the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic. Each team member is proficient in both classical and contemporary repertoires; therefore, Ensemble Wien-Berlin is regarded as one of the topmost chamber music ensembles in the world. Although all members are busy as the orchestra players, they show their cooperative ability in chamber music as the members of Ensemble Wien-Berlin. The program will include Reicha's Quintet for Winds, Op.88/2, Mozart's Serenade in C Minor, K.406 and Music for Winds on “Cosi fan tutte” arranged by Ulf Guido Schafer, and Beethoven's Quintet in E-flat Major, Op.4 transcribed by Mordechai Rechtmann.
* At the National Concert Hall, Taipei on Wednesday and at the Taichung Chungshan Hall, 98 Hsuehshi Rd, Taichung City (台中市學士路98號) Thursday
* Tickets are NT$800 to NT$2,500 and can be purchased through NTCH ticketing for the Taipei concert and ERA ticketing for the Taichung concert
* Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm
Contemporary
The Post House on Sunday presents two performances by Taichung's six-piece Boogie Chillin', an outfit whose eclectic mix of contemporary, standard and experimental forms of the blues keeps every performance fresh, and Blues Vibrations, a band that has been described as a mellow Country and Eastern blues combo.
* Entrance for both shows is NT$350
* Doors open at 2pm, with the first performance from 3:15pm until 4:45pm and the second from 5:15pm until 6:45pm
* 31, Ln 35, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 6, Tienmu, Taipei (台北市天母中山路六段35巷31號). Call (02) 2835-6491
The Wall (這牆) presents Deserts Chang (張懸) and Selfkill tonight, Sgdagreen (蘇打綠) tomorrow, Challenge of the Fire (火焰大挑戰) on Sunday, The Now Generation CD release party with Japanese bands Bubble Lovele, The Savas and Double Negative and local favorite Consider the Meek on Monday, Wu Huo-wang (吳火旺), thePinprick and Heavy Egg Hell Dog (巨蛋地獄狗) on Wednesday, MMMS, The Shinex4 and To a God Unknow on Thursday.
* Entrance for tonight is NT$400, NT$500 for tomorrow (discounts are available for multiple ticket purchases), NT$150 on Sunday, NT$300 on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
* All shows begin at 8pm except Sunday's, which starts at 7pm
* B1, 200 Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei (台北市羅斯福路4段200號B1). Call (02) 2930-0162 or visit www.the-wall.com.tw.
89K features Pan Africana Cultural Troupe tonight.
* The show begins at 10pm
* Entrance is NT$200
* 89 Chungming S Rd, Taichung (台中市中明南路89號)
Tomorrow the troupe will play at Grooveyard.
* The show begins at 10pm
* Entrance for tonight and tomorrow is NT$300
* 2F, 105 Huamei W Rd, Taichung (台中市華美西街105號二樓). Visit www.grooveyardtaiwan.com
Riverside Cafe presents Real Collective Jazz Quartet (爵士精選四重奏) tonight, Tizzy Back and Echo (回聲樂團) tomorrow, Fuzzy and In & Out tomorrow, open jam night on Monday, Ray Band and Narian on Tuesday, Hi and Marty Young Band on Wednesday, What Mulan and The Beetle Band on Thursday.
* All shows begin at 9:30pm except Monday's which starts at 9pm
* Entrance for tonight, tomorrow and Tuesday is NT$350, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday shows are NT$350 and Monday is NT$150
* B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號B1). Call (02) 2368 7310 or visit www.riverside.com.tw
Exhibitions
Special Exhibition of Su the Dinosaur (暴龍蘇特展), showcasing one of the highlighted exhibits at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. The largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, Su is 67 million years old and cost the museum 30,000 hours.
* National Museum of Natural Science (國立自然科學博物館), 1 Kuanchien Rd, Taichung (台中市館前路一號). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Call (04) 2322 6940
*Until Jan. 7, 2007
The Kingdom of Comics - Swiss Comics Exhibition (漫畫之國－瑞士漫畫展), featuring works by comic artists such as Cosey, Noyao, Thomas Ott, Wazem and Anna Sommer. The exhibition introduces the development of comic art in Switzerland and showcases experiment works by many independent artists.
* Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (高雄市立美術館), 20 Meishukuan Rd, Kushan District, Kaohsiung. (高雄市鼓山區美術館路20號). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Call (07) 555 0331
* Until Nov. 12
Taipei/Taipei: Views and Points (台北二三：二三觀點). Through the creations and performances by artists both from abroad and home, the exhibition offers manifold views on Taipei as an existence, a metaphor or imagination.
*Taipei Fine Arts Museum (台北市立美術館) at 181 Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3, Taipei (台北市中山北路三段181號). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30am to 5:30pm. Call (02) 2595 7656
* Until Oct. 15
A Realm With No Coordinates - The Gaze and Division in the Contemporary Art Creation of Taiwan and Hong Kong (零座標的疆域－台灣語香港當代藝術創作中的凝視與開裂 ). Featuring works of 10 artists and four writers that point to the issue of sameness and divergence within a local framework, the touring exhibition takes a introspective look at the contemporary art scenes in both regions that not only share many common traits but also develop distinctive aesthetics.
*From Sept 30 to Oct. 12 at NTUE Nanhai Gallery (南海藝廊), 3, Ln 19, Chongching S Rd Sec 2, Taipei (台北市重慶南路二段19巷3號). Open Wednesday to Sunday from 2pm to 9:30pm. Call (02) 2392 5080. From Oct 18 to Oct. 26 at National Culture Association (文化總會), 15 Chongching S Rd Sec 2, Taipei (台北市重慶南路二段15號). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Call (02) 2396 4256. From Nov. 4 to Nov. 26 at Artistic Special Zone, National University of Tainan (台南大學人文學院藝術特區), 33 Shulin St Sec 2, Tainan (台南市樹林街二段33號). Call (06) 213 3111
The SLY Show on New Talents 2006 - A Trajectory from Outside to Inside (2006第四屆新樂園Emerge新秀展－由外到內的過程), featuring works by three young local artists who explore the relationship between the artist, art work and viewer and open up a space for the intervention of the viewer as an active participants in the process.
*Shin Leh Yuan Art Space (新樂園藝術空間), 15-2, Ln 11, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 2, Taipei (中山北路二段11巷15-2號). Open Wednesday to Sunday from 1pm to 8pm. Call (02) 2561 1548
* Until Oct. 22
Taiwan, once relegated to the backwaters of international news media and viewed as a subset topic of “greater China,” is now a hot topic. Words associated with Taiwan include “invasion,” “contingency” and, on the more cheerful side, “semiconductors” and “tourism.” It is worth noting that while Taiwanese companies play important roles in the semiconductor industry, there is no such thing as a “Taiwan semiconductor” or a “Taiwan chip.” If crucial suppliers are included, the supply chain is in the thousands and spans the globe. Both of the variants of the so-called “silicon shield” are pure fantasy. There are four primary drivers
Japan is celebrated for its exceptional levels of customer service. But the behavior of a growing number of customers and clients leaves a lot to be desired. The rise of the abusive consumer has prompted authorities in Tokyo to introduce the country’s first ordinance — a locally approved regulation — to protect service industry staff from kasuhara — the Japanese abbreviated form of “customer harassment.” While the Tokyo ordinance, which will go into effect in April, does not carry penalties, experts hope the move will highlight a growing social problem and, perhaps, encourage people to think twice before taking out their frustrations
Two years ago my wife and I went to Orchid Island off Taitung for a few days vacation. We were shocked to realize that for what it cost us, we could have done a bike vacation in Borneo for a week or two, or taken another trip to the Philippines. Indeed, most of the places we could have gone for that vacation in neighboring countries offer a much better experience than Taiwan at a much lower price. Hence, the recent news showing that tourist visits to Pingtung County’s Kenting, long in decline, reached a 27 year low this summer came
From a Brooklyn studio that looks like a cross between a ransacked Toys R Us and a serial killer’s lair, the artist David Henry Nobody Jr is planning the first survey of his career. Held by a headless dummy strung by its heels from the ceiling are a set of photographs from the turn of the century of a then 30-year-old Nobody with the former president of the US. The snapshots are all signed by Donald Trump in gold pen (Nobody supplied the pen). They will be a central piece of the New York artist’s upcoming survey in New York. This
RSS