Lady Gaga's first visit to China will be to Taiwan province, next month, where the big story is will she/won't she perform in Taichung?

Some media reports are saying she will hold a concert on July 3 at the Fulfillment Amphitheater. Others are saying this is just the raving of an overexcited concert promoter.

Either way, it has been confirmed the iconic star will be appearing on a number of Taiwan variety shows. There is also a costume contest for the star's "Little Monsters" in which the winners will get face time with their heroine.

Meanwhile, back on the mainland, it is classical music that is in the news. Piano prodigy Lang Lang's overly emotive playing style appears to be the target of criticism by actor You Yong.

"Whenever I see him playing piano with his eyes closed, I feel disgusted," You says.

"I can't stand his facial expressions. They are so affected and seem designed to show people how well he can understand the music."

Although You did not mention the pianist by name, his comment that, "There are two leading young pianists in China right now. I like one of them and I hate the other," was widely and understandably understood to refer to Lang.

Those in search of soap opera plots, big-name stars and tragic-comic outcomes need look no further than the unraveling marriage of Hong Kong celebrities Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung. It doesn't get much better/worse than this.

The backstory is, handsome hunk Tse stands by his actress darling Cheung when she's exposed, literally, for having a sexual liaison with the sometime singer and occasional actor Edison Chen. Happiness appears to be theirs when they have a second child before Cheung meets up with Chen on a plane by accident.

Now, Tse is demanding a paternity test, Cheung is said to be having a mental breakdown, Chen is screaming at journalists covering the story, the media is having a field day and the public is just lapping it up. Great entertainment!

While schadenfreude, or finding enjoyment in the problems experienced by others, doesn't sound noble, it is undeniably the basis of a lot of what passes for humor. And their carefully stage managed story has become a farce.

Perhaps the couple will end up playing themselves in the stage, TV, movie and video game versions of their own story. Stranger things have happened.

China Daily