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The Charlotte Observer: Chinese holiday show will go on Despite protests from Communist government, tour to continue in Charlotte
Dec. 14, 2007 JULIE YORK COPPENS Theater Writer The show celebrates Chinese culture in its fullest flower -- and the Chinese
government doesn't want you to see it. "For Western people, it's very hard to understand. But we understand
it," says Cuirong Ren, part of a group of North Carolinians with Asian
roots promoting "Holiday Wonders" in defiance of the Communist Party
of China. The elaborate touring show, a "Riverdance"-style fusion of
classical Eastern and Western dance, music, myth and spectacle, strikes most
American viewers as nonpolitical. But the Communists have spent six decades
trying to wipe out the arts of dynastic China, Cuirong explains. And the show's
producer, New Tang Dynasty TV, has earned the ruling party's disfavor with its
independent reports on everything from SARS to lead-tainted toys. That's why staff at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte, and other U.S. venues
booking NTDTV productions, have received polite calls from the Chinese embassy
in Washington, D.C., requesting that the show not go on. But it will. Expect an explosion of color and sound on the Ovens stage, as centuries of
Chinese creativity come to life against high-tech scenic backdrops.
"Holiday Wonders" features more than 60 members of the Divine
Performing Arts [...], professional dancers and musicians from around the world
who train together in New York and whose name reflects the traditional Chinese
belief that all culture comes from God. The show draws about a third of its audience from the Asian American
community, organizers say. Caucasian families with adopted children from China
are another target demographic. But with everything from a Santa Claus cameo to
martial arts combat to a soulful instrumental solo on the ancient, two-stringed
erhu, "Holiday Wonders" strives for universal appeal. "The audience will feel it's entered a time and a place where beauty and
peace prevail," says Jingmei Xie, another "Holiday Wonders"
booster. Xie grew up in the southwest of China, came to the United States as a
student, and now works for a pharmaceutical company in Raleigh. She caught
"Holiday Wonders" last year in Washington, D.C., and was transformed
by the experience. "It was just amazing," recalls Xie, who -- like most Chinese born
after the Communist takeover -- knew almost nothing about her ancestors'
exquisite arts. "After I watched the show, I wanted to know more." PREVIEW Holiday Wonders Ancient Chinese culture comes to life in this lavish touring production.
About 2 1/2 hours. Appropriate for children. WHEN: WHERE: Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd.IN GREENSBORO: The show also plays 7 p.m. Dec. 23 in War Memorial Auditorium, 1921 W. Lee St. ADMISSION: $38-$78.DETAILS: www.bestchineseshows.com; tickets at www.ticketmaster.com or 704-522-6500; Ovens box office, 704-372-3600.Source: http://www.charlotte.com/entertainment/story/404859.html
Posting date: 12/17/2007 |