Check out Taiwanese performing arts with Ming Hwa Yuan, an opera troupe that combines traditional and contemporary expression. 

 

Min Hwa Yuan was established in 1929 and based its performance on the traditional Taiwanese folk opera known as Gezai. Over the decades, as Taiwan came under the influence of Japan, China and the West, the popularity of Gezai declined, but the troupe engineered its revival starting in the 1980s. 

 

Its shows are a blend of folklore, poetry, theater, dancing, music, acrobatics and art, with technological twists like black-light staging added in. The group, which is currently on an international goodwill tour, also is known for performing in a variety of venues in Taiwan, from theaters and street fairs to hospitals and even a prison. 

 

Ming Hwa Yuan will present two works: "Lovebirds Spears," a lighthearted romantic comedy about an emperor in disguise who comes across a martial arts competition held by a beautiful teahouse proprietor; and "General of the Empire," an operatic work sung in Taiwanese and featuring martial arts. 

 

Where: Hawaii Theatre 

 

When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday 

 

Cost: $12-$32 

 

Info: hawaiitheatre.com or 528-0506 

 

 

Take a run through Kailua on Saturday night and have an educational, family-oriented evening of fun at the Kailua NiteRun. 

 

The 5K fun run/walk includes a presentation on the unique ecosystem of Kawainui Marsh. The run follows the Kailua bike path through the marsh, the largest wetlands in the state, and concludes with a free family fair with food and beverages, vendors, giveaways and other activities. Singer-songwriters Roothub and Paul Izak, and DJ Generator will entertain. 

 

The NiteRun is open to ages 10 and up — those under 17 must be accompanied by an adult — and there will be a "stroller division" for parents with small children. Registered runners will receive a complimentary headlamp, and are encouraged to complete their outfit with additional lights, glow sticks, neon paint and other means of lighting up the night. Prizes will be awarded for "Best Costume," "Best Group Costume," "Best Parent-Child Costume," "Best-Lit Participant," "Best Finish Line Dance" and "Best Kailua Spirit." 

 

NiteRun Hawai’i was founded by John Henderson, a former triathlete who was left a paraplegic after being hit by a tour bus while running on the North Shore. The organization sponsors four night runs in various locales in Oahu throughout the year, often obtaining special access to areas closed to the public. About 1,500 runners usually participate in the races. 

 

The event is a benefit for Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii, Windward Clubhouse. 

 

Where: Street fair at beginning of Kawainui Marsh path on Kailua Road, mauka of the Kawainui Canal. (Runners go to Jamba Juice Kailua, 539 Kailua Road, between 5 and 7 p.m.) Extra parking and shuttle service provided from Kailua High School, 451 Ulumanu Drive. 

 

When: 5-9 p.m. Saturday fair. Race starts at 7 p.m.; pre-race safety meeting at 6:45 p.m. 

 

Cost: Family Fair is free. Runners: $25.50-$39.50. 

 

Info: www.niterun.com

 

 

 

Young dance sensation Silento sails into Hawaii for a step or two at Hawaii Country Club on Saturday in a benefit for radio station 102.7 Da Bomb. 

 

His debut single, "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" became the dance sensation of the summer, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and, at last count, netting 278 million hits on YouTube since its debut in June. (Now that’s viral.) 

 

The video is the epitome of audience participation simplicity — the 17-year-old rapper guides viewers through a series of dance steps like the Stanky leg, the Bog, and of course the Whip and Nae Nae, while crowds of people join in on the fun. Perhaps it is the diversity of the crowd that has made it so popular — there’s a high school gym full of young people, kids on the beach and out on the street, along with awkward suburban housewife types, all bopping to the groove to varying degrees of expertise. 

 

At any rate, it’s taken the Georgia high-schooler to the Black Entertainment Television Awards presentation, where he performed with the cast of "black-ish"; to "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"; and to nominations for Teen Choice Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. 

 

Carnage and Natalie La Rose will open for him. 

 

Where: Hawaii Country Club, 94-1211 Kunia Road, Wahiawa 

 

When: 6 p.m. Saturday 

 

Cost: $45 

 

Info: flavorus.com or 855-235-2867 

 

 

 

Volary Aerial Burlesque celebrates its fifth anniversary with a new production, "Manimal Menagerie," a show that appeals to your animal senses. 

 

"This is a show that we’ve kind of daydreamed about for many years, and it’s the perfect time," said Danielle Cohen, co-director of Volary. "It’s a couple of weeks before Halloween, and who doesn’t mind getting dressed up like an animal?" 

 

Snakes, big cats, birds and other critters — even a mermaid — will be hanging out in Volary’s "Menagerie," performing on various hanging apparatus, such as tissu, lyra, trapeze and hammock. Special guest artists Violetta Beretta, who is Honolulu’s burlesque queen, and Kalalea also will perform. 

 

Audience members are encouraged to go in costume and "be as much a part of the show as possible," Cohen said. "It boosts the energy, it gets the audience excited and it makes like a real special night out." 

 

Expect an adult-oriented show. Volary is a burlesque group whose members originally trained with Samadhi Hawaii, a longtime local aerialist group. "We wanted an outlet to produce a more adult, more sensual type of show," Cohen said. 

 

Cohen is especially excited to perform at ArtZone Hawaii, where her group gave its first performances five years ago. "It’s a wonderfully intimate venue that fits this production perfectly," she said. 

 

Where: ArtZone Hawaii, 3245 Pali Highway 

 

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Oct. 18 

 

Cost: $30-$45 

 

Info: volaryvixens.com/tickets