Le French May returns with a programme ranging from hip-hop to opera to Vietnamese circus performers. Here's what to look out for.  By Ben Sin

Marc Riboud: 50-Year Photography Retrospective
April 30-May 16, City Hall
Take a look back at the illustrious career of French photographer Marc Riboud, whose seminal body of work includes many iconic shots of China and North Vietnam.
Why to go: In addition to some of his award-winning photos, such as The Three Banners of China, the retrospective will unveil never-before-seen unpublished photos.

Chu Teh-chun – Of Snow, Gold and Sky Blue
April 23-June 13, University Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Hong Kong
An exhibition of 56 pieces of ceramics. The artist, Chu Teh-chun, studied painting at the School of Fine Arts in his native Hangzhou before eventually moving to Paris, where he has lived for the past four decades. These pieces were inspired by Far Eastern aesthetics with a touch of French.
Why to go: The exhibition arrives after successful runs at the Guimet Museum in Paris and Beijing.

Manon
May 6 & 8, Cultural Centre, Grand Theatre
Renowned French opera performers team up with the Opera Hong Kong Chorus for this rendition of French composer Jules Massenet’s most famous opera, Manon. The five-act romantic tragedy about a young woman’s craving for wealth explores a range of emotions and features plenty of tunes and dialogue to boot.
Why to go: The crew, from soprano Nathalie Manfrino to director Nadine Duffaut, have won a plethora of international awards and can belt out tunes that will knock your socks off.

Asphalte
May 28-30, Sheung Wan Civic Centre
Asphalte features street dancers against a wall of light to present the hard-knock life of living in the city.
Why to go: The combination of the cast’s lively physical theatrics with the glowing wall of light make for a unique, feverish experience.

Le French May Musical Showdown 2010
June 5, Queen Elizabeth Stadium
A night of sonic bliss as French bands The Teenagers, Cocoon, and Wax Tailor share the bill with local acts Noughts & Exes and Chochukmo.
Why to go: Whether through The Teenagers’ electropop hooks and Strokes-like guitar riffs or Cocoon’s folk-rock with sugary lyrics, the hip and bouncy French sound is well represented here. Hip-hop producer Wax Tailor also returns to town with a deservedly bigger stage.

Chopin and the French Composers
May 2 & 3, Cultural Centre, Concert Hall
Three generations of renowned French pianists celebrate the 200th anniversary of virtuoso composer and pianist Frederic Chopin with two nights of performance that include interpretations of not only Chopin’s classics, but also pieces by French pianists Hector Berlioz and Gabriele Carcano.
Why to go: After nearly 70 years with the top composers around the world, performer Aldo Ciccolini is perhaps the world’s most experienced pianist.

Lang Toi: My Village
May 12 & 13, APA, Lyric Theatre
Twenty Vietnamese circus performers and musicians present their homeland in a performance that combines acrobatics and juggling. With a set that faithfully recreates the feel of rural Vietnam, the cast use bamboo poles and sticks to perform all kinds of bamboozling trickery.
Why to go: Strong stage design and dazzling acrobatic performers accompanied by a five-piece traditional Vietnamese music orchestra.

I am the Wind
June 9 & 10, APA, Drama Theatre
Lin Yuan Shang is a Taiwan native who studied kung fu at the Beijing Opera School, while Brahim Bouchelaghem has been a prominent figure in the French hip-hop scene for years. They share a common passion: modern dance. This collaboration, I am the Wind, is a series of dance performances spread over two nights that combines modern dance with either kung fu or hip-hop.
Why to go: A kick-ass fusion of cultures and dance forms. with plenty of attitude.

-M-
June 23, HKCEC
French rock mega-star -M- (real name Matthieu Chedid) brings his falsetto-driven, guitar-heavy performance to Hong Kong for the first time. The flamboyant artist has released nine albums over a ten-year career and has won numerous Victoires de la Musique awards (France’s equivalent to the Grammys).
Why to go: Chedid considers -M- his superhero alter ego. Expect lavish costumes (his trademark is monohrome suits) and zany hair styles. Just like a Cantopop show.

Snow White
May 14-16, Cultural Centre, Grand Theatre
Choreographer Angelin Peljocaj takes the classic tale, sets it in contemporary times and, with the help of fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, dresses each character in stylish outfits. The result? Snow White as you’ve never seen her before.
Why to go: Already a hit in France – it won the Crystal Globe for best dance show in 2009 – Ballet Preljocaj’s Snow White is a wickedly chic reinvention of the classic fairy tale.

Le French May 2010 runs from April 23 to June 23. Tickets: 2734 9009, www.urbtix.hk. See www.frenchmay.com for full details.