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 Rules are made to be broken. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THEATRE DU SOLEIL | Theatre du Soleil of Paris brings its highly anticipated latest production Les Ephemeres to the city for six performances starting tomorrow night at the National Theater and Concert Hall Plaza (兩廳院藝文廣場), a fitting spot for the company's often unconventional choices of venues such as barns. Celebrated for its explorations into different theater styles, ranging from traditions of Asian theaters to commedia dell’arte, the world-renowned avant-garde ensemble turns to everyday life in Les Ephemeres, a series of vignettes, to tell unremarkable stories that take place in ordinary locales such as the living room and kitchen. The dramas and reflections look at the brief moments that constitute life.
▲For those who missed full-length performances, two separate stagings of the second part of the play offer a valuable chance to see the Soleil theater ▲7:30pm on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27 ▲Tickets cost NT$1,800, available through NTCH ticket outlets or at www.artsticket.com.tw ▲On the Net: www.ntch.edu.tw |
Theater
In the play Ten Years Old (十歲), by Shine-house Theater (曉劇場), the future is all doom and gloom. Meat injected with growth hormones results in humans maturing both physically and mentally at a rapid pace — so rapid, in fact, that they are fully developed by the age of 10. After taking over the reigns of government, this group of super children calls for the death of anyone over 10 years old so as to curb diminishing natural resources and a population out of control. But a group of people in their 20s challenges the new government and the roving death squads in an attempt to save the world.
▲Guling St Theater (牯嶺街小劇場), 2, Ln 5 Guling St, Taipei City (台北市牯嶺街5巷2號)
▲Today, tomorrow and Sunday at 7:30pm and tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$400 and are available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
P.I.G. by Morning Star Theater (晨星劇團) tells the story of a how a quiet village in the middle of a forest suffers a natural disaster and manages to pull through the tragedy by pooling its resources.
▲Hsinchu City Performance Hall (新竹市立演藝廳), 17, Tungtah Rd Sec 2, Hsinchu (新竹市東大路二段17號)
▲Today at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$200 to NT$500 and are available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Hard-hitting social commentary tinged with moral themes is a trademark of the plays written by Spanish playwright Fernando Arrabal. Tellus Theater will perform Tricycle, one of Arrabal's most celebrated plays. The story follows the lives of four wandering gypsies who have to find a way to survive an icy winter. The play is in English.
▲B1, 25, Ln 44, Taishun St, Taipei City (台北市泰順街44巷25號B1)
▲Tomorrow at 3pm and 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$350 and are available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Heart of Ocean (海洋之心) is a diabolo dance performance by Diabolo Dance Theater (舞鈴劇場) that recreates for audiences the experience of life underwater.
▲Taichung County Cultural Center (台中縣立文化中心), 782 Yuanhuan E Rd, Fungyuan City, Taichung County (台中縣豐原市圓環東路782號)
▲Tomorrow at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$200 to NT$900 and are available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
NTCH Christmas Peace and Love Concert (聖誕音樂會 — 銀色繽紛樂章) will see the National Experimental Chorus (國立實驗合唱團) performing under the direction of Agnes Grossmann, the former music director of the Vienna Boy's Choir, and the NSO in a performance of Bach's Magnificat BWV243, selections from Handel's Messiah, Franck's Panis Angelicus and Schubert's Ave Maria.
▲Today 7:30pm
▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$800 and are available through NTCH ticketing
Mnozil Brass 2007 World Tour (維也納爆笑七先生2007巡迴音樂會). This group of seven brass musicians mix band music with humor and end their Taiwan tour with a gig in Taipei.
▲Tomorrow 2:30pm
▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$400 to NT$2,500 and are available through ERA ticketing
Songs of Praise with the Taipei Philharmonic Chorus (台北愛樂感恩頌歌) will see the Taipei Philharmonic performing the fourth movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, along with the overture of Die Fledermaus among other celebratory music.
▲Monday 7:30pm
▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,500 and are available through NTCH ticketing
Henry Mazer Memorial Concert (亨利•梅哲紀念音樂會) will see the Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra (台北愛樂管弦樂團) perform Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 New World among other pieces in a memorial concert for their former conductor Henry Mazer. The concert will also feature violin soloist Su Hsian-ta (蘇顯達).
▲Tuesday 7:30pm
▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500 and are available through NTCH ticketing
Five Colors and Six Hues — A Concert by the String Quintet of the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra (五顏六色 — 高雄市交響管樂團木管五重奏音樂會) will perform a program that includes Rossini's Overture to The Barber of Seville, Briccialdi's Quintet op. 124, Mendelssohn's Scherzo from “Midsummer Nights' Dream”, Beethoven's Quintet for Piano and Woodwind and Poulence's Sextet for Piano and Woodwind.
▲Today 7:30pm
▲Kaohsiung Cultural Center's Chih-Teh Hall (高雄市立文化中心室德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsuing City (高雄市五福一路67號)
▲Tickets are NT$200 to NT$300 and are available through ERA ticketing
Wild Flute Christmas Concert (狂野笛聲迎聖誕) by the Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra (高雄市交響樂團) will include a wide selection of classical and popular works ranging from Amy Rice-Young's The Twelve Days of Christmas to selections from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite.
▲Tomorrow 2:30pm and 7:30pm
▲Kaohsiung City Music Hall (高雄市音樂館), 99 Hexi Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市河西路99號)
▲Tickets are NT$250 and NT$300 and are available through ERA ticketing
Silk Road on the Sea (海上絲路), a concert by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra (臺北市立國樂團) featuring rising star Ku Bao-wen (顧寶文) as conductor and featuring Chu Lin (朱霖) on the erhu.
▲Today 7:30pm
▲Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂中正廳),98 Yenping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號)
▲Tickets are NT$200 to NT$800 and are available through NTCH ticketing
TSO Christmas Concert (臺北市音樂季 — 聖誕音樂會), featuring conductor Cheng Li-pin (鄭立彬) and soprano Wu Ching (吳青), includes performances of Mahler's Symphony in G Major No.4, Robert Shaw's The Moods of Christmas and extracts from Handel's Messiah.
▲Tomorrow 7:30pm
▲Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂中正廳), 98 Yenping S Rd, Taipei City (台北市延平南路98號)
▲Tickets are NT$200 to NT$1,000 and are available through NTCH ticketing
Witness — 2007 Ju Percussion Group Winter Concert (2007朱宗慶打擊樂團冬季巡演木擊者) will showcase works such as Nigel Westlake's Omphalo Centric Lecture, Emmanuel Chabrier's Rapsodie Espana arranged by Momoko Kamiya, Keiko Abe's Memories of the Seashore for Marimba Ensemble and Koji Sakurai's The Night Train to the Star.
▲Sunday 7:30pm in Taichung; Wednesday and Thursday 7:30pm Taipei
▲Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中市中山堂), 98 Hsuehshi Rd, Taichung City (台中市學士路98號) and Taipei's National Concert Hall
▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$900 for Taichung and NT$300 to NT$1,100 for Taipei and are available throught NTCH ticketing
Contemporary
Tonight is Electric Bass night at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言), with bass virtuosos Ning Zi-da (甯子達), Huang Chun-han (黃群翰), Chou Feng-yi (周峰毅), Li Hsiao-bo (李效柏), Li Ai-hsuan (李艾璇), Wu Chi-hui (吳智暉) and Lu Chia-chun (陸家駿). Singer Peggy Hsu (許哲珮) makes an appearance tomorrow. Sunday is Rapper's Renaissance Part 4 (饒舌文藝復興大計畫第四). Among the scheduled performers are the Tripoets (參劈), DJ Noodle and special guest Kero One. Christmas Eve brings more jazz, with a house jazz combo comprised of guitarist Geddy Lin (林正如), Kinya on bass, drummer Toshi Fuji, Ah-de (阿德) on sax and a special guest, emerging jazz singer Jyotsn'a Pang (彭靖惠). Brit-pop band Tube and Captain Peanut (花生隊長), which plays “bossa-nova rock,” take to the stage Tuesday. Christian rockers Jesus Rocks (搖滾主耶穌) play Wednesday. On Thursday, it's alt-rock singer Sandy Chen (陳珊妮), winner of two Golden Melody awards in 2005 for Best Album and Best Producer, with Hsu Chian-hsiu (徐千秀) and George Chen (陳建騏).
▲B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號B1)
▲Call (02) 2368-7310, or visit www.riverside.com.tw
▲Shows start at 9:30pm
▲Entrance is NT$400 tonight, tomorrow and Thursday; NT$350 Sunday; NT$500 Christmas Eve; and NT$350 Tuesday and Wednesday. Admission includes one free drink
Veteran indie band 88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽), with modern rock that goes from moody to spastic, take to the stage tonight at Underworld
(地下社會). Tomorrow features Sugar Plum Ferry (甜梅號), one of Taiwan's best post-rock bands. Three acts are performing on Christmas Eve: Tube (地下鐵), fellow Brit-rockers Bitter, and singer/guitarist Easy. Neo-folk singer/guitarist Enno Cheng (鄭宜農) and shoegazer post-rock group Aphasia (阿飛西雅) perform Wednesday.
▲B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Call (02) 2369-0103
▲Bands start playing after 9pm. The bar is open daily from 8pm
▲Entrance for shows is NT$300 and includes one free drink
The Wall (這牆) presents The Whale Fight — Round One (鯨武門—首役) tomorrow, with heavy-metal bands Chthonic (閃靈), recently returned from their world tour, Anthelion (幻日) and Infernal Chaos. J-pop singer/songwriter Mikuni Shimokawa makes her Taiwan live performance debut on Sunday. Pop-rockers Lumay (露魅) and progressive rock/alt-metal band MontEs play Wednesday. Brit-pop band Tube plays Thursday.
▲B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1).
▲Call (02) 2930-0162 or log on at www.the-wall.com.tw for more information
▲The music starts at 8pm
▲Entrance tomorrow is NT$800 for pre-sale tickets or NT$1,000 at the door. Sunday is NT$1,200 for pre-sale tickets or NT$1,500 at the door. Wednesday and Thursday is NT$300. Admission includes one free drink
Living Room (小客廳) hosts Pure Pie (醇樂派) and Fire in Blue, who play Western classic rock with a Taiwanese twist. Les Envelopes Rouges play tomorrow. Tuesday is Tarot Night with house regular Eiffel (艾菲爾), who promises to give you a glimpse of your future and offer useful advice about your life.
▲3F, 8, Nanjing E Rd Sec 5, Taipei City (台北市南京東路五段8號3樓).
▲Call (02) 8787-4154 or visit www.livingroomtaipei.com
▲9pm to 11pm tonight; 8pm to 9pm Wednesday
▲NT$300 minimum charge for tonight and tomorrow's live music. Suggested donation is NT$100 tonight and NT$150 tomorrow. NT$1,000 and purchase of one drink required for Tuesday's tarot
Tsai Wen-hui (蔡雯慧) and friends play songs in the spirit of the holiday season tonight at Witch House (女巫店).7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Road Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號). Call (02) 2362-5494 or visit www.witchhouse.org
▲Tonight at 9:30pm
▲NT$300 entrance includes one drink
Black Reign International brings dancehall vibes to Taipei's Club
Plan B with the Passa Pass party. DJs will spin the latest in dancehall, roots, socca and hip-hop.
▲29-1, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段29-1號). Send an e-mail to obrothaz@gmail.com or visit O-Brothaz Sound System on Facebook.com for more information. Plan B's phone number is (02) 2775-5855
▲Tomorrow from 11pm to 10am
▲NT$400 entrance includes one drink
In Taichung, it's Salsa Night tonight at Grooveyard, a non-smoking event with professional instructors who teach salsa and merengue to the tune of Cuban music. On Sunday, there's a benefit for Basic Human Needs, a charity that helps street children in India. Scheduled acts include funk supergroup the Money$hot Horns, Changhwa-based rockers The DoLittles, Quarteto Iguana, guitarist Russel Rogers and folk/rock cover band Mostly Handsome. For more information on the charity, log on at www.basichumanneeds.net. Russell Rogers plays flamenco and bouzouki on Wednesday, which is ladies night. Thursday is acoustic jam and open-mic night.
▲2F, 105 Huamei W St, Taichung City (台中市華美西街105號2樓). Visit www.grooveyardtaiwan.com or call 0939-574-737 for more information
▲Tonight's salsa runs from 8pm to 10pm. Tomorrow's Word Alive 2 starts at 7:30pm, then Rogers plays from 10:30pm. Wednesday's music is from 10pm to midnight. Thursday's open mic starts at 9pm
▲NT$500 donation for the charity gig includes buffet and one drink. There's no cover charge for the other events
Ah-bang (阿邦)performs tomorrow and on Christmas Eve at 89k Music Bar in Taichung.
▲21 Daguan Rd, Taichung City (台中市大觀路21號). Call (04) 2320-7010 for more information
▲The music starts at 10pm
▲NT$250 admission
Exhibitions
Incubation Machine — Solo Exhibition of Maggie Chou (孵育機器 — 周佳雯個展) Using mechanical principals to create an artificial living system, artist Chou examines humankind's basic needs and desires by stimulating experiences such as mating, propagation and nursing.
▲Juming Museum (朱銘美術館), 2 Sheshihu, Chinshan Township, Taipei County (台北縣金山鄉西勢湖2號)
▲Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Call (02) 2498-9940
▲Until Dec. 30
The Shepherd and the Pigeon (牧羊人與小鴿子的故事). This interdisciplinary collective's work by artist Tatiana Goloviznina, dancer Chan Yao-chun (詹曜君), installation artists Darryl Bisson of the US, painter Chen Ying-chieh (陳映潔) and anime artist Lin Chia-hung (林佳鴻) was inspired by a Russian urban fairy tale.
Weekend music and performing art pieces are scheduled throughout the exhibition. For more information, visit blog.roodo.com/nanhai
▲NTUE Nanhai Gallery (南海藝廊), 3, Ln 19, Zhungching S Road Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市重慶南路二段19巷3號)
▲Wednesday to Sunday from 2pm to 9:30pm; Call (02) 2392-5080
▲Until Jan. 5, 2008
Disappearing Landscape— Solo Exhibition of Yuan Goang-ming (逝去中的風景—袁廣鳴個展). The celebrated artist's latest series features three video channels playing out urban images in loop and points to the elusive relation between the real and the illusion.
▲IT Park Gallery (伊通公園), 2-3F, 41 Yitong St, Taipei City (台北市伊通街41號2/3樓).
▲Open Tuesday to Saturday from 1pm to 10pm. Call (02) 2507-7243
▲Until Jan. 12
On the Road From Tree to Nature (由樹到自然的路). The solo exhibition by Jhong Jiang-ze (鍾江澤) sees the young artist transpose his spiritual affinity with Buddhism and Daoism onto canvas. The series of abstract oil paintings fittingly manifest the artist's yearning to assimilate into nature and wholeness.
▲Islanders Studio (島民工作室), 95 Chaozhou St, Taipei City (台北市潮州街95號).
▲Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm; Call (02) 2396-9208
▲Until Jan. 6
Poinsettias: Flowers or Not? (花非花 — 聖誕花卉特展). With names like Christmas star, flame leaf flower, winter rose and Christmas red as it is called in Taiwan, poinsettias, a native to Mexico, boast 109 varieties, and Taiwan began to import and cultivate some of them in 1993. The seasonal exhibition introduces visitors to years of hard work by local floriculturists through illustrations, gardening and lectures as well as workshops on card-making with dried and dyed flowers.
▲National Museum of Natural Science (國立自然科學博物館), 1 Kuanchien Rd, Taichung City (台中市館前路一號).
▲Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm; Call (04) 2322-6940
▲Until Jan. 13
Jan 13 to Jan 19 Yang Jen-huang (楊仁煌) recalls being slapped by his father when he asked about their Sakizaya heritage, telling him to never mention it otherwise they’ll be killed. “Only then did I start learning about the Karewan Incident,” he tells Mayaw Kilang in “The social culture and ethnic identification of the Sakizaya” (撒奇萊雅族的社會文化與民族認定). “Many of our elders are reluctant to call themselves Sakizaya, and are accustomed to living in Amis (Pangcah) society. Therefore, it’s up to the younger generation to push for official recognition, because there’s still a taboo with the older people.” Although the Sakizaya became Taiwan’s 13th
Earlier this month, a Hong Kong ship, Shunxin-39, was identified as the ship that had cut telecom cables on the seabed north of Keelung. The ship, owned out of Hong Kong and variously described as registered in Cameroon (as Shunxin-39) and Tanzania (as Xinshun-39), was originally People’s Republic of China (PRC)-flagged, but changed registries in 2024, according to Maritime Executive magazine. The Financial Times published tracking data for the ship showing it crossing a number of undersea cables off northern Taiwan over the course of several days. The intent was clear. Shunxin-39, which according to the Taiwan Coast Guard was crewed
China’s military launched a record number of warplane incursions around Taiwan last year as it builds its ability to launch full-scale invasion, something a former chief of Taiwan’s armed forces said Beijing could be capable of within a decade. Analysts said China’s relentless harassment had taken a toll on Taiwan’s resources, but had failed to convince them to capitulate, largely because the threat of invasion was still an empty one, for now. Xi Jinping’s (習近平) determination to annex Taiwan under what the president terms “reunification” is no secret. He has publicly and stridently promised to bring it under Communist party (CCP) control,
One way people in Taiwan can control how they are represented is through their choice of name. Culturally, it is not uncommon for people to choose their own names and change their identification cards and passports to reflect the change, though only recently was the right to use Indigenous names written using letters allowed. Reasons for changing a person’s name can vary widely, from wanting to sound more literary, to changing a poor choice made by their parents or, as 331 people did in March of 2021, to get free sushi by legally changing their name to include the two characters
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