2011 Dec 18: A Golden Christmas

There will be a Christmas performance by the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Choir  on December 18th. 

Spiritual songs include:
Lux Aurumque
Surrexit Christus
Christus est natus

Christmas songs include:
Go Tell It on the Mountain
White Christmas
Mary Had a Baby
The Sleigh

Venue: Chungshan Hall, Chung Jeng Theater
Time: Sunday, December 18, 2011, 7:30PM
Ticket Prices: 300/500/800*
Tickets: www.artsticket.com.tw
Contact: 02-277303691 www.tpf.org.tw

*From the Chungshan Hall English site:
Special Offers：
．10% off to Starbucks and Eslite card holders on all tickets, except for the minimum-priced.
．5% off to Philharmonic People (plz enter membership #)
．10% off on all tickets but the minimum-priced, to credit card holders of Taishin Bank, Mega Bank, and Cathay United Bank.
．10% off to Shin Kong Mitsukoshi credit card holders on all tickets, except for the minimum-priced.

2011 Christmas Shows I

Now, I have to say, some of this information is a little incomplete at the moment, but as the shows sell out very quickly, I wanted to get them up so you could at least try to get tickets.

These shows' tickets can be bought through I-Bon at the 7-11.  You need to show the 7-11 staff the name of the ticket company (for these shows, it's 兩聽院售票處  ), the Chinese name of the show, and the price (票價 of the ticket you want (if you need to choose)

Here is a translation for you to use at the 7-11 if you cannot speak enough Chinese to get by.  Sometimes, you can choose the seat no. and row you want to sit, but for shows I have booked, I haven't been able to through I-Bon.

Please help me book the following tickets using IBON 請幫我在IBON訂購以下的票:
Co:  兩聽院售票處
Show: (cut and paste the names from the shows below)
Price: 票價:
No. tickets: 幾張:

Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center Happiness 100 – International Immigrants Day 2011

Described in the Cultural Center's monthly progam booklet as a “festival and fun fair, for the immigrant community, with popular Taiwanese host duet, Plungon, will ensure a wonderful time for everyone”, this event will feature song and dance by new inhabitants and international students from Vietnam, Thailand, the Phillipines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, and China. There will also be local Taiwanese performances.

Chinese Name: 辛福100.2011國際民日PARTY GO!

When Dec 10, 2pm-9pm (New Inhabitants from 2pm until 5:30pm; 100 Year Celebration Concert from 7pm until 9pm)
Cost: Free
Where: Chiang Kai Shek Cutlural Center's Main Plaza

2011 Dec 17: Hakka Children's Musical Hey! A-Digu

The established drama company Paper Windmill is putting on a free performance of Hey!A-Digu (嘿!阿弟牿). This is an adaptation of Hakkanese author 小野's “Polly Comes Back” The story highlights the Hakkanese harmonious relationship with nature.

A-Digu lives on a small island. Polly is a member of a Typhoon family, and the time has come to prove herself grown-up by thrusting herself upon the island. Polly is very nervous, and fails in her duty. Trying to help her, four typhoon set themselves upon the island, resulting in catastrophe. Polly works out a solution to the situation, and gentle rains fall upon the land.

Chinese Name: 嘿!阿弟牿

Venue: Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Center
Time: Saturday December 17 2011, 7-9pm
Cost: Free

2011 Dec 24: Family Christmas Concert

Let the cello tell the story. Accompanied by a soprano soloist and 管風琴, it will share tunes including “White Christmas” and “Silent Night” with you. This event is noted as a family event.

Chinese Name:

Venue: National Concert Hall
Time: Saturday Dec 24^th, 2011, 7:30pm
Cost: TWD500 (Under 12's TWD300)

2011 Dec 18: Y17's Christmas Party Under the Tree

This is a family musical event to celebrate Christmas. The introduction talks about Barbie, holding hands, gifts, and pinecones, but doesn't actually say what is going to happen. If anyone knows more, please let me know!

Chinese name:

Venue: Y17, 3^rd floor performance hall
Cost: TWD300 (10% discount for Eslite card holders, Yushan/Taishin/Cathay credit card holders)

2011 Dec 23-24 Who Is Father Christmas? By If Theater

It's the night before Christmas. It's not snowing. An old man is not enjoying his life. He thinks he has no friends, that his family members don't care about him. He gets to meet Father Christmas and regains faith in Christmas and his life, and realises that life itself is the best gift of all.

Venue: New Taipei City Cultural Center (新北市藝術文中心)

Cost: Tickets range from 300 to 1200 per person

*We went to see a show by IF Theater recently. My five-year-old didn't quite understand the whole story presented but enjoyed the colorful costumes and larger-than-life characters. My seven-year-old thought the whole thing was hilarious. The audience seemed to be mostly seven to twelve year olds. The show was in all in Chinese, and kids need to have a fairly good grasp of the language to understand the jokes. Their performance was very professional.

When We Get Together (當我們童在一起II - 兩聽院售票處 )

Presented by a Taichung Percussion Group, this show aims to share the happiness of childhood with children and adults alike.

Sunday Dec 4, 2:30pm: Hsinchu Cultural Center Theater

Sunday Dec 11, 3pm: Jiayi Cultural Center Theater
Cost: TWD300/400

[Oct 9 & 15] Panchiao Music/Culture Festival

Tomorrow (Oct 9, 7:30pm), Song Song Children's and Puppet Theater (九歌兒童劇團) will perform.  I was about to translate all the details but then read that the free tickets were handed out on September 29th, so there is no point sharing all that information!  If you do read Chinese, check out their list of performances at later dates.

Next Saturday (Oct 15, 7:30pm), there will be a performance at the Panchiao Music Park (Da Tong Street No. 70).  No tickets required for this.  With titles like "Girl and Robot" and "South Songs", I am really at a loss as to exactly what kind of music it will be, but if the weather is good, it's always nice to take the kids to an outdoor concert, no matter what the music.

Shinese address and directions to park:
板橋音樂公園 (大同街70號)：搭乘捷運板南線至「江子翠」4號出口，沿雙十路二段步行10分鐘，再轉入大同街即可到達。

(First Week of Sept 2011) English-Language Theater

A friend of mine posted about this Engish language performance, and I am sure she won't mind me cutting and pasting information, about the show that is part of the Taipei Fringe festival:

Their website is here: http://littlefriendstheatre.blogspot.com/
 
Searching for a Song 歌聲奇緣

The 4th Annual Taipei Fringe Festival is coming up at the end of August, and we're getting ready for the premiere of our first show, Searching for a Song, an original children’s play about finding your own way to make your dreams come true. Canta, the main character, is a young girl who lives in a world where words must be bought on paper and then eaten before they may be spoken. Her dream is to be a singer, but she is very poor and unable to buy the words to sing the lyrics to any songs. With her friend Leela, she goes searching to find the perfect words to her own song. Filled with games and songs, this is a play in English for young learners of language.

第四屆台北藝穗節八月底要進行了而我們已經開始準備用我們第一個劇本《歌聲奇緣》在藝穗節中首演！這齣戲關於如何讓夢想成真的兒童劇。主角Canta是一位年輕姑娘住在一個必須用錢買文字的世界，在吃過買下的文字後，才能說出話。她的夢想是當一名歌手，但她很窮沒有能力購買足夠的文字來唱出歌曲。她和她的朋友Leela要尋找文字來唱出完美的歌。由於全劇多以遊戲和歌曲呈現，是一齣很適合年輕語言學習者觀賞的英語戲劇。

Showtimes/演出時間:

Friday, Sept. 2, 2011 at 3:00pm
Friday, Sept. 2, 2011 at 7:00pm
Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011 at 3:00pm
Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011 at 3:00pm
Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011 at 7:00pm

All shows will be at Cafe Philo (CP地下沙龍), whose address can be found at their website.

Tickets are $300NTD for one ticket, or get two tickets for $500NTD when you purchase them together in a parent/child pack//一般票價:300元, 親子票(1大人+1小孩): 500元

Got any questions or need some help? 需要幫忙嗎?有什麼問題?  Email us at littlefriendstheatre@gmail.com 

Already Late Notice - Taipei Children's Art Festival 2011 (July/Aug)

My friend told me that the ticketed events are probably already sold out, but you could try to catch some of the free performance.

This year, the English version of the site is pretty complete, so go over and take a look at what's on offer.  Venues are spread all over Taipei City.

Pippi Longstocking Musical Coming Aug/Sep (Chinese Language Version)

My friend has been keeping secrets!  I didn't know that the owner of company Enspyre was now supporting different Arts events.  Then, I found this:

"Theatre Enspyre will perform Pippi Longstocking at the Gu Ling Avantgarde Theatre in Taipei at the Taipei Fringe Festival 2011!"

From their Facebook Page, it promises to be a really fun show for all ages.  Language of presentation is Chinese.  I recommend keeping up with their updates to get finalised details on show dates, ticket prices, and so on.

2011 April 16&17: Taipei Children Symphony Orchestra

Taipei Symphony Orchestra (臺北市立兒童交響樂團音樂會) present a combined group of their elementary school orchestra and adult orchestra, showing children that no matter what age you can enjoy and participate in classical music.

Presenting:
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, 1844-1908 (Flight of the Bumblebee
Charles Camille Saint-Sa ns, 1835-1921 (The Swan)

Times:
April 16: 19:30; April 17: 14:30

Venue:
Chungshan Hall, No. 98 Yenping South Road, Taipei City. (中山堂, 臺北市延平南路98號)

Tickets:
300, 500, 800, 1,000TWD (at 7-11 IBON sites or online) At time of writing, the mid-range seats were already sold out, so you need purchase ASAP.
Tel: 02-2578-6731

2011 March 26: Aboriginal Musical Performance

Minho High School students (Nantou County) will perform an aborginal musical titled "The Story of the Hunting Sun" on Saturday March, 26,2011.  The show is open to children and adults aged three and older.  Admission is free, but each person is limited to booking four seats.

The students have been getting musical training from "Rosy-Clouds Foundation".

Venue: Musical Theater, Industrial Bank of Taiwan,  No. 99, Sec. 2, Tiding Blvd, Neihu, Taipei.
Time: 2pm-4pm (Show one hour, activity one hour)
Reservations: Email: rosyclouds2003@gmail.com.  List your name, number of tickets you need, contact telephone and email.

You are invited to an aboriginal musical “ The Story of Hunting Sun”on Sat, Mar.26, 2011 at 2pm. It is a legend of Bunon Tribe and is a very interesting show for the entire family. The performers are Minho High School students from Nantou County. The students get extra musical training once a week and are supported by Rosy-Clouds Foundations. The show is presented at Industrial Bank of Taiwan, Tiding Blvd Sec.2 No.99 in Neihu, free of admission. Kids age under three are not allowed. You may reserve your seats by filling the information below and email to rosyclouds2003@gmail.com.

April/May 2011: Children's Opera & Orchestra - "The Mice War"

Experimental Theater, Taipei and the National Symphony Orchestra present David Chesky's "The Mice War" , in Chinese.

Tickets:  TWD500 each, 20% off with a student ID or four family purchases of four tickets (each child and adult needs to buy a ticket)
Performance length: 70 mins, no break
Dates: 4/29, 4/30 7:30pm; 4/30, 5/1 2:30pm
Venue: National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center (No. 21-1 Chungshan Sth Rd Sec 1, Taipei, CKS Memorial Hall)
Tickets through http://www.artsticket.com.tw/ Tel: 02-3393-9888

**Here is a list of upcoming family concerts at the Center.

March Performance Must-See:National Symphony Family Night

These sell out really fast!  I hope that this entry is in time for people to actually go and get tickets, as the last time I posted, it was already sold out.  So, after you read this, rush out and get your tickets as soon as you can.

When: March 31st, 7:30pm
Where: National Concert Hall, National Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Center*
What: "Magical Evening with Jimmy"
How much:  Tickets TWD300/500/800
Where to buy tickets: Through the 7-11 IBON, 7-11 website, Eslite bookstores, and a wide number of small bookstores and music stores

*MRT CKS Memorial Hall stop exit 5

March Performance Must-See: Bilingual Performances by Mikado Children's Theater

Mikado Children's Theater has two plays coming up this half-year, both of which have bilingual shows.  Don't be put off by the fact you can't read anything on the first page, just go through and watch a few clips... and please turn down your speakers before you click on this link.  You have been warned!  Anyway, from the images you can see it could be fun to go one of their performances.

Mikado Theater address: Taipei city, Bade Road Sec 4, No. 765, 3F

演出場地:米卡多劇團: 臺北市八德路四段765號3樓(02)25284765


Link to ticket sites for bilingual shows:
 
米卡多故事劇場-胖胖熊的心願 (March 6)


米卡多故事劇場-真假公主(中英文) (June 5)

March Performance Must-See: The Three Little Pigs & Little Red Riding Hood

Last year, we went to a play by this Japanese performance group.  If you have children aged three to eight years, this is a wonderful show to take them to.  The show has Chinese-language voiceover but little ones could get by, as they sing and dance a lot during the show, and they are really very animated.  They are traveling around the country this March (2011).  Here is a link to the Chinese ticketing site.  If you need assistance, feel free to ask me in the comments section and I will translate for you.  It's quite a list, so I don't want to do a full translation but I am very happy to help you find a show near you.