THE PLANNER

Published: 12:00am, 12 Jan 2003

Culture

World Hong Kong Luminous Dragon Dance And Lion Dance Championships 2003

Ten luminous dragon troupes and 17 lion dance troupes from the United States, Canada, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Macau and Hong Kong compete for the world championships. This is the first event of its kind in the SAR. Today, 7pm-10.30pm. $50-$150 ($30) Urbtix. Hong Kong Coliseum, Hunghom. Inquiries: 2504 8164

A Vast Land, A Diverse People

The Hong Kong Dance Company presents a show inspired by nature. Today, 3pm. City Hall Theatre, Central. $80-$110 Urbtix. Inquiries: 3103 1810 or visit www.hkdance.com

Wan Chai Street Party

The Lockhart Road stretch between Luard and O'Brien roads is closed to traffic today from noon to 11pm to make room for Wan Chai's first street party in more than a decade. Children's and family entertainment will be the focus from noon to 4pm with workshops from the Youth Arts Festival, face painting, bouncy castles, lion dancing and interactive entertainment. There are more than 20 food and beverage stalls, including Mexican, Mongolian, Thai, Irish, Indian, American and British fodder. There is also a live music stage that rocks throughout the day featuring eight local bands playing Latin, blues, funk, Canto-pop and cover rock and pop. Today, 12pm-11pm. Inquiries: 9523 3753

Know Your Piano Concertos II

Following the first show in April last year, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta returns with a series of piano concertos. Music director Yip Wing-sie conducts and narrates with Ma Cong performing concertos by Liszt, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. Narration is in Cantonese. Today, 8pm. Sha Tin Town Hall. $60-$120 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7321 or visit www.hksinfonietta.org

HK Rep

The Hong Kong Repertory Theatre performs at the Arts Centre for the first time, with an Internet-themed drama series consisting of two plays running on alternate nights. Written by Yu Rongjun and directed by Yin Zhusheng from Shanghai, www.com is an award-winning play about love lost and found in reality and cyberspace. Hong Kong's Rape Virus is a dark story of 'visual fantasy turning to real-life crime'. In Cantonese with English surtitles. www.com: today, Thursday, Friday, Jan 19, 22, 25 and 27. Rape Virus: Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Jan 21, 23, 24, 26 and 28. $100-$170 Ticketek. Inquiries: 3103 5900 or visit www.hkrep.com

Organ Recital By Jennifer Bate

The award-winning British organist plays her own compositions: Variations On A Gregorian Theme and Toccata On A Theme Of Martin Shaw. The programme also includes works by Bach, Schumann, Liszt, Tournemire and Langlais. Today, 8pm. Concert Hall, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. $50-$120 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7321

King's Harmonica Quintet 15th Anniversary Concert

This stellar quintet made headlines in 1997 when it won first prize at the World Harmonica Championships in Germany. Ho Pak-cheong, Kenneth Chan Shu-keung, Lau Chun-bong, Rocky Lok Ying-kei and Johnny Kuan Man-hou perform a programme of Western and Chinese music, with guest soloists - guitarist Stephen Chau, choreographer and dancer Ong Yong Lock, sheng player Loo Sze-wang, pianist Nerissa Yeung and fellow harmonica player Herman Ho Kwong-pui. Tomorrow, 8pm. City Hall, Central. $80-$140 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7321

Looking Ahead

Black Hole, Beyond

Taiwan's I Think Theatre has enlisted the performance troupe, Body Phase Studio, to act under the guidance of theatre critic Wang Mo-lin in this play about a group of people trapped under a pile of rubble after an earthquake. See www.blackhole trilogy.com (not suitable for children under 12). Tuesday-Saturday, 8pm. $120 ($100) Ticketek. Fringe Studio, Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Rd, Central. Tel: 2521 7251

All-Mozart Concerts

The Hong Kong Philharmonic celebrates Mozart's 247th birthday with Happy Birthday Mozart concerts starring Norman Krieger on the piano. The programme includes Symphony No 17 in G, Piano Concerto No 9 in E Flat and Symphony No 41 in C. Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 3pm ($60-$250) and 8pm. Concert Hall, City Hall. $90-$280 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2312 6103. On Saturday, Mozart's Birthday Fun Fair takes place featuring face painting, musical arts and crafts, Mozart storytelling and clowns and magic shows. 3pm-6pm. Free. Inquiries: 2312 6103 or visit www.hkpo.com

Swan Lake

The Hong Kong Ballet performs Tchaikovsky's famed ballet, with guest artist Larissa Lezhnina, the principal dancer of the Dutch National Ballet - and formerly of the Kirov Ballet - starring on the first and third nights. Behind the scenes, Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov choreograph with Bjorn Sagstad conducting the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Friday-Sunday, $100-$260 Urbtix. Kwai Tsing Theatre, Kwai Fong. Jan 25-26, $80-$200 Urbtix. Tuen Mun Town Hall. Inquiries: 2105 9724

Punchline Comedy Club

Three British comics headline: Michael Smiley, Adam Bloom and Pierre Hollins who graces the stage with an electric squash racquet and delivers eclectic mixes of comedy and heavy metal music. Friday-Saturday, 9pm. The Viceroy, 2/F Sun Hung Kai Centre, Wan Chai. $240 cityline. Inquiries: 2827 7777 or visit www.punchlinecomedy.com

Joe Hisaishi And Hayao Miyazaki - The Animation Symphony

The Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra presents the music of Joe Hisaishi, which was composed for the movies of Japanese animation magician, Hayao Miyazaki. The orchestra plays transcriptions by Ambrose Law, music director and conductor of the orchestra. Two young prize-winners of a local storytelling competition, Clare Chan Hin-hang and Chan Hin-hou, narrate in Cantonese. Saturday, 8pm, Sha Tin Town Hall. Sunday, 3pm, Yuen Long Theatre. $60-$100 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7321

Boris Berman

The acclaimed Moscow-born pianist will perform works by Prokofiev, among others. Jan 20, 8pm. City Hall, Central. $90-$160 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7321

Norah Jones

This 23-year-old Texas-raised singer is the daughter of famed Indian musician Ravi Shankar. Her album, Come Away With Me, dominated the jazz charts last year. She also sings pop, rock, blues and folk. Jan 20, 8pm. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai. $299-$888 Ticketek. More info: www.M2us.com

Medea

Hedy Chan has adapted Euripides' Greek tragedy into Cantonese for a performance by students of the Academy for Performing Arts (APA). It is the story of the jealousy and revenge of Medea, a betrayed woman whose husband leaves her for the princess of Corinth. The show is part of the Academy Studio Theatre Series. Jan 20-24, 7.45pm; Jan 25, 2.45pm and 7.45pm. Studio Theatre, APA, Wan Chai. $45-$90 Ticketek. Inquiries: visit www.hkapa.edu

Woman Solos

Theatre Company No Man's Land presents two plays at the Arts Centre. Roberto Athayde's drama Miss Margarida's Way is directed and performed in drag by founder of No Man's Land, Tang Shu-wing. In Cantonese. Jan 21-25, 27-29, 7.30pm; Jan 25-26, 2.30pm. Between Life And Death is written by Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian and stars actress Lindzay Chan. The one-woman show is directed by Tang Shu-wing. Jan 24-25, 9.15pm; Jan 25-26, 4.15pm. Both shows take place in the McAulay Studio, Arts Centre, Wan Chai. $130 Ticketek. Inquiries: 2576 6505

From Here To Maternity

Melbourne's Fiona O'Loughlin takes to the stage with a one-woman show about her life in the country as a mother of five. Her 12-year career has included national television appearances, three self-written, one-woman shows and four years on ABC Radio. She was named Best Newcomer at last year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Jan 21-25, 8.30pm. Fringe Theatre. $150 ($120) Ticketek. Inquiries: 2521 7251

Ghosts

Performance Exchange, a London- and Tokyo-based theatre company, presents a celebration of ghosts 'from Shakespeare to Dickens, Stephen King to Walt Disney'. Jan 22-25, 8pm. Fringe Studio. $120 ($90) Ticketek. Inquiries: 2521 7251

Peking Opera

Three National Class 1 performers star in this show of traditional Peking opera: Li Jinhwen of the Peking Opera Theatre of Shenyang, Shi Yihong from the Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre and Hou Danmei of the Peking Opera Troupe of Guiyang City. They perform The Green Peony on Jan 23, 7.30pm; The Story Of The White Snake on Jan 24, 7.30pm; Mu Guiying Defeats The Enemy's Tianman Battle Array on Jan 25, 7.30pm; and excerpts from various operas on Jan 26, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Jan 23-25, 7.30pm; Jan 26, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Grand Theatre, Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. $100-$320 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7323

Living Memory

Canadian theatre troupe Les Deux Mondes explores the world of toys with Living Memory, theatre that fuses text, music and video. The show depicts a young girl who swirls through dream-like scenes with a vast cast of toys. Jan 23-24, 8pm. Jan 25, 2.30pm. City Hall, Central. $100-$160 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7323

Diana Yukawa

Anglo-Japanese violinist Diana Yukawa makes her local debut with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra next month. The 17-year-old is one of classical music's emerging talents. Jan 29, 8pm. City Hall, Central. $150-$250 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2857 2402

Urbtix: 2734 9009

Urbtix/CityLines 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

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