Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

World of performing arts

Related Topics:
World of performing arts
News and reviews of the performing arts – ballet, contemporary dance, opera, theatre, musicals and more – in and around Hong Kong and beyond.
Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in Sibelius’s Symphony No 2 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on March 24, 2015. The renowned conductor has died at the age of 81. Photo: Los Angeles Times/TNS
Obituaries

‘Bad boy of classical music’, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, dies at 81

Former child prodigy Michael Tilson Thomas led many of the world’s top orchestras, including 25 years with the San Francisco Symphony.

Music

A stroke paralysed pianist’s right hand. Now he wows crowds with just his left

videocam

How Japan’s kabuki theatre legacies are kept in the family

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Hong Kong Ballet brilliantly dances to Beyond, Queen and Depeche Mode

Hong Kong Ballet’s ‘Glam Rock’ triple bill was a feast of popular music and dance that showcased its dancers’ versatility.

Dancers perform Andonis Foniadakis’ Strangelove, part of Hong Kong Ballet’s “Glam Rock” programme at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, in April 2026. Photo: Conrad Dy-Liacco
Sexual harassment and assault

‘A system of slavery’: ex-geisha apprentice on the dark side of the tradition

Kiyoha Kiritaka says she left Kyoto’s geisha world after experiencing sexual harassment, physical and verbal abuse, and more.

Art

A legendary opera singer on playing the ‘bad boy’ on stage

Bryn Terfel’s journey as one of opera’s most commanding voices, from singing at King Charles’ coronation to Verbier Festival’s inaugural China edition.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim, 22, wows the Hong Kong Arts Festival

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields put on a spirited performance with South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim and guest conductor Wilson Ng.

Pianist Yunchan Lim with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields orchestra at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall during the Hong Kong Arts Festival on Saturday. Photo: HKAF

At 82, Monty Python’s Eric Idle is not slowing down

Eric Idle discusses Spamalot’s return to LA, his love for comedy and why being part of the Monty Python troupe ‘doesn’t make you brothers’.

Sadiq Khan

The world’s burning but ‘people just want to dance’, says Sadler’s Wells co-CEO

How do you make a cultural district out of a dumping ground for fridges? Ask the artistic director of Sadler’s Wells theatre in London.

US, Israel war on Iran

Will the UAE’s art industry be a casualty of the Iran war? Experts weigh in

Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation programming adviser Toufic Maatouk shares why the Iran war doesn’t worry him. But not everyone agrees.

Lebanese-Italian conductor and musicologist Toufic Maatouk. Also the artistic programming adviser for the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, Maatouk believes that the Iran war will have only a limited impact on the UAE’s art industry. Photo: courtesy of Toufic Maatouk
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Chinese opera troupe’s retelling of ancient love story ends with a ‘brilliant’ surprise

At the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the new work ‘Red Wedding Bed’, based on the Liyuan opera classic, retells the tale of Chen San and Wu Niang.

A scene from “Red Wedding Bed”, Fujian Province Liyuan Opera Inheritance Centre’s retelling of the Southern Song dynasty Chinese tale “Chen San and Wu Niang”, but with a different ending. Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Arts Festival
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | No heroes, no villains: a finely shaded Eugene Onegin in Hong Kong

National Theatre Brno’s Eugene Onegin at the Hong Kong Arts Festival centred on Tatyana and featured lush music and a minimalist set.

Music

Nicholas Tse, EXO among top music and art events coming up in Greater Bay Area

Jane Zhang concert, Art Week Shenzhen and French musical Don Juan also coming to Shenzhen, Macau and Guangzhou in March, April and May 2026.

Comedians and comedy

Making jokes in Hong Kong is a serious business

From TakeOut Comedy Club to Backstage Comedy and open mic nights, Hong Kong’s stand-up scene is growing, thanks to some dedicated producers.

Maitreyi Karanth’s one-woman show, “Maitriarchy”, was produced by Mohammed Magdi, who founded Backstage Comedy. Photo: Maitreyi Karanth
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s CCO plays sumptuous Mozart at Hong Kong Arts Festival

The Hong Kong debut of Gardiner’s Constellation Choir and Orchestra was impressive in its attention to detail and colourful musicality.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his Constellation Choir and Orchestra performed two Mozart works at the Hong Kong Arts Festival on March 6. This was the Hong Kong debut of Gardiner’s new ensemble, founded in 2024. Photo: Hong Kong Arts Festival
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Stunning beauty and power in Hong Kong performance of Caravaggio

Roberto Bolle dazzled among a cast of seasoned and upcoming stars in this ballet about Caravaggio’s art and violent life.

Tristan und Isolde is a challenging opera to stage. Yuval Sharon did it anyway

Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde is one of opera’s hardest to put on, but Yuval Sharon – who makes his Met debut – loves a challenge.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Fame and celebrity

Timothee Chalamet faces the music for saying ‘no one cares’ about opera, ballet

Performance groups around the world clapped back at the Hollywood star’s remarks, while a German minister invited him to watch a show.

US actor Timothee Chalamet poses on the red carpet at the Bafta Film Awards in London in February. Photo: EPA
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Stella Cole Quartet’s delightful delivery of jazz and film classics in Hong Kong

Smooth, playful, dramatic and teasing, the Stella Cole Quartet gave its Xiqu Centre audience a night of all-American nostalgic glamour.

videocam
On Our Radar

The Hong Kong Arts Festival is back. These are the shows to book first

Tradition meets tech as stages both real and virtual host dance, music and immersive magic.

TV shows and streaming video

From Heated Rivalry to Two Strangers, how romcoms are taking over TV and theatre

A clutch of new romantic comedies are warming hearts this winter across various media. But why are they proving so popular?

Tom Blyth (left) and Emily Bader in a scene from People We Meet on Vacation. Photo: AP
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | She seduced some of the most powerful men. A ballet tries to tell her story

Despite some excellent dancing, Ballet Nacional de España’s La Bella Otero fails to do justice to the notorious Belle Époque star’s story.

Noelia Ruiz plays the title role in Ballet Nacional de España’s La Bella Otero, performed at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on February 27 as part of Hong Kong Arts Festival. Photo: Tony Luk
What's hot in Korea

This award-winning playwright rejected Hollywood… for a Korean zombie musical

Jethro Compton shares why his choice to adapt musical The Last Man for UK viewers is about ‘experiences’ rather than advancing his career.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Hong Kong group brings ancient Silk Road murals’ musical depictions to life

The Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble’s musical compositions are inspired by ancient artworks from China’s Mogao Caves.

videocam
US-China relations

Exclusive | Hong Kong pianist brings music – and a message of openness – to Washington

Fresh from his Cliburn win, Sham says music can bridge divides as he tours the US amid geopolitical tensions and decoupling debate.

videocam
Hong Kong pianist Aristo Sham during his recital at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington. Photo: Handout
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Trump is abducted by aliens and has Chinese ‘twin’ in chaotic Cantonese opera

Showing in Hong Kong, Trump on Show 4.0 combines political satire and surreal Sino-US commentary but feels like a ‘paper tiger’ with no bite.

Elvina Kong (left) performs as Japanese politician Sanae Takaichi and Lung Koon-tin as US president Donald Trump on the opening night of the Trump on Show 4.0 at Sha Tin Town Hall in Hong Kong. Photo: Contemporary Drama Association
Performing arts in Hong Kong

‘Unconventional bodies’: inclusive dance team’s upcoming Hong Kong show

Unusual Symptoms’ experimental dance project Harmonia challenges audience biases about the human body.

Wellness

Hong Kong Ballet and Pure Fitness join forces to offer new exercise programme

The dance and strength training crossover aims to dispel the perception of ballet as an inaccessible and elite art form.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement