Ottawa's National Arts Centre had the good fortune Sunday night to play host to the first Chinese New Year Spectacular in Canada in 2008.
Opening to a full house, the show drew praise from audience members who were thrilled with its large-scale dance routines, the combination of Chinese and Western orchestral music, and the colourful state-of-the art digital backdrops.
Ottawa IT specialist Julie Hu said she was surprised by how much the show had changed from last year's performance.
"Fantastic, and I was so surprised," said Hu. "I came last year, and everything is so new it made me surprised. It's totally wonderful. And for me, because I'm Chinese, I feel very proud of that, and it's a wonderful feeling."
Other audience members were impressed with how the Spectacular blended modern technology with China's ancient culture, and said they learned a lot about Chinese culture and traditions.
Performed by the New York-based Divine Performing Arts Company, the Spectacular heads, after Ottawa, to Montreal and then to Toronto for the January 18 weekend, before leaving for the European leg of its world tour.
Upon returning to Canada in the spring, the Spectacular will play in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
One audience member said that the dances "were really colourful" and that she was particularly fond of the Resounding Drums dance.
Another noted that the show was "more than entertainment" and that, unlike some other shows "it was very decent." She said the colour of the clothing helped differentiate good and bad in some of the acts.
Fabian and Sandra from Cornwall said they found out about the show online and decided to attend to celebrate their third anniversary.
Since 2004, the Divine Performing Arts has been reclaiming China's ancient traditions by staging the Chinese Spectacular in some of the world's most prestigious venues. By the end of its tour, the show will have played to a total live audience of over 650,000 in over 60 cities.
Some audience members remarked that they would like to see the show again in the future, and next time bring along their friends and relatives.
"It's wonderful, especially the drums," said Hu. "My son loved the show."