Theater
Renowned circus troupe Cirque du Soleil returns to Taipei with Varekai, a spectacular show based on the Greek myth of Icarus, who falls to his death from the sky because he flew too close to the Sun. In Cirques’ version of the story, Icarus lands in a world populated with exotic beings and falls in love with a beautiful nymph.
■ Parking lot next to Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall (台北世界貿易中心南港展覽館), Ln 105 Jingmao 2nd Rd, Taipei City (台北市經貿二路105巷)
Photo Courtesy of Gold Media Group
■ Today, tomorrow and Thursday at 3:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 1pm and 5pm, Tuesday at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$1,425 to NT$7,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Performing as part of the 7th Chinese Character Cultural Festival (第七屆漢字文化節), Taipei Quyi Troupe (台北曲藝團) incorporates classical literature, Chinese puns and other word games into its performances of cross-talk (相聲), or Chinese stand-up comedy. A series of lectures and exhibitions run through the weekend. For more information, visit chinese-character-festival.org.tw.
Photo Courtesy of Bello Music
■ 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)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 and NT$800, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw.
If Kids Theater Company’s (如果兒童劇團) Dogs (流浪狗之歌) is a musical for children that tells the tale of Lucky, a pet dog that loses its way home and starts a new life on the street with a gang of stray mutts.
■ Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 10:30am, 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 10:30am and 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$350 to NT$1,200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
For The Impossible Times (渭水春風), the newest installment of the Taiwan Musical Trilogy, the All Musical Theatre Company (音樂時代劇場) collaborated with Flux Waves Dance Theater (流浪舞蹈劇場) and the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團) to tell the life story of Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水), an important figure in the resistance movement against Japanese colonial rule.
■ Kaohsiung Chih-teh Hall (高雄至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市五福一路67號)
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw.
Inspired by the work of Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao (幾米), NX Theatre’s debut production, One More Day With You (走向春天的下午), tells the story of a sentimental boy who meets a girl whose best friend has just passed away. The group combines magic tricks with other performing arts.
■ Plum Wine Factory (烏梅酒廠), Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ Today and Thursday at 3:30pm and 7:30pm, tomorrow at 10:30am, 3:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 10:30am, 2:30pm and 5:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
New Year Concert 2011 — A Celebration of Opera and Orchestral Music (2011新年音樂會 — 歌劇交響嘉年華) is an annual concert organized by Bello Music based on the grand tradition of the Vienna New Year’s Eve Concert of the Wiener Philharmoniker, one of the great events on the international musical calendar. The Taiwan edition features the Taiwan Soloists Chamber Orchestra (台灣獨奏家室內樂團) and guest artists Irina Rubtsova (soprano) and Roman Muravitsky (tenor). The program includes operatic favorites from Puccini, Verdi and others, and orchestral works including Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture Op. 49.
■ Today at 7:30pm (Taipei), tomorrow at 7:30pm (Tainan), Sunday at 7:30pm (Taichung) and Monday at 7:30pm (Kaohsiung)
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City; Tainan City Municipal Cultural Center (台南市立文化中心), 332, Jhonghua E Rd Sec 3, Greater Tainan (台南市中華東路三段332號); Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中市中山堂), 98 Syueshih Rd, Greater Taichung (台中市學士路98號); Kaohsiung Cultural Center’s Chih-teh Hall (高雄市文化中心至德堂) at 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市五福一路67號)
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$2,500 for all concerts except Taichung’s, for which tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,500. Tickets can be purchased through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Humming in the Field — NTU Chorus 2011 Winter Concert (台大合唱團2011冬季公演 — 吟風十畝間) sees the NTU Chorus in fighting mood, adding to its standard program of sacred music, contemporary spirituals and traditional gospel a new element: pieces that draw inspiration from classical Chinese poetry.
■ Monday at 7:30pm
■ Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25 Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$700, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com
Contemporary
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. No shows are scheduled for tonight, and tomorrow’s performance by Aboriginal pop siren A-Lin, real name Huang Li-ling (黃麗玲), is already sold out.
■ 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)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm
■ Sold out
No shows are scheduled over the Lunar New Year at The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists. The venue reopens on Feb. 19.
■ 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
■ No shows scheduled this weekend
■ Information about future shows can be found online at www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Electric jazz trio I Have a New Band Now plays tonight at Witch House (女巫店), which regularly hosts shows by both indie rock bands and folk artists in a coffeehouse setting.
Twee pop group Tomodachi (偷摸大雞) performs tomorrow to celebrate the release of its new EP.
■ 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
RAY Band (雷樂隊), a trio of veteran session musicians, plays tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow, indie pop group Mr Nice (好好先生) performs in support of its newly released CD. On Sunday it’s folk rock performer Yoyo (岑寧兒). Monday is the venue’s weekly open jam. The venue is closed over the Lunar New Year holiday, and reopens on Feb. 7.
■ 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 tonight and 9pm on all other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ NT$400 tonight and tomorrow, NT$450 Sunday and NT$150 on Monday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw and tickets.books.com.tw
Tonight boy band DCW (東城衛) takes to the stage at Riverside Live House. Tomorrow it’s another pop idol band, Playboyz. The venue is closed over the Lunar New Year holiday, and reopens on Feb. 10.
■ 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
■ 8:30pm tonight and tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$400 tonight and tomorrow. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Indie rockers Yoz Tiger (包子虎) and The Looking Glass perform tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. Grunge rockers The Capelin (柳葉魚) play two sets tomorrow night.
■ 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
■ 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 for music shows is NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesdays
Vincent’s Latin Jazz Group performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late night lounge bar that hosts mostly live jazz and blues performances. Tomorrow, the Earl Hines II Jazztet plays the venue’s last show before the Lunar New Year break.
■ 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
■ Admission is NT$200 tonight, free tomorrow
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include Mando-pop songstress Julia Peng (彭佳慧) and male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), 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: 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
Soul jazz singer Djavan performs on Friday nights at Italian restaurant Capone’s. Tomorrow, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號)
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ On Fridays there is a minimum charge of one drink, and dancers receive a free drink coupon. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at The Tavern. Dancers of all levels are welcome, and a short beginner’s lesson is offered.
■ 415, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段415號), tel: (02) 8789-0892. On the Net: www.tavern.com.tw
■ 9:30pm to midnight
■ Entrance is free
Tomorrow, The Checkered Record Club, an indie music club in Tainan, hosts rockabilly group Full House and reggae-rock band Down in Air (盪在空中), whose vocalist sings exclusively in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese).
■ B1, 314, Simen Rd Sec 2, Greater Tainan (台南市西門路二段314號B1), tel: (06) 222-3238
■ Show starts at 10pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$250
Tonight 89k, Taichung’s long-established spot for local indie bands, hosts a night of music entitled Bass Oasis, featuring DJs Jabba, Robi Roka and MCs Insatiable, Stoppa and Narciso. Tomorrow, garage rockers 88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽) take to the stage, and on Sunday, it’s the Taipei jazz outfit I Have a New Band Now.
■ 21 Daguan Rd, Nantun Dist, Greater Taichung (台中市南屯區大觀路21號)
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$300 for all shows
The slashing of the government’s proposed budget by the two China-aligned parties in the legislature, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), has apparently resulted in blowback from the US. On the recent junket to US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, KMT legislators reported that they were confronted by US officials and congressmen angered at the cuts to the defense budget. The United Daily News (UDN), the longtime KMT party paper, now KMT-aligned media, responded to US anger by blaming the foreign media. Its regular column, the Cold Eye Collection (冷眼集), attacked the international media last month in
On a misty evening in August 1990, two men hiking on the moors surrounding Calvine, a pretty hamlet in Perth and Kinross, claimed to have seen a giant diamond-shaped aircraft flying above them. It apparently had no clear means of propulsion and left no smoke plume; it was silent and static, as if frozen in time. Terrified, they hit the ground and scrambled for cover behind a tree. Then a Harrier fighter jet roared into view, circling the diamond as if sizing it up for a scuffle. One of the men snapped a series of photographs just before the bizarre
Feb. 10 to Feb. 16 More than three decades after penning the iconic High Green Mountains (高山青), a frail Teng Yu-ping (鄧禹平) finally visited the verdant peaks and blue streams of Alishan described in the lyrics. Often mistaken as an indigenous folk song, it was actually created in 1949 by Chinese filmmakers while shooting a scene for the movie Happenings in Alishan (阿里山風雲) in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), recounts director Chang Ying (張英) in the 1999 book, Chang Ying’s Contributions to Taiwanese Cinema and Theater (打鑼三響包得行: 張英對台灣影劇的貢獻). The team was meant to return to China after filming, but
Power struggles are never pretty. Fortunately, Taiwan is a democracy so there is no blood in the streets, but there are volunteers collecting signatures to recall nearly half of the legislature. With the exceptions of the “September Strife” in 2013 and the Sunflower movement occupation of the Legislative Yuan and the aftermath in 2014, for 16 years the legislative and executive branches of government were relatively at peace because the ruling party also controlled the legislature. Now they are at war. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) holds the presidency and the Executive Yuan and the pan-blue coalition led by the