Holiday Wonders dazzled the audience on its opening night at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Produced by the Divine Performing Arts, the show features classical Chinese dance, vocal performances, and musical instruments; acrobatics; drumming; legends set to song and dance; and a vibrant array of costumes based on designs from China's 5,000-year-old culture.
"The turnout is great," said Jimmy Johnson, mayor of Seminole, Florida. "This is football time. To have this many people attend is truly remarkable, truly amazing."
"I have been to London, New York—halfway around the world—and this has to be the most beautiful show that I've seen," continued Mayor Johnson. "It's so colorful, so intriguing, and you can hardly wait until the next number. I wish everyone could see this." Mayor Johnson especially liked the performance about forbearance and the "Mongolian Bowl Dance."
Thomas Barnhorn, vice mayor of Seminole, said the show was an eye-opener to Chinese culture and history. "The vast beauty is overwhelming. They showed the Communist Party coming in and not allowing freedom of speech. ... To me, being here in the United States, I can't imagine that taking place.
"I definitely would recommend it to everybody—for all ages. I would encourage everyone in the city of Seminole to see it," he said.
Frank, from Deland, Fla., who had worked for the U.S. government in China for more than 30 years, would agree. He said that in China, you'd never be able to have a show like this that encourages people to seek out the truth on their own.
He added, "The performance was much better than I expected. I saw a lot of cultural shows in China, and this one was much better choreographed and much more interesting."
Yachen Chen, a third-grade teacher from Tampa, originally from Taiwan, said, "I loved it. I'm so glad I didn't miss this opportunity. It reminds me of my culture and what a wonderful history we have. I wish I could bring my children to see this show." She would most like her students to see the drummers—"so powerful, so much meaning."
The mission of the Divine Performing Arts is to rediscover and promote "the essence of true, traditional culture" and to present artistic performances that "celebrate human dignity and positive values ... to provide an experience of consummate beauty and goodness," according its Web site.
Frances Font had invited her two daughters to the show as a holiday gift. Her daughter Valerie came out after the show with a smile on her face: "I really liked the acts where there was a story. It was quite a spectacle."
Frances appreciated "the peacefulness that prevailed, and the tolerance—it's what the world needs now." They knew the show would be fun, festive, and joyful, but also found the message powerful.
Kerry Chen, director of the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society, said: "I thought it was absolutely spectacular. It was my first time ever seeing something so grand and so well put together."
This was the first year the show played in Florida, opening in Ft. Lauderdale on Dec. 27.
Holiday Wonders will have its final show at the Mahaffey Theater on Sunday, Dec. 30. For ticket information visit FlShows.com.
The Divine Performing Arts company will then take "Holiday Wonders" and its sister show, the "Chinese New Year Spectacular," on a world tour, including over 50 cities in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. For more information, see http://www.bestchineseshows.com/.,/a>
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