NEW YORK— Divine Performing Arts "Chinese Spectacular" returned to the New York City stage tonight, Wednesday, October 17, after a world tour that included over 80 shows in 30 cities.
A mixed crowd of Chinese and Western faces arrived and filled up the Hammerstein Ballroom. Under a dome of winged angels painted into the theater's ceiling, the audience was awed by the on-stage performance filled with China's heavenly culture; expressed through dance, costumes, backdrops and music.
"I'm amazed. Just Amazed—I'm in Heaven!" weeped Elizabeth Longo. "The performers are like angels."
These performers are members of the Divine Performing Arts, a professionally trained troupe of ethnic Chinese raised in the U.S. and predominately living in New York when not touring.
Their commitment to their craft is astounding and can be seen in the strength of posture, porcelain doll-like facial expressions, deep concentration, and synchronized movements down to even the slightest hand gesture.
Elizabeth and her husband Santi had just returned from their honeymoon prior to attending tonight's performance. Santi, who had seen the "Spectacular" at Radio City the previous winter remarked "It's a miracle each time you see it."
He went on to share that the singing ability of the tenor and sopranos "went straight through my heart!" The evening's performance was the finale to New Tang Dynasty Television's (NTDTV) International Chinese Vocal Competition which had taken place throughout the week.
Ying Guo, 28, an independent music scholar from Hawaii had traveled to New York to take part in the vocal competition. When asked for his reactions to the show, he explained that it was "very beautiful. The gestures, the hand motions. . .the movements of the dancers forms a strong energy field that has left a deep impression with me." Indeed words can not properly express the experience one feels while viewing the "Spectacular." Several features distinguish the Divine Performing Arts show, including music from both Western and Chinese instruments, striking computer-generated back-drops with authentic traditional Chinese architecture and scenery, colorful costumes based on styles of various Chinese dynasties, and choreography and content that aims to express pure truth, compassion, and beauty.
The experience is both moving and inclusive. English and Chinese speakers are made welcome by the charming and bilingual MC's. They add color and insight to the performance pieces that encompass the Chinese culture and its deep inner meanings. The lyrics to the Chinese opera singers' performances are also simultaneously projected onto the backdrop enhancing the audience's appreciation for the vocalists.
Craig Mahlman, a production manager from Easton, PA was at a loss for words at first. "Oh man. . .the choreography, the vibrant colors—it just jumps out at you!"
He paused, and then opened up. "The female dancers had a pure feminine sense of beauty with flowing movements and sparkling costumes—the music, everything. . .fantastic stuff! They have successfully captured the essence of 5,000 years of culture and whittled it down to perfection in this performance. What else can I say!"
Additional reporting by Madalina Hubert.
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