Theater
M.O.V.E. Theatre Group’s (動見体劇團) War, Parts I and II (戰:首部曲二部曲聯演) is a frenetic performance that merges sport, dance and theater with scant dialogue. Onstage, the performers play tennis, baseball, table tennis and other sports that are presented as metaphors of life.
■ Wenshan Theater (文山劇場), 32 Jingwen St, Taipei City (台北市景文街32號)
Photo Courtesy of Ars Formosa Company
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$600, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw.
China’s Tianjin Peking Opera Theater (天津京劇院) brings to Taipei it’s top-notch troupe of award-winning Beijing opera performers to present 11 classics including Si Lang Seeks His Mother (四郎探母), The Jewelry Pouch (鎖麟囊) and Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea (八仙過海).
Photo Courtesy of MNA
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight at 7pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2pm and 7pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Photo Courtesy of Ars Formosa Company
Taiyuan Puppet Theatre Company (台原偶劇團) will hold a do-it-yourself workshop on shadow puppetry tomorrow. Participants are invited to put together a puppet show about a traditional Turkish puppet character’s journey along the Silk Road. The event is suitable for children aged between three and 10.
■ Nadou Theater (納豆劇場), 79 Xining N Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧北路79號)
■ Tomorrow at 2pm
■ Tickets are NT$250, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
If Kids Theater Company (如果兒童劇團) teams up with seasoned Mando-pop songstress Kay Huang (黃韻玲) to create its latest musical for children, Uncle’s Attic (舅舅的閣樓), in which the adventures begin with a mysterious sound emanating from a loft.
■ 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
Bad Neighbor Yiyi (惡鄰依依), Comedians Workshop’s (相聲瓦舍) newest Mandarin stand-up production, begins with two men realizing they have dated the same woman, named Yiyi. The cast is led by veteran comedians Feng Yi-kang (馮翊綱) and Sung Shao-ching (宋少卿).
■ Novel Hall (新舞台), 3-1 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路3-1號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,200, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Classical Music
Esbjerg Ensemble Taiwan Concert (藍蝶 — 丹麥埃斯比約室內樂團來台音樂會) presents Denmark’s most highly regarded chamber ensemble performing a program that includes the works of Danish composer Per Norgard, who, among a large body of work, composed the score to the 1987 film Babette’s Feast, as well as pieces from Beethoven, Martinu and Dvorak.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm (Changhua) and Sunday at 2:30pm (Greater Taichung)
■ Leader Hotel Lukang (鹿港立德會館), 588 Jhongjheng Rd, Lugang Township, Changhua County (彰化縣鹿港鎮中正路588號) and Chunghsing Concert Hall, Taichung (台中中興堂), 291-3 Jingwu Rd, Greater Taichung (台中精武路291之3號)
■ Tickets are NT$1,000 for Lugang and NT$500 to NT$1,000 for Taichung, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Re-Russian (春情初動) brings the highly acclaimed Russian conductor Nikolai Alexeev to Taiwan to perform with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團) and pianist Andrey Pisarev in a program that includes Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 and Fantasy “The Rock,” Op. 7, as well as Scriabin’s Le Poeme de l’Extase, Op. 5.
■ Wednesday at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
For the Mercedes-Benz 125 Anniversary Concert Series — Anne-Sophie Mutter Recital (Mercedes-Benz 125週年世紀音樂會2011系列 — 安蘇菲慕特小提琴獨奏會), the acclaimed violinist returns to Taiwan for a single concert whose program includes Debussy’s Violin Sonata in G Minor, Mendelssohn’s Violin Sonata in F Major, Mozart’s Violin Sonata No. 32 in B-flat Major, K. 454 and Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy” on a Theme From the Opera “Carmen” by Georges Bizet, Op. 25. She will be accompanied on piano by Lambert Orkis.
■ Today at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$800 to NT$4,800, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Contemporary
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. As of press time, no shows are scheduled for this weekend. On Wednesday, Mando-pop producer/songwriter Lee Cheng-fan (李正帆) and his band Indylegonza take to the stage.
■ 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)
■ Wednesday at 8:30pm
■ NT$600 on Wednesday (NT$500 in advance). Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, hosts punk hipsters Vampire Watching Television (吸血鬼看電視), indie rockers Bowztiger (包子虎) and We Are So Sad (傷心欲絕) tonight. Tomorrow and Sunday’s shows with indie pop trio Tizzy Bac are already sold out. On Wednesday, American thrash metal band Death Angel takes to the stage.
■ 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 tonight, tomorrow and Sunday, and 7:30pm on Wednesday
■ NT$500 tonight (NT$400 in advance), sold out tomorrow and Sunday, NT$1,500 on Wednesday. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Solo act Chang Jie (張頡) and folk rock group Yellow Melon 7 (小玉西瓜) perform tonight at Witch House (女巫店), which regularly hosts shows from both indie rock bands and folk artists in a coffeehouse setting. Mando-pop singer-songwriter Debbie Hsiao (蕭賀碩) takes to the stage tomorrow.
■ 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
Local jazz veterans Metamorphosis (變形蟲爵士樂團) perform tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow Mando-pop singer Ji Jia-song (紀佳松) takes to the stage [see story above]. Sunday’s show is titled Beautiful Haiyan (美麗心民謠) and features members of the Aboriginal collective Wild Fire Music (野火樂集). Monday 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 tonight at 9:30pm, 9pm 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$350 Sunday and NT$150 Monday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Scott Prairie of world music outfit A Moving Sound debuts his new solo project tonight at Riverside Live House [see story on Page 14]. Tomorrow it’s pop rock groups Kidwait, Crystal Dancer (舞璃) and PopHolic.
■ 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
■ Show starts at 8:30pm tonight and 8pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$600 tonight and NT$400 tomorrow. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Indie rockers Rowen (再生草) and shanty rock outfit The Red Cliff play tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. Metal groups Beyond Cure and Sideffect take to the stage tomorrow.
■ 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 9pm to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. 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
Flaneur Daguerre, a quartet that plays everything from free jazz and Balkan folk to classical and rock, performs tonight at Sappho de Base, a late-night lounge bar that hosts mostly live jazz and blues performances. Shows for tomorrow and next week are unavailable as of press time.
■ 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
■ Entrance is NT$200 tonight
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) on Tuesday, and male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), who performs every Saturday. Acclaimed Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君) performs on Thursdays.
■ 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
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at Italian restaurant Capone’s, with live music from electric blues band Taipei blues band Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). Dancers of all levels welcome. 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), tel: (02) 2773-3782
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ On Fridays, minimum charge of one drink. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
The Village Cafe (村落餐廳), a bar and cafe located at the Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村), hosts live music every Saturday night. This week features Taitung reggae mavens Red-I and Bushman.
■ 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei City (台北市北平東路7號), tel: (02) 3393-7377, X207
■ Tomorrow at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$300, includes one drink
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). Tonight, Japanese post-rock band Mono, currently on a tour of Asia, takes to the stage. Tomorrow the venue hosts upbeat punks KoOk (庫克樂團), and on Sunday it’s punk hipsters Vampire Watching Television (吸血鬼看電視), post-rock group Sorrow of Youth (少年維特的煩惱) and indie rockers MacBeth.
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw, www.thewall.com.tw
■ Shows start at 7:30pm
■ Entrance is NT$900 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow
The Mercury (水星酒館), an indie rock club in Kaohsiung, hosts Long Hair Monster (長毛怪樂隊) tomorrow.
■ 46 Liwen Rd, Zuoying Dist, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市左營區立文路46號), tel: (07) 550-8617. On the Net: mercurybar.blogspot.com
■ Show starts at 9pm
■ Entrance is NT$200, which includes one drink
The 11th Tainan May Jam takes place this weekend, with live indie bands performing all day tomorrow and Sunday at the Water Bird Living Room Restaurant (四草水鳥客廳) in Greater Tainan. Local expat band Charlie Swiggs, reggae/jam-rock group Combobulators and post-rock outfit Collider are among the several dozen bands scheduled to take to the stage. Sparse camping facilities will be available. For more information, visit www.mayjam.com.
■ Tomorrow and Sunday, from noon to 10:30pm each day
■ Water Bird Living Room Restaurant (四草水鳥客廳), 38, Ln 69, Beishanwei 1st Rd, Annan Dist, Greater Tainan (台南市安南區北汕尾一路69巷38號)
■ NT$300 for one-day pass, NT$550 for two-day pass
Event
Taipei Discussion and Learning meets every Sunday at Cafe Bastille to hear lectures and discuss topics such as philosophy, science, anthropology, globalization and alternative medicine. All discussions and lectures are conducted in English. This Sunday’s topic is entitled Chinese Martial Arts in Taiwan.
■ Cafe Bastille, 7 Wenzhou St, Taipei City (台北市溫州街7號), tel (02) 2362-9981
■ 7:45pm, every Sunday
■ Entrance is free. For more information visit www.taipeidiscussionandlearning.blogspot.com
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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
In the tourism desert that is most of Changhua County, at least one place stands out as a remarkable exception: one of Taiwan’s earliest Han Chinese settlements, Lukang. Packed with temples and restored buildings showcasing different eras in Taiwan’s settlement history, the downtown area is best explored on foot. As you make your way through winding narrow alleys where even Taiwanese scooters seldom pass, you are sure to come across surprise after surprise. The old Taisugar railway station is a good jumping-off point for a walking tour of downtown Lukang. Though the interior is not open to the public, the exterior
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