THE PLANNER

Culture Of Fire And Fireworks A collaboration between Theatre Ensemble and Prospects Theatre Company has resulted in an original tale about three Hong Kongers, from Waglan Island, Ap Lei Chau and Tsim Sha Tsui, who gather on a mountain top for a fireworks display. As they watch the show, ancient legends from each of the three districts come to life around them. The team behind the show includes prize-winning playwright Paul Poon Wai-sum, young writer Leung Ka-kit, Theatre Ensemble artistic directors Jim Chim Shui-man and Olivia Yan Wing-pui and actress Chan Suk-yi, formerly of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre. Weigo Lee Kwok-wai directs. Tonight, 8pm. Studio Theatre, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. $100-$150 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7323 Love In A Fallen City The 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre is celebrated with a reworking of Eileen Chang's famous novel, Love In A Fallen City, about the love affair between Fan Liuyuan and Bai Liusu. Conceived by artistic director Fredric Mao and dance visionary Edward Lam, with songs by Chung Chi-wing and choreography by Yuri Ng, this is one of the most anticipated shows of the New Vision Arts Festival. Performed in Cantonese with Chinese and English surtitles. Tonight-Oct 28, 7.30pm. Grand Theatre, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. $100-$260 Urbtix. Inquiries: 3103 5900 or visit www.hkrep.com World Ballroom And Latin American Dance At the popular annual World Ballroom and Latin American Dance, fans can see the return of South African dancers Victor Da Silva and Claire Edwards, who won this year's 2002 British Invitation Exhibition Dance Championships held in Blackpool. They are joined by Italian duo Benedetto Ferruggia and Yana Pokrovskaya, Lithuania's Arunas Bizokas and Edita Daniute, and Argentinian tango stars Pablo Inza and Veronica Alvarenga. Andrei Philip and Katarzyna Kozak from America also dance. After the show, audience members get the chance to sashay on stage themselves in the Down Memory Lane Twist Dance. Tonight, 7.30pm. Queen Elizabeth Stadium. $100-$380 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7323 Shows this week New York Philharmonic Tickets for tomorrow's performance of the orchestra with star pianist Lang Lang are already sold out, however tickets still remain for Wednesday's show. The New York Philharmonic performs with its new music director, Lorin Maazel, wielding the baton. Succeeding Kurt Masur, Maazel first conducted this orchestra at the age of 12, and has since led more than 150 other ensembles and been musical director for the Pittsburgh Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra. Wed, 8.15pm. Concert Hall, Cultural Centre. Inquiries: 2268 7321. $600-$780 Urbtix The Choir Of Westminster Abbey A total of 30 choristers and 12 lay vicars from the Choir Of Westminster Abbey will be performing in the territory en route to this month's Macau International Music Festival. They sing a programme of works including Mendelssohn's Ave Maria, Harvey's Come, Holy Ghost and Byrd's Rorate Caeli Desuper. Thu, 8pm. Concert Hall, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. $80-$200 Urbtix. Fri, 8pm. Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall. $60-$180 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7321 The Peony Pavilion: A Spoiled Romance Another highlight of the festival is a collaboration between the Beijing Arts Creative Centre and the Peking Opera Troupe of Beijing. Last year, they won acclaim for their original and innovative approach to modernising Chinese opera with What Is Done Can't Be Undone. They return this year with an adaptation of The Peony Pavilion, bringing a contemporary twist to the ancient tale with modern music and experimental stage effects. This show was a hit at the Asian Performing Arts Festival in Tokyo earlier this year. Fri-Sun, 7.30pm. Studio Theatre, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. $100-$180 Urbtix. For further information go to www.newvisionartsfest.com.hk A Cappella Under The Stars One of Hong Kong's longest-running choral groups, the Cecilian Singers, present an evening of a cappella song in the alfresco setting of the Fringe Club's roof garden. The programme is inspired by cultures from around the globe. Thu, 8pm. $120, including one glass of wine. Roof Garden, Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central. Inquiries and bookings: 2575 3931. Tien Dao A feature of the New Vision Arts Festival, Tien Dao (which was originally commissioned by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra for its Voices Of Hong Kong series) features local composer Daniel Law exploring the concept of dao in both the East and the West. He fuses the two cultures with such combinations as the dagu (a large Chinese drum, played by leading Chinese percussionist Yim Hok-man) with a Western orchestra. Fri-Sat, 8pm. City Hall, Central. $50-$150 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2312 6103 or visit www.hkpo.com Orchestral Fusion The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra will present one of the quirkiest shows of the year this week with Urban Romanticism, a programme of jazz and pop numbers. Traditional Chinese instruments will be matched with saxophones to rock through a repertoire of numbers including Take Five and Kenny G's arrangement of the Chinese folk song Jasmine. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium, Kwai Tsing. $90-$120 Urbtix. Inquiries: 3185 1600 Ann's World Of Music - Beautiful Nature Ann Wong of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta conveys her passion for the great outdoors in this musical show geared towards children. Wong tells stories in Cantonese about how various composers were inspired by nature, accompanied by the sinfonietta playing pieces such as Beethoven's Pastorale and Gershwin's Walking The Dog. Sat, 8pm. Tsuen Wan Town Hall, Tsuen Wan. $60-$100 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7321 Urbtix: 2734 9009 Urbtix/CityLine credit-card booking: 2111 5999 Fringe: 2521 7251 CityLine: 2317 6666 TicketNet: 2312 9998 Ticketek: 3128 8288 For a complete listings service visit totallyhk.scmp.com.