(Clearwisdom.net) Divine Performing Arts of New York performed at the Kaohsiung Sports and Entertainment Center on March 5, 2008, and it was widely praised by the audience.
 Zhou Liangtian, President of King's Town Group, and his wife at the Spectacular |
 Mr. Cheng, an engineer at Kaohsiung-based China Steel Machinery Corporation, and his wife both loved "Drummers of the Tang Court" |
Zhou Liangtian, President of King's Town Group, a construction company and hotel conglomerate based in Kaohsiung, enjoyed the songs by sopranos Bai Xue and Jiang Min, while his wife adored the costumes, "The colors were exquisite and matched perfectly. The performers and storylines were top-notch."
Mr. Zhou's wife was deeply touched by "The Loyalty of Yue Fei," She said, "Nowadays, if a mother hears her son is going into battle, she might tell him, 'Don't go, stay home.' But back then, they thought about making sacrifices for the common good and serving one's country with unwavering loyalty, and that is the difference. She [Yue Fei's mother] was great!"
Zhou Liangtian and his wife both took a liking to "Drummers of the Tang Court." Mrs. Zhou said, "The rhythm was quite invigorating. All of the drummers were acting together as one body. It was highly disciplined and amounted to an unforgettable experience."
Businesswoman Ms. Huang Xiuhui took her friends to the Spectacular. She said, "I thought the costumes were beautiful; in fact, I was taken by surprise, because I didn't expect them to be so breathtakingly lovely. The dancers looked like fairies appearing in the human world." Ms. Huang also said that she was touched by "Descent of the Celestial Kings." She thought the body language was graceful and the program struck a deep chord with her. "This type of show cannot be seen elsewhere, because you just can't find anything at this level."
Expounding on her thoughts, she continued, "I think it's great that religious belief was incorporated into the dances, such as Falun Gong's principles of 'Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance.' Like the two young men who were able to learn the Buddha Fa because of a single kind thought [in the program "The Fruits of Goodness"], it was wonderful. I hope the Spectacular can reach people who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to be exposed to these things. I think it was excellent."
Mr. Cheng, who works as an engineer for China Steel Machinery Corporation, was accompanied by his wife. Mr. Cheng said, "The show was outstanding, and different from other shows. I had a special feeling about 'Drummers of the Tang Court.' It shook me to the core, and it was magnificent. They expressed the spirit of the Chinese civilization and the majestic glory of our past. The backdrop was almost three-dimensional and [it looked as if] the characters popped from the screen directly onto the stage. In 'Lady of the Moon', when Chang E flew toward the moon, she blended into the background, which is different from other shows that came before the Spectacular. It's unique and original. It's a rare treat."
Mr. Cheng also shared his appreciation for the music, saying that the orchestral music was classy, rich, and uplifting, which is distinct from modern music that pounds the eardrums. He also gave high marks to the string instruments and woodwinds, which he thought were brilliant in depicting the epic tales when combined with classical Chinese dance and Western ballet.
Mrs. Cheng said that the colors of the costumes were bright and complemented one another, and they "lit up the whole place." Cheng emphasized how realistic the dances looked together with the digital screen, such as when Yi shot down eight suns with his arrows [in "Lady of the Moon"], which was a first-time experience for him.
