NEW YORK—From the legendary Chinese general Yue Fei to New York City's local Empire Brass quintet, New Tang Dynasty TV's Holiday Wonders show has been dazzling audiences with its cultural breadth at the Beacon Theater since its opening night on Tuesday.
In a city known for its cultural diversity and ever present tourists from around the world, the show seems to make perfect sense.
"The costumes were absolutely gorgeous and all of the folk dances were spectacular," said Jannine Cook, a tourist from New Zealand.
"The thirteen year old harpist was incredible, she deserved a standing ovation, I was very very impressed…" said Scott Burns of Manhattan.
Holiday Wonders, with its variety show format, seems to be grounded in Chinese cultural dances, including Mongolian and Tibetan dancing, backed by a live orchestra that elegantly fuses classical Western music with Chinese folk music.
Don't be mislead though, the show's overall theme can't be confined to China. It is a universal celebration of the holidays and their meaning, with cameos from Santa Claus, and a breathtaking scene from the Russian holiday classic, the Nutcracker Prince.
"I loved everything, the colors, the artistry, the choreography, the blending together of the different cultures, of the various parts of China… The Mongolian tea cup dance was phenomenal, the balance and the coordination amazed me," said Lori Goldblatt of New Jersey.
"I liked the drums. It was all interesting. It was definitely the most cultural show I have ever seen," said Mike Owens of Manhattan.
"There was such a variety of things, the artistry, the culture, the music, and a lot of it was laden with a universal message, which was wonderful… I thought it worked so well together," said Brian Levine, mayor of Franklin Township of Somerset County, New Jersey.