Listings

Shows

Maksim & Band China Tour 2016

Date: Oct 23 - 8 pm

Venue: Haigeng Hall, the people's government of Yunnan province

Price: 180-1,280 yuan

Maksim Mrvica is a Croatian pianist. He plays classical crossover music. The 2.07-meter tall pianist plays classic pieces in a modern way by using electroacoustic devices, which serves not only to boost the popularity of classical music but also breathes new life into it. The fashionable tattooed pianist is expected to bring alive the classic scene. Born in 1975, Maksim Mrvica starting learning piano at the age of nine, and continued to study through the war in 1991. By 2000 he had become one of Croatia's most famous pianists, and has since released nine albums. A large part of his appeal is his new take on well-known classical pieces, which has garnered him a large international following in recent years. Mrvica was spotted by Toni Hulji, who composed several tracks for the crossover string quartet, Bond, and it was Toni who put Mrvica in touch with British impresario Mel Bush. Bush had, by chance, been looking for a new pianist for some time and he recognized Maksim's potential to appeal to a wide range of audiences.

Contact: 400-610-3721

Shanghai Premium Concert By Insingizi

Date: Oct 23 - 7:30 pm

Venue: Shanghai Concert Hall

Price: 80-580 yuan

This extraordinary trio from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe offers uplifting performances filled with harmonious a cappella singing, traditional chants, hand percussion, and superb choreography. Their songs possess a gentleness and honesty that stir the soul, conveying a wide range of challenges facing people today. Insingizi music is filled with hope, optimism and faith, including such stirring compositions as "Amasango" which means heavenly gates, a song that imparts the group's message of the ultimate answer to the world's seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Jerusalem is a song that negates the violence of the historical city by describing it, instead, as a heavenly paradise of fairy-tale mountains, valleys and rivers, which will, one day, be home, sweet home. Insingizi's first CD 'Voices of Southern Africa' has sold more that 250 000 copies (Two hundred and fifty thousand) in North America and was certified gold. Such success has not been without hard work and relentless effort. To support their albums, Insingizi has been busy since the release of the first album, touring extensively with their many projects, and finding themselves included in famed blues guitarist Hans Theesssink's band. The group's success has caught the eye of renowned music critics and in March 2010, Insingizi were rewarded with the Radio France World Music Award at the Babel Med World Music Forum in Marseille France.

Contact: 400-610-3721

Soul & Desire Trilogy: Escaping From the Mountain

Date: Oct 26 - 7:30 pm

Venue: Tianqiao Theatre

Price: 50-880 yuan

This is the first show season in the modern dance history of China that is presented by an individual artist, who boldly attempts to integrate eastern aesthetics with western narratives. For the first time in 20 years, audiences have the opportunity to fully enjoy the entire series of the Soul & Desire Trilogy in one row, thanks to the well-known modern artist Mr. Zhao Liang. Escaping From the Temple was derived from two famous Chinese Kunqu Operas: Longing For the Mundane and Going Down the Mountain. As far as difficulty level is concerned, Longing For the Mundane is well known as the demanding one to perform for female artists. In his book My Country and My People, famous author Mr. Lin Yutang once marveled at the monologue script of the young nun in Longing For the Mundane that, "this is undoubtedly a top notch literature in China." Zhao Liang inventively presents the Kunqu Opera singing and dance performances simultaneously on the stage, featuring both the natural beauty of the former and the avant-garde dynamics of the latter. Such approach to incorporate "drama within drama" is very challenging. The role of the young nun is played out by two people, among whom Ms. Dong Fei has been trained under the lineage of the great Peking opera master Mr. Mei Lanfang. She will play the role of Empty and sing Kunqu alive on the stage. The story of Escaping From the Temple is quite well known in China: on a beautiful spring day, a young nun met a young monk and they fell in love with each other. Eventually both of them left their temples and went down the mountain together. The ending is the climax of the story. However, is it an illusion of the young nun or a projection of the audiences for a "happy ending"? The amazing part of Escaping From the Temple lies in its open ending. The audiences may uncover one layer of the story after another ... From the point of view of visual effects, Escaping From the Temple may be the least fancy show among all three in Trilogy: everything is presented as it is. However discussions and debates triggered by the show and its "as-is" style have never stopped. To be or not to be - in the mountain or down from the mountain, in the temple or in the mundane - and how to transit smoothly in between.

Contact: 400-610-3721

Monte-Carlo Ballet Company A Midsummer Night's Dream in Shanghai

Date: Oct 22 - 7:15 pm

Venue: Shanghai Culture Square

Price: 180-980 yuan

In 1985, the Monte-Carlo Ballet Company was born thanks to H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover, who wanted to enroll in this dance tradition in Monaco. The new company was directed by Ghislaine Thesmar and Pierre Lacotte, then by Jean-Yves Esquerre. In 1993, H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover nominates Jean-Christophe Maillot as the head of the Monte-Carlo Ballets. Jean-Christophe Maillot creates more than 30 ballets for her, including several works which enter the repertoire of large international companies. The Monte-Carlo Ballets are now in demand throughout the world thanks to the iconic works of Jean-Christophe Maillot such as Vers un pays sage (1995), Romeo et Juliette (1996), Cendrillon (1999) La Belle (2001), Le Songe (2005), Altro Canto (2006), Faust (2007) and LAC (2011). Furthermore, Jean-Christophe Maillot also enriches the company's repertoire by inviting the major choreographers of our time.

Contact: 400-610-3721

Semianyki: The Family in Beijing

Date: Oct 22-23 - 7:30 pm

Venue: Beijing Comedy Theatre

Price: 80-580 yuan

The Show Semianyki: The Family grew from a smaller sketch the Troupe performed as the end of year creation for the Theatre and Mime School in 2003. Their success at the renowned Festival of Avignon in 2005 catapulted Semianyki: The Family onto the French and international touring circuit. Think of the Addams Family meeting Modern Family "Semianyki: The Family" traces the joys, the craziness, and the survival strategies of a family trapped in its own version of "home sweet home". Love and Chaos paradoxically intertwine the relationships between the pregnant yet flirtatious mother, the caring yet alcoholic father who alternates on the verge of breaking down or leaving, and their four tender yet unruly kids pushing each other and their parents to the limit. Their zany and comedic domestic power struggle extends into the audience and culminates in an emotional uniting of the family complete with a spectacular paper-flinging finale. Semianyki, based in St. Petersburg, is composed of the six original creators of the show bearing the same name. The artists were part of the first graduating class of the School for Theatre and Mime founded by the famed Teatr Licedei.

Contact: 010-6655-0000

Handa's Surprise

Date: Oct 22-30 - 10 am

Venue: M Theatre at Beijing's Oriental Media Center

Price: 280 yuan

Adapted from the well known children's book by Eileen Browne. Travel to Kenya and follow Handa's footsteps as she journeys to see her best friend, Akeyo, who lives in the neighboring village. Handa decides to take 7 delicious fruits with her and carries the fruit basket on her head. But on her way, various safari creatures sneak the fruit from her one by one! When Handa reaches Akeyo, will she have anything left to offer her friend ...? Come and meet all the animal puppets, smell the juicy fruits and even taste one! With over 50 years of providing high quality puppet theater aimed at family audience, Little Angel Theatre from UK has once again produced a charming and funny show full of African dance and singalong songs. Throughout the production, Handa and your children could meet animals large and small from the Kenyan wild. They come to life through the delightful magic of puppetry. These handmade puppets come in many shapes, sizes, formats and varieties, just like the fruits in Handa's basket - full of colors, lives and entertainment. Selections of different African instruments are played on stage. Audiences are invited to sit around the performance area, to sway to the sweet Swahili beats, to sink into the story and interact with the puppets and performers.

Activities & nightlife

Ming Dynasty meal

Date: Oct 22-Nov 9

Venue: Taikoo Li Sanlitun North, No 11 Sanlitun Road

Price: 528 yuan

Jing Yaa Tang Chinese restaurant at The Opposite House launches a four-week Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) inspired meal in collaboration with the French furniture designer brand Ibride from Oct 13 to Nov 9. The unique set menu are packed and presented within Ibride's Ming Dynasty tableware vase. The first round (Oct 13 - 26) opens with main courses of deep-fried bull frog with chili and Sichuan pepper, wok-fried beef ribs with black pepper and onion, and stir-fried noodles with soy sauce; second round of collaboration (Oct 27 - Nov 9) will launch dishes such as braised pigeons with scallions, Sichuan poached chicken with crushed peanuts in spicy sauce, and hot and sour soup with Shandong sea cucumber.

Priced at 528 yuan per set for two, plus a 10 percent service charge and 6 percent VAT on the total bill, the Ming Dynasty-inspired meal is available for lunch and dinner.

Contact: 010-6410-5230

Spanish flavor from London

Date: Through November

Venue: 4/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Road

Price: 498 yuan

Beijing's popular Spanish restaurant Agua in Sanlitun is having a visiting Chef Alberto Hernandez from its sister Spanish restaurant Aqua Nueva in London. Hernandez, the veteran chef with rich working experience in Michelin-starred restaurants, is to present at Agua his tasting Michelin set menu featuring dishes of soft poached 63 degrees centigrade duck egg topped with beef consomme and Iberico ham, and with a hot clear warming broth; confit Iberian pork belly with prawns and smoked Spanish paprika oil; and pan seared loin of sea bass covered with citric jelly and salmon roe. Chef Hernandez' special menu is available through November for lunch and dinner and is priced at 498 yuan for 6 courses.

Contact: 010-5208-6188

Mr.x Room Break - Changning Branch

Date: Oct 22-Dec 31 - 11:58 pm

Venue: Shanghai

Price: 100-840 yuan

Mr.x established for the selection of talent, expand training for psychological, mental, physical testing. Mr.x Room Break Changning store, for the enterprise to provide training: organization and education, entertainment, entertainment, online games. There are a lot of high-tech devices in the game, in addition to the players need enough wisdom, but also all involved in the player's tacit understanding. In addition to uncover the mystery of the fun, all devices will make the players amazing. Mr.x Room Break shock landing, the 2013 version of the official launch of the upgrade, the classic 6 major themes all updated! "Lab X" new masterpiece, the film class real scene brings a new wave of sensory feast, with you to experience the high-end real room escape. The art of weaving machinery and image, ingenious combination of imagination and reality, elegant environment, attentive service, to build the Shanghai chamber. Castle sit alone in the City, surreal sense of reality, such as in the experience in the movie. Joy comfortable holding areas from time to time will hear sounds coming from the upstairs whoa, added a nervous feeling. Antique decorating the room, meticulously hand-painted, unique props and organs like art appear in front of the guests, the game seems to enjoy the process of the feast of visual and thinking. Smart you to experience the chamber of secrets to bring you unlimited fun.

Contact: 400-610-3721

Sports

Kontinental Hockey League 2016

Date: Oct 22-27 - 7:30 pm

Venue: Sanlin Sports Center, Shanghai

Price: 100-1,280 yuan

The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises 29 member clubs based in Belarus, China, Croatia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Russia, and Slovakia and it is planned to expand to more countries. It is widely considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in Europe and Asia, and second in the world behind the NHL.

Contact: 400-610-3721