Water Margin

It's a dance performance with a purpose. Proceeds from the fund-raising premiere of the Hong Kong Dance Company's show Water Margin are being donated jointly to the Boys' and Girls' Association of Hong Kong's Together We Serve Youth Challenge Project and to the dance company. The work looks at the loyalty and integrity of a band of men and women from different backgrounds who valiantly unite to fight the injustices of corrupt officials and exploitation by the wealthy. Based on the Chinese classic Shuihu Zhuan, the story is considered one of the greatest tales of chivalry in the kung fu genre. The dance was created by choreographer Zhang Shouhe, one of the founders of Beijing's School of Modern Dance at the Beijing Dance Academy, and Zhao Jiping, who is best known for the film scores he composed for Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige. The cast comprises local talent, overseas dancers and those from the mainland who are studying at the Academy of Performing Arts. Yang Yuntao stars. Cultural Centre Grand Theatre, Wan Chai. Friday-Saturday, 7.30pm. Sunday, 3pm. $90-$180 Urbtix. Donation hotline: 2853 2642. Programme inquiries: 2853 2611

Culture

Forever Teresa Teng

The first official musical about the Taiwanese singing icon hits the stage this week. Seven years after her death, this musical tells the diva's life story and explores her complex personality behind the screen. Three actresses play the lead character: Xiang Xiao Qiao, from the mainland, is the childhood Teng; Taiwanese actress Li Sin Je is the adolescent; and Cass Phang is the mature Teng. Chung King-fai plays Teng's father. With a $15-million budget, the production will feature spectacular sets and a cast of more than 60. $180-$380. July 25-28, 30-31. Aug 1-4, 6-10, 8pm. Lyric Theatre, Academy For Performing Arts, Wan Chai. Ticketek. Inquiries: 2798 7688

Takako Nishizaki In Concert

Eminent Japanese violinist Takako Nishizaki, who has been based in Hong Kong since 1974 and has rarely performed in recent years, stars in a charity concert for the Society For Abandoned Animals Foundation. Since its inception in 1997, the organisation has found new homes for more than 1,310 animals. A foundation is being set up to establish a permanent home for these animals and provide educational programmes for schools. The programme for the concert has an animal theme, with Saint-Saens Carnival Of Animals performed by pianists Cherry Tsang and Helen Chua, and Rossini's Cat Duet sung by sopranos Yuki Ip and Melody Ze. Nishizaki will play a selection of 'Chinese Evergreens', such as The Pearl Of The Orient, accompanied by Slovakian conductor and pianist Peter Breiner and his orchestra - comprising members of the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and the Slovak National Opera Orchestra. Tomorrow, 8pm. Concert Hall, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. $300-$700. Urbtix

Fetusonics - Concert For The Unborn And Mothers-To-Be

Experiments suggest music is a pre-linguistic medium that can form a strong foundation for learning and behaviour - and soothe the nerves of pregnant women. The Vasser TCM Hospital presents a concert especially designed for unborn babies and their mothers. Fetusonics has been tailor-made by doctors, clinical psychologists, music educators, and music and drama therapists. A long list of official partners such as Nestle, Mother World and Pregnacare have contributed to the 'Lovely Goodie Bag' (worth $820) given away at the end of the show. In Cantonese. Thursday and Friday, 8pm. $120-$340. Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Inquiries: 2577 8815. Urbtix

China Philharmonic Orchestra

The China Philharmonic, which is based in Hong Kong, is teaming up with soprano Vivian Chan Lai-chun and tenor Alex Tam Tin-lok for an evening of music from some of the world's greatest operas. The pair will sing arias and duets from Tosca, La Traviata and Tales Of Hoffman, and the orchestra will play Li Huanzhi's Spring Festival Orchestra, Bizet's Carmen Suite No 1, Beethoven's Symphony No 5 and Bruch's Violin Concerto No 1 in G Minor. Terry Leung is guest conductor. Concert Hall, City Hall, Central. Tomorrow, 8pm. $70-$130 Urbtix

The Chemical Brothers

In the first gig of their Asian Tour, the Chemical Brothers are set to blow the roof off the Convention and Exhibition Centre in an unsurpassed show of mass dancing. There will be no seating. Groove and Dancemix are organising the event for a capacity crowd expected to exceed 6,000 people. $480-$680. Thursday, 8.30pm. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai. Ticketek

The Early Years

Deborah Druick, a former creative director of Lane Crawford and now a full-time artist, exhibits 20 paintings and drawings that experiment with the themes she explored while a young artist in Montreal, Canada. Druick takes the raster-dot process, which is used in print media, to create images in oils, woodblocks, mixed-media works and drawings. The dots converge, overlap, recede and rise to the forefront, creating scenes that appear to be in a constant state of change. Music and film from her childhood also makes up part of this multi-media exhibition. Open by appointment. Red Dog Art Space, 3-4 Sun Street. Wan Chai. Information: 61265204. Ends August 4

Go Figure

Melbourne-based Australian artist Candy Stevens, the painter of Yung Shue Wan's Welcome To Lamma mural in 1997, is exhibiting her latest work in Hong Kong, having travelled extensively in Southeast Asia and Central America. The oil paintings and sculpture she has produced since her return to Australia in 2000 have been highly expressive works 'using symbols and metaphors to create a personalised visual language'. Her newest series, Go Figure, are free-flowing, spontaneous oil paintings. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-8pm. 5 OPT Studio/Gallery, G/F, 5 Prince's Terrace, Central. Tel: 2536 9818. Ends Sunday

Deng Xiaohong

Recent paintings by the Inner Mongolian artist Deng Xiaohong come to the Chouinard Gallery. The painter, who is influenced by surrealism, has his Road To Heaven exhibition as a feature of the China National Art Museum's permanent collection. Open Tue-Sun 11am-8pm. Chouinard Gallery, 1 Prince's Terrace, Mid-Levels. Tel: 2858 5072. Ends Sunday

Extra-curricular

Summer Courses

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