NEW YORK—On Christmas evening, Tainan City Mayor of Taiwan, Tain-Tsair Hsu, graced New Tang Dynasty Television's (NTDTV) 2007 production of Holiday Wonders at the Beacon Theatre on Broadway in New York City. During the intermission, the Mayor said he was deeply touched by the harmony and beauty throughout the show.
By chance, Mayor Hsu just happened to be in New York City to deliver a speech and only later heard about NTDTV's Holiday Wonders show. He seemed to be quite pleased with what he found.
"It's very cold today, but inside the [Beacon] theatre, the feeling is warm and sweet. It's full of the joyous spirit of the holidays," the Mayor said.
"The 'Drummers of the Tang Court' program expresses both beauty and power, but it also expresses harmony," the Mayor continued. "It is a marriage of power and harmony, or perhaps a marriage of energy and beauty. I was deeply moved in a peaceable and orderly manner by the elegance and speed of the drummers' motions. The drummers' peaceful spirit was able to convey a harmonious feeling to every audience member. Perhaps this is a manifestation of the power of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance."
Holiday Wonders features a wide variety of the company's dance and music programs, including the Tang drummers. Mayor Hsu is looking forward to welcoming the Divine Performing Arts to Taiwan in late February 2008.
Having worked with NTDTV before, Mayor Hsu said he knows the media company very well and welcomes its performances in his country. He believes the Taiwanese audience is likely to relate to the show more than other countries and regions because Taiwan is so receptive to many different cultures. "The Taiwanese people especially value Chinese history and culture but are also familiar with both to other Eastern and Western art forms."
"This is an exquisite display of Oriental culture," said Mrs. Hsu, the Mayor's wife. "I am very touched. The digital scenery and the Eastern culture are perfectly rendered. It was a great success— most exquisite."
"It will surely capture the hearts of audiences around the world," she added. "I will encourage all my friends to see the show when it comes to Tainan City."
Mayor Hsu described the enchanting drama, music and ancient legends coming to life at the evening's performance. He called the combination of Eastern and Western music and art "truly beautiful."
"The Chinese stories the show portrays must be quite refreshing to Western audiences. It is sure to leave them with a profound impression," the Mayor said.
Mayor Hsu explained that Chinese stories are meant to reveal the beauty of humanity. They show how the beauty of the soul is universal, especially when it is rendered in such an exquisite way," he added. "I hope everything in Oriental culture can be delivered to the Western audiences through these shows on Broadway."
Mayor Hsu has been actively promoting cultural growth in Tainan and he even encourages every student to learn at least one musical instrument. In his effort to make Tainan City more metropolitan, Mayor Hsu actively encourages multicultural awareness throughout both academic and co-curricular activities. He explained that Taiwan preserves ancient Chinese culture while promoting modern forms of expression and is very receptive to cultural diversity. "That's what makes Tainan City the modern city it is today," the Mayor added.
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