NEW YORK—When Magic learned of a harshly critical recent New York Times article published Feb. 6 regarding the Divine Performing Arts Chinese New Year Splendor at Radio City Music Hall, he did not hesitate to offer help in "setting the record straight," attributing the one-sided, negative angle to "cultural insensitiveness."
In an email to New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), he wrote, "You can tell the NY Times editor and the author that before they pick up their pen on behalf of their paper that they should have spoken to me or any other honest person [who has] seen the Show three times or more.
"I did see the show three times and I enjoyed it each time. The fact of the matter is that I would have seen the Chinese New Year show at least five times or more if I had not suffered an injury during the last two days of the show. Each time that I went to the show, it was outstanding and beyond what I could ever express with words.
"There were many great performances (which are second to none) contained in that Show that in all probability caused things to be said out of jealousy.
"In my opinion, the NY Times sent out an author who was culturally insensitive to the great Chinese performances right in front of his or her face to even appreciate the Show."
He added, "In any event, I will not be persuaded or intimidated by a negative newspaper article about the Chinese New Year show, even when it is written by an author from the NY Times."
Magic echoes the sentiment of many other audience members, who felt that rather than being dissuaded by the Times article from seeing "Splendor," they were instead intrigued enough to attend the performance. New York Times reader Penny Cohn, an account executive and building manager who praised the show, said the article had "piqued her interest."
Some audience members characterized the Times article as "unfair" and "borderline unethical" due to its one-sided angle.
The article drew most of its quotes from a handful of audience members—including one unnamed—who criticized content in the show related to Falun Gong, a spiritual group heavily persecuted in China by the communist regime. The group's peaceful response to this persecution is depicted in the show. While the New York Times story belittled this content, others have responded differently. Audience surveys on this year's tour have shown 97 percent positive response to the show. Many of those interviewed by Epoch Times reporters have singled out the Falun Gong performances for praise.
For information about upcoming Divine Performing Arts shows, please visit: www.DivinePerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts company. For our complete coverage please visit: http://en.epochtimes.com/features/dpa2008/
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