Smart Arts: Hong Kong International Arts Festival 2006
The lineup for the Hong Kong International Arts Festival 2006 has been announced. Alexandra Carroll picks the tickets to book now.
After this year’s record-breaking Arts Festival, the HKAF’s executive director, Douglas Gautier, had his work cut out for 2006. How do you top a box office of $28.5 million with more than half the performances sold out? Gautier and his team think they may have the answer with 106 performances over 37 days from February 9. Hot tickets include Britain’s National Theatre performing Alan Bennett’s play “The History Boys,” Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, Berlin’s Schaubuhne am Lehniner Platz, the Rosas dance company, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Hoping for the wonderful problem of sold-out shows again in 2006, Gautier has three parts to his curatorial theme: the world’s best performing ensembles, tribute productions and a celebration of Hong Kong’s own “living treasures.” The tributes pay homage to great artists who have made a major impact in their field: Joan Baez by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Ray Charles by John Scofield, and dear ol’ Mozart in celebration of his 250th birthday next year. The “living treasures” section features composer Doming Lam (celebrating his 80th birthday), stage veterans Chung King-fai and Sheren Tang and Cantonese opera star Koi Ming-fai.
Beyond all this is the HKAF’s important role as a commissioner and patron of new works from Hong Kong and the region. “We are an incubator for new ideas and young artists to bring work of quality to an international stage,” Gautier explains. In 2006, HKAF is putting the Actor’s Family out there with the new musical production, “The Legend of the White Snake,” and will promote local up-and-comers in “Cantonese Opera: New Stars.”
Presenting new works and young artists is always a risk. “This is an important international festival so you’ve got to make sure there is a point of difference distinguishing it from what is happening the other 11 months of the year,” Gautier says. “When you’re looking at commissioning new work, there is always an element of risk. But you should have that if you’re running a festival at this level - you must take those risks.”
And Gautier welcomes the opinions of those who think he’s stepping out of line: “This is a focal point for the performing arts in Hong Kong and people do have the expectation that we present the best. If they think we don’t, they let us know in no uncertain terms. It’s great, because we really believe the festival should be a showcase for the very best work.”
If you think the festival is too far away to worry about, consider that early birds can catch some juicy worms if they book before the end of this month. Until November 26, audiences can receive discounts of up to 15 percent on tickets.