Theater
The International Kaohsiung County Puppet Theater Festival (高雄縣偶戲藝術節) celebrates puppetry this year with a lineup featuring more than 90 traditional and contemporary performances by 29 groups from South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, France, Italy, Brazil and Bulgaria. For more information, visit the event’s bilingual site at 2010puppetry.kccc.gov.tw.
■ Preparatory Office, Wei Wu Ying Center for the Arts (高雄縣衛武營藝術文化中心籌備處) 449-1, Nanjing Rd, Fengshan City, Kaohsiung County (高雄縣鳳山市南京路449-1號)
■ The festival runs from Sunday through Feb. 21. For the complete schedule, visit 2010puppetry.kccc.gov.tw/en/en04.html
■ No admission fee for outdoor shows. Indoor performances cost NT$150, with tickets available through NTCH outlets or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Dazzling lights, thumping techno and audience participation: Fuerzabruta is an exuberant display of theatrics. The show features a large shallow pool in which female performers splash and slide about. The production will run through the Lunar New Year holiday until March 7.
■ Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store (新光三越), A10 parking lot (A10停車場), 12 Songgao Rd, Taipei City (台北市松高路12號)
■ Sunday and Monday at 7:30pm and 10pm, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm. For the complete schedule, go to fb.ishow.gmg.tw
■ Tickets are NT$1,900 and NT$2,300, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Part of the annual Taiwan International Festival, 1433 — The Grand Voyage (鄭和1433) is a musical inspired by Chinese mariner Zheng He’s (鄭和) legendary 15th century sea voyages. The work is an international collaboration between U-Theatre, stage director Robert Wilson and other renowned artists including Oscar-winning art director Yip Tim (葉錦添), jazz musicians Ornette Coleman and Richard Landry and Taiwanese opera diva Tang Mei-yun (唐美雲). [See story on Page 13.]
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Feb. 20, Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 at 7:30pm, Feb. 21 at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600 to NT$3,600, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Billed as the country’s only professional performing group specializing in huangmei opera (黃梅調), Wang You-lan’s Huangmei Opera Theater Studio (王友蘭黃梅調劇藝坊) has put together a program of the genre’s classics, including The Butterfly Lovers (梁山伯與祝英台) and Consort Prince in Disguise (女駙馬).
■ National Taiwan Arts Education Center
(國立台灣藝術教育館), 47 Nanhai Rd, Taipei City (台北市南海路47號)
■ Feb. 20 at 7pm
■ Tickets are NT$100 to NT$1,000, available through ERA ticketing or online at
www.ticket.com.tw
Make a funny face and you could win NT$3,000 in a competition being held at the Comedy Club on Feb. 19. On Feb. 20 the winner of the club’s lip-synching contest will walk away with NT$5,000. Participants are asked to register online at www.comedy.com.tw/node/387. The registration fee is NT$50 for each competition.
■ Comedy Club, B1, 24 Taishun St, Taipei City (台北市泰順街24號B1)
■ Preliminaries begin at 3pm. Finals begin at 8pm
■ Tickets are NT$100 at the door, which includes one drink
Classical music
Dream of the Red Chamber vs The Emperor of Chu (紅樓夢vs西楚霸王) is a program of zheng (箏) music, which presents the premiere of a new work by Yu Hsiu-ling (游秀玲), titled Dream of the Red Chamber
(紅樓夢), and includes other works designed to show off the range and expressiveness of this versatile instrument.
■ Feb. 23 at 7:30pm
■ National Recital Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
Kunita Tomohiro Horn Recital (國田朋宏法國號獨奏會) presents French horn specialist Kunita Tomohiro, accompanied on piano by Huang Jen-hsien (黃任賢), performing a program that includes Eugene Bozza’s En Foret, JW Kalliwoda’s Introduction and Rondo Op.51 and Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy.
■ Feb. 24 at 7:30pm
■ National Recital Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$200 to NT$300, available through NTCH ticketing or online at
www.artsticket.com.tw
Contemporary
Please note that most venues will be closed this weekend for the Lunar New Year holiday. Below are shows for next week, as the Around Town section will not be published in the Feb. 19 edition of the Taipei Times. Around Town returns on Feb. 26.
EZ5 Live House, which hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night, will be open throughout the Lunar New Year Holiday except on Sunday night. House favorite Tiger Huang (黃小琥) will be taking the night off this Monday but returns the following week. You can still catch other popular performers such as Julia Peng (彭佳慧), who appears every Tuesday, and male singer Shin Lung (辛隆), who performs every Saturday.
■ 211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段211號). Tel: (02) 2738-3995. On the Net: www.ez-5.com
■ Music shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
■ Entrance (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
There won’t be any live performances when Witch House (女巫店) reopens on Tuesday, but it might be a good time to check out the venue’s extensive collection of German board games. On Thursday Witch House hosts indie-pop band Come on! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!). On Feb. 19 it’s Amis singer Hsiao Mei (小美) and accompanist A-luo (阿洛), and on Feb. 20, Amis singer Long-ge (龍哥) performs a set of soulful and rousing drinking songs.
■ 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
■ Performances 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 fee for music shows is NT$300
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese bands and international acts. On Feb. 20 the venue holds its first show of the Lunar New Year with Hawawa Yang (楊蒨時), a singer best known for her appearances on the Super Idol (超級偶像) TV reality show.
■ 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)
■ Show starts at 8pm
■ Entrance is NT$800 at the door, NT$600 in advance. Prices include one drink. Tickets available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at ibon electronics kiosks at 7-Eleven stores
The Wall (這牆) reopens on Feb. 23 with Toronto post-rock band Do Make Say Think. On Feb. 24 it’s noise band Sunset Rollercoaster (落日飛車) and indie-rockers Macbeth and Radicalo. On Feb. 25 actress and neo-folk singer Enno Cheng (鄭宜農) performs with indie bands Ride to Where (騎去哪) and Tuesday (星期二樂團).
■ 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
■ Entrance is NT$1,300 for Do Make Say Think and NT$300 for the other shows. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) welcomes the Lunar New Year on Feb. 19 with Real Collective Jazz Quartet (爵士四重奏). On Feb. 20 it’s pop rocker Misi Ke (柯泯薰) and her band D-Power and up-and-coming Mando-pop singer Mon Mon (蔡孟臻). On Feb. 21 solo act Mia Tzeng (曾鈺婷) takes the stage. Feb. 22 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
■ Shows start at 9:30pm on Feb. 19 and 9pm on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21. Feb. 22’s open jam starts at 9pm. For a list of standard songs and ground rules, visit the venue’s Web site
■ Entrance is NT$400 on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20, NT$350 on Feb. 21 and NT$150 on Feb. 22
Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館) reopens on Thursday with metal band Assassin (刺客) and Hakka rock band Zenkwun (神棍樂團). On Feb. 19 pop-rock singer Tong-en (同恩) takes the stage, sharing the bill with up-and-coming Mando-pop performer Chase Chang (張傑). Pop-rock group Champion (強辯) appears on Feb. 21.
■ 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 on Thursday and on Feb 19 and 7pm on Feb. 21
■ Entrance fee is NT$400 on Thursday and Feb. 19 and NT$500 on Feb. 21. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse/ or tickets.books.com.tw.
Underworld (地下社會) resumes live shows on Feb. 19 with indie bands MacBeth and girl rockers Pleasure Science (愉悅科學). Expect this small club to be packed on Feb. 20 when beloved indie-pop band 1976 takes the stage.
■ 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
■ Music shows run from 9:30pm to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance is NT$300, which includes one drink. NT$100 on Wednesdays
Sappho de Base reopens on Wednesday with the Kenyatta Jazz Ensemble, led by New Orleans expat drummer Nbugu Kenyatta. On Thursday it’s blues duo Blurrs Brothers. The venue hosts regulars Earl Hines II Jazztet on Feb. 19 and Jo Jo Ma Quartet on Feb. 20.
■ 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
■ Music shows begin at 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday and 9:30pm on Thursday and 10pm on Wednesday. Closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ No entrance fee
Roxy Roots opens on Sunday, but no live performances are scheduled until Wednesday night, which is the venue’s special music showcase. This week is hosted by rocker Chiao Yu-long (喬玉龍). Come ready to dance on Thursday for Salsaton and Reggaeton night. On Feb. 19 expat rockers Sons of Homer take the stage, and on Feb. 20 Taipei Latin Soul performs Latin music [see Highlight].
■ 90 Songren Rd, Taipei City (台北市松仁路90號). Tel: (02) 2725-3932. On the Net:
www.roxy.com.tw
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is free
The Mercury (水星酒館) in Kaohsiung features indie bands every week. On Feb. 20 the venue hosts acoustic folk rock band The Angles (角落).
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市左營區立文路46號). Tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Show starts at 8:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$200, includes one drink
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