[LJ2ME] Into The West
This afternoon's matinee performance of the "acrobatic drama" presentation of Journey to the West by the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe of China was replete with all the tacky excesses and associations of Made in China products.
While no doubt the acrobatic skills of the ensemble were breathtaking in their dexterity and flexibility and technicality, there was much to be desired in the staging from the inherent cheena-ness of the sets, lighting, music and costumes.
That said, it is precisely this very reason why Cirque du Soleil is so successful for its "exploitation" of artistes culled from lesser countries to perform, with the advantage of their savvy marketing and packaging.
Anyway, memories of the classic Chinese drama were dredged up as the production innovatively created acts to flesh out the unfolding story of the pilgrimage to retrieve the holy scriptures from the Western Paradise.
Aerial ballets, hoop-jumping, trampoline highjinks, juggling, tightrope walking and myriad other skills were on display as the company put forth a sight and sound spectacle that wowed the audience notwithstanding the garishness of it all. I'm just glad that there was no narration of the story in some stilted Chinese accent or that would have caused my balls to shrivel to the size of raisins...
While no doubt the acrobatic skills of the ensemble were breathtaking in their dexterity and flexibility and technicality, there was much to be desired in the staging from the inherent cheena-ness of the sets, lighting, music and costumes.
That said, it is precisely this very reason why Cirque du Soleil is so successful for its "exploitation" of artistes culled from lesser countries to perform, with the advantage of their savvy marketing and packaging.
Anyway, memories of the classic Chinese drama were dredged up as the production innovatively created acts to flesh out the unfolding story of the pilgrimage to retrieve the holy scriptures from the Western Paradise.
Aerial ballets, hoop-jumping, trampoline highjinks, juggling, tightrope walking and myriad other skills were on display as the company put forth a sight and sound spectacle that wowed the audience notwithstanding the garishness of it all. I'm just glad that there was no narration of the story in some stilted Chinese accent or that would have caused my balls to shrivel to the size of raisins...