By Thai Ton and Yan Yan

Epoch Times North Carolina Staff

Greensboro Mayor Yyvonne Johnson called the Holiday Wonders show "the best I have ever seen." (The Epoch Times)

GREENSBORO, N.C.-- Holiday Wonders ended its successful North Carolina tour with a performance in historic Greensboro Sunday night. With its multi-cultural holiday celebration and diversity theme, Holiday Wonders felt right at home in Greensboro, a city known for its rich civil rights history.

The mayor of Greensboro, Yvonne Johnson, attended the show. She said the quality of the show was "very professional, extremely professional." Asked what she thought about "Holiday Wonders" compared to other shows she's seen, Mayor Johnson said, "I have seen many shows, ballet, musical performance ... Today's show was definitely the best I have ever seen."

Former city councilwoman Sandy Carmany said, "'Holiday Wonders' has exposed Greensboro to something it has never seen before. It was eye-opening, very beautiful." Carmany said that even though the values and messages expressed in "Holiday Wonders" are Chinese, they are values that Americans share and identify with.

Former city council member Sandy Carmany liked the spiritual aspects of the show. (The Epoch Times)

Sybil Shumaker (L), of Greensboro, thought Holiday Wonders was intriguing and beautiful. (Yan Yan/The Epoch Times)

Bob Coleman, from Chapel Hill, N.C. said that Holiday Wonders was "the best I have ever seen of this kind." (The Epoch Times)

The audience gathers to enjoy the first-ever showing of Holiday Wonders in Greensboro, N.C. (The Epoch Times)

Carmany liked the spiritual aspect of the show. Speaking of one scene, she said she liked the message that "there is something better waiting for you [after death]."

Thich Quang Duy, from Vietnam, is the abbot of the Quan Am Buddhist temple in Greensboro. About 30 members of the temple came to see the show. Duy said through a Vietnamese interpreter, "I like all parts of the show, particularly the portrayal of Buddhist belief ... I admire that in America, "Holiday Wonders" can bring Chinese and Asian culture and help propagate and popularize it."

Sybil Shumaker, a cardiology nurse in Greensboro's Mosescone Hospital said, "I have never seen an Asian show before, but I go to the ballet quite often. I just went to the Nutcracker. This [ Holiday Wonders ] is more intriguing, more beautiful, because this is so new, the culture and everything."

Beverly Rogers of Greensboro said, "I like the drummers. I thought they were magnificent. The show was very good."

Pamela Vancan, from Asheboro, N.C., also liked the drumming. She said, "I liked the drums a lot, the overall presentation, and the costumes. It was a good cultural experience."

When asked if he had one favorite number, Bob Cole, of Cary, N.C. said, "I hate to say one thing-- they were all so good."

Bob Coleman, of Chapel Hill, N.C. said he has seen other shows but that Holiday Wonders is "the best show I have ever seen of this kind."

With the Greensboro show, Holiday Wonders concludes its tour in North Carolina. The show played in Charlotte on Dec. 19 and 20. The tour was the first time "Holiday Wonders" has played in N.C.

The show will go next to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dec. 27 and 28, and play at the Mahaffey Theater at The Progress Energy Center, in St. Petersburg, Fla., Dec. 29 and 30.

Holiday Wonders is also playing at the Beacon Theatre in New York City until Wed., Dec. 26. More information and tickets at holidaywonders.net.

Posting date: 12/26/2007
Original article date: 12/26/2007
Category: News & Media Reports

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