Culture + nightlife + film Coloring Between the Lines Hong Kong needs a Where’s Wally (or Waldo, if you’re American). We propose a new series of puzzle books called “Where’s Wai?”—to accompany Kiyoko Yamaguchi: Hong Kong Sketchbook, an exhibition of the Japanese artist’s beautiful, hyper-detailed drawings of Hong Kong streets. Bonus points if you can find five fishball hawkers on the same page. Through Aug 28. Art Beatus Gallery, 129-133 Wellington St., Central, 2526-0818. 30 HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, August 15, 2014
ARTS evelyn.lok@hkmagmedia.com Stage Edited by Evelyn Lok Need to Know Theater & Arts Urbtix (credit cards) 2111-5999 Urbtix (enquiries) 2734-9009 HK Ticketing 3128-8288 HK Arts Centre 2582-0200 Fringe Club 2521-7251 HK Cultural Centre 2734-2009 Musical HK City Hall 2921-2840 HK Academy for Performing Arts 2584-8500 Kwai Tsing Theatre 2408-0128 LCSD Music Programme Office 2268-7321 LCSD Dance/Multi-Arts Office 2268-7323 LCSD Theatre Office 2268-7323 Dream Illusion Bubble Shadow Hong Kong experimental theater Zuni Icosahedron’s new season kicks off with some good ol’ dance theater, a crossover project that loops in 10 different groups including Dance Forum Taipei and cultural mover-and-shaker Mathias Woo, as well as artists from Hong Kong and Tokyo. It’ll be a multimedia performance that draws on the Buddhist Diamond Sutra: expect illusions, explosions and, apparently, the “negating” sound of guqin and guitar. Sep 19-20, 8:15pm; Sep 21, 3pm. Grand Theatre, Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui. $140-1,000 from www.urbtix.hk. ComedyHK Presents: Graham Elwood Fresh from wrapping up his latest documentary “Earbuds,” about the connections between podcasters and fans, Graham Elwood embarks on his Asia debut at ComedyHK. Aside from making people laugh, entertaining and raising money for US troops in Afghanistan, making movies about medical marijuana, and enjoying his second-degree yellow belt in Karate, Elwood has also appeared on the Sarah Silverman Show and continues to co-host his podcast, “Comedy Film Nerds.” Aug 25, 8:30pm. Dada Bar + Lounge, 2/F, The Luxe Manor, 39 Kimberley Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 3763-8778; Aug 26, 8:30pm. Salon de Ning, B/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2696-6705. Aug 30, 7:30pm; 10pm. Backstage Live, 1/F, Somptueux Central, 52-54 Wellington St., Central, 2167-8985. $250 from www.ticketflap.com. Phantom of the Opera Arguably Andrew Lloyd Webber’s best musical, “The Phantom of the Opera” comes to Hong Kong this Christmas, and it’s bigger and better than ever. In fact, a 4,000-seater theater space is being built specifically for it at AsiaWorld Expo, complete with a multi-camera live shoot which will be projected on giant screens—all the better for you to see Christine’s pores. The Phantom will be played by Broadway star Brad Little, accompanied by an international cast of 37 actors. Tickets will go quick, so hurry! Dec 21-Jan 4 2015. AsiaWorld-Arena, Sky Plaza Rd., Chek Lap Kok, 3606-8828. $295-1,195 from www.hkticketing.com. Theater Dance Grand Dance Drama: the Legend of the Condor Heroes Jing Yong’s renowned wuxia novel takes to the stage this month. This dance drama is backed by a team of masters: it’s choreographed by Leung Kwok-shing, who’s known for translating martial arts novels into dance. Starring roles go to “House of Flying Daggers” choreographer Wang Yabin, and Liu Fuyang, the director of Zhejiang Song and Dance Theatre. Add to that a host of professional dancers from the Hubei Performance and Arts Group, and you’ve got one heck of a show. Aug 30-31, 3pm; Aug 30, 7:45pm. Lyric Theatre, Academy for Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Rd., Wan Chai, 2584-8500. $140-480 from www.hkticketing.com. Classical Ted Lo and Nate Wong II This jazz duo is no stranger to the Fringe Club stage, and they’re back for an encore after their sold-out performance last April. On the keys is Ted Lo, the master of Hong Kong’s jazz and pop music scenes, accompanied by fellow Berklee alum and the city’s newest young star, Nate Wong on the drums—you might have seen him show off his skills at Peel Fresco. Together with top jazz bassist Scott Dodd, they’ll be playing some standards, some Latin tunes, and their own original compositions. Aug 22, 10pm. Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Rd., Central, 2525-1032. $180 in advance; $200 on the day, both include one drink. Michael Collins Plays Mozart Virtuoso clarinetist Michael Collins plays Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A, one of the great composer’s final works. He’ll also be showing off his conducting talent as well, directing the HK Sinfonietta in the overture to “The Marriage of Figaro.” Want to get up close and personal? On September 11, Collins is holding a more intimate concert in which the audience will be seated on stage. He’ll be performing Beethoven and sharing his musical insights. Sep 11, 7:30pm; Sep 13, 8pm. Concert Hall, City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central. $140-320 from www.urbtix.hk. Andy McKee Guitar Concert Acoustic guitarist Andy McKee made it huge overnight on YouTube: his distinctive fretboard-tapping style got his videos over 50 million views, and at one point he held the number one, two, and three top-ranked spots on the site—impressive, if you think about all those teen makeup gurus and cat videos he had to compete with. He has released nine albums and EPs since 2001, including this year’s “Mythmaker.” Check out his concert. Believe it or not, it might even be better than the internet. Nahhhh. Aug 17, 7:30pm. Drama Theatre, Academy for Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Rd., Wan Chai. $300-550 from www.hkticketing.com. 8th Hong Kong International Comedy Festival September’s going to be one funny month, as the annual International Comedy Festival returns to Hong Kong for its eighth year. It brings with it a packed program of international pros, local favorites, as well as three nights of preliminary rounds of the HK International English Comedy Competition (Sep 25-27). It all culminates in the finals held at KITEC, where you’ll see the best of this year’s comedy gold. South Africa’s top comedian Barry Hilton (Sep 4-7) kicks off the month, followed by shows by other big names each weekend: ventriloquist Michael Harrison (Sep 18-21) and Tom Cotter (Oct 2-3). Watch out as well for New York’s ACME Comedy Club, which is bringing three world-class comedians to tour in Hong Kong: Pete Lee, Tom Segura and Chad Daniels. Head to the website for more details. Sep 4-Oct 5. TakeOut Comedy, B/F, 34 Elgin St., Central, 6220-4436. $150-250 from www. takeoutcomedy.com; Finals tickets from www. hkticketing.com. www.hkcomedyfestival.com. Arts Festival Telema: Awaken the Dream In commemoration of Martin Luther King’s famous speech (51 years ago on Aug 28, FYI), refugee support NGO, the Vine Community Services, has put together this production to celebrate and raise awareness of the struggles of asylum seekers from across Africa. Featuring local artist Jill Vidal and more than 10 refugees, “Telema: Awaken the Dream” tells the story of Moses, a refugee who earns the help and love of a Hong Kong girl. Aug 28-29, 7:30pm. Vine Centre 2, 29 Burrows St., Wan Chai, 2573-0793. $200 early bird, $250 from telema2014.eventbrite.hk. Venus in Fur Re-run David Ives’s sexy, award-winning 2011 play “Venus in Fur” is back for another run due to popular demand. Missed last December’s run? It tells the story of Thomas, a writer holding auditions for his new play based on the 1870 novel, “Venus in Fur.” Sexy, confident and crass, actress Vanda struts into the audition hall toting a bag of S&M props, and draws Thomas in as they explore the power play between the sexes. Sep 5-6, 8pm; Sep 6, 3pm. Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Rd., Central, 2525-1032. $190-240 from www.hkticketing.com. The Oz Noy Trio Israeli guitarist Oz Noy started playing professionally at age 13, and he’s played with artists as diverse as Sting, Bill Evans, Cyndi Lauper, Wiz Khalifa and even Josh Groban. See the man’s jazz-funk-rock-blues mishmash live in Hong Kong. Sep 2, 8:15pm. Youth Square, 238 Chai Wan Rd., Chai Wan, 3721-8888. $380- 580 from www.urbtix.hk. Comedy TakeOut Comedy Presents: Harith Iskander He’s been dubbed the “Godfather of Malaysian Comedy,” and much of the material from Iskander’s repertoire is about the quirks of his home country. So expect a bit of reverse culture shock—it’ll be an entertaining night, and maybe even an educational one. Or maybe just jokes about Malaysian curry, who knows? Aug 22-23, 9pm. TakeOut Comedy, B/F, 34 Elgin St., Central, 6220-4436. $200 from www.takeoutcomedy.com. Story Worthy Week Story Worthy Week returns for its second edition this year; the arts festival is firmly rooted in the idea that everyone in Hong Kong has a story to tell. It features a whole host of events, including an appearance by critically acclaimed American funnyman David Sedaris. The “week” really is a month of storytelling, including the return of Literary Death Match—a seven-minute rapid-fire storytelling contest, plus September’s Liar’s League literary evening at the Fringe Club. Check the full schedule on the website. Sep 12-20. www.storyworthyweek.com. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Naiad Productions returns with an exciting new production. The play by Dale Wasserman (an original novel by Ken Kesey) was made famous by the 1975 Jack Nicholson film. Haven’t seen it? It’s about a band of patients in a mental institution, suppressed by the authoritarian and brutal Nurse Ratched. Randle McMurphy, a new arrival to the ward, fights to help the patients win back their self-esteem. Oct 9-12, 8pm; Oct 11-12, 3pm. HKRep Black Box, 8/F, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building, 345 Queen’s Rd. Central, Sheung Wan, 2853-2689. $230-260 from www.urbtix.hk. HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, August 15, 2014 31
Change language