September 19-28
Film buffs might be talking about the upcoming epic Australia starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman but before that comes out in November, the Australian Film Festival 2008 will have lots to keep film fans happy. The festival opens with the comedy Clubland, which centres on a boy’s struggle between his mother and girlfriend. The film has won Australian industry awards and was well received at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Highlights of the eight other films include The Home Song Stories, a tale of a Chinese woman who migrates from Hong Kong to Australia, starring renowned Chinese actress Joan Chen; and the 1978 release Newsfront, a combination of real news footage and drama tracing the life of two brothers who work for rival newsreel companies. See our listing section for a complete screening schedule and venues. Tickets for each screening are $50 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.
September 19-October 12
Since his debut, The Sword, in 1980, Patrick Tam has directed seven films – hardly prolific, but he is generally regarded as one of the most important filmmakers in our city’s history. His career actually began at TVB in 1967, where he made 20 half-hour to hour-long television films between 1975 and 1977. Now the Film Programmes Office is presenting e-wave: The TV films of Patrick Tam to showcase some of those early TV works, including Seven Woman, 13 and
CID. A collection of Hong Kong’s most well-known performers such as Simon Yam,
Lisa Wang and Chow Yun Fat make rare early appearances. For the screening schedule, check out our listing section. Screenings are at the Hong Kong Film Archive Cinema and tickets are $30 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.
September 20, 21
It is frightening to realise that the ‘Queen of J-Pop’ Ayumi Hamasaki has been ruling the Japanese charts for a decade but still looks as fabulous as she did 10 years ago. Since releasing her debut single Poker Face in 1998, she has sold an amazing 50 million records in Japan. The diva will be coming to Hong Kong for concerts in the AsiaWorld-Arena and we can expect larger-than-life stage and props, a lot of lavish costumes, some fireworks (and perhaps raindrops) and unstoppable dance routines that will ensure your feet are tapping in time with those on stage. The shows will be staged on September 20 and 21 at 8pm and tickets are $780, $480 and $280 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288.
September 21, 26-27
It is impossible to condense a century of symphonic music into a few nights, but the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s artistic director, Edo de Waart, will be conducting some of his most beloved works in the A Symphonic Century series. The series continues this fortnight and on September 21, A Symphonic Century II: De Waart’s Bruckner will feature the Austrian composer’s Symphony No 7, as well as Schubert’s Symphony No 5. Then in A Symphonic Century III: The Valkyrie on September 26 and 27, soprano Janice Watson, tenor Simon O’Neil and bass Daniel Sumeqi will join the conductor to perform the first act of Wagner’s 1870 operatic work The Valkyrie. Beethoven’s Symphony No 1 is also on the programme. All performances commence at 8pm at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. For De Waart’s Bruckner, tickets are $380, $280, $200 and $150; while tickets for The Valkyrie are priced at $680, $480, $280 and $180 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.
September 25-27
In Lu Xun’s classic short tale The True Story of Ah Q, one of Ah Q’s favourite lines is “With a steel whip, I will give you a good beating,” which comes from the Shao opera The Great Feud. Attending such regional operas was one of Lu Xun’s favourite pastimes – his enthusiasm is captured in an article he wrote entitled Ritual Operas at Temple Fairs. We can experience that ardour first hand in Shao Opera of Zhejiang – Lu Xun’s Temple Fair Performances Brought Alive, which will bring excerpts from some of the best Shao opera to the stage – expect Fighting His Way Uphill from A Temple of Evil, The Cinnabar, Fight for Life or Death from The Great Feud, and The Monkey King Thrice Beats the Bony Ghost. Each of the three performances from September 25-27 will feature different excerpts. All shows start at 7:30pm at the HK City Hall Theatre and tickets are $240, $160 and $100 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.
September 26-October 1
Adapted from Brecht’s 1933’s The Seven Deadly Sins with music composed by stage music great Kurt Weill, CCDC’s Love on Sale is the latest offering from award-winning choreographer Yuri Ng. Indie band Juicy Ning’s husky Chu Pak-him will be the creative writer and guest performer with the company’s dancers on a set designed by visual artist Anothermountainman. The show is said to be a cautionary tale on 1,001 ‘nobodies’ – including a serial killer, a love collector and a few Marilyn Monroes – who sell their bodies for honour. The seven deadly sins – lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride – are repackaged and sold cheaply. Love on Sale will be performed from September 26-28 and 30 at 8pm at the HK Cultural Centre Studio Theatre. Matinee performances on September 27-28 and October 1 will be at 3pm. Tickets are $200 and $160 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.
October 1-4
Our favourite wolf is back – with an Oscar award in its fangs. Suzie Templeton’s Oscar-winning animated film Peter & the Wolf returns to Hong Kong after last year’s success with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Templeton set Prokofiev’s musical narrative in a post-Soviet settlement for a dark yet witty rendition. In the upcoming concert, apart from the film screening with live music from the Sinfonietta, the programme includes Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 in B-flat minor with solo pianist Chang Tao, the first Asian winner of the Vianna da Motta International Piano Competition, as well as Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 2 in G minor, with solo violin prodigy Yang Tian Wa. The concert will be in the HK City Hall Concert Hall
on October 1 and 2, and the Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium on October 3 and 4, all at 8pm. Tickets are $280, $200 and $140 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.
September 19-October 4
Sceptics question what would happen to Snow White and Cinderella after their ‘happily ever after’ endings, but Alvin Wong, the brain behind W Theatre, is more interested in another side of the two characters. In the forthcoming Mr Snow White & Mr Cinderella, he teams up with renowned lyricist/fashion writer Wyman Wong and theatre actor Joey Leung for a campy comedy. Wong and Leung will play a drama queen and a calculating star-wannabe respectively whose friendship is based on rivalry. Performances will be staged on September 19-21, 23-28, 30 and October 1-4 at the HK Art Centre Shouson Theatre. Tickets sold out in three hours but you could always try e-bay and stand-bys.
Wednesday October 1
Just as post-Olympic fever fades, National Day pops up – and how else would we celebrate but with fireworks? The 2008 National Day Fireworks Display this year will start at 9pm over the Victoria Harbour. Coordinated by the Home Affairs Bureau, the multi-million-dollar display will be around 23-minutes long – be sure to get yourself a good spot early to watch this splendid sound and visual display or you might be stuck watching at home.