DETROIT—Wayne Brown, president and CEO of the Michigan Opera Theater, attended the evening performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Detroit Opera House on Saturday evening.
“We’re delighted to have this wonderful experience with the Shen Yun production,” Mr. Brown said after the show.
“This is not my first time seeing the production. I was previously in Washington, D.C., at the Kennedy Center, and I’m delighted to see this offering here in our opera house.”
“And I hope that it’s been a very satisfying experience for all of the performers and the audience as well,” Mr. Brown added.
“We certainly have enjoyed our time here and believe that it’s the kind of experience that many should avail themselves.”
Mr. Brown said one of the things that stood out to him was the digital interactive backdrops, which are animated for some of the pieces.
“I thought that was very colorful, very inviting, and the interplay between the live performers and particularly as the young man kind of rolled out of the screen,” he said.
“It was a very clever way of staging, and very imaginative, because we’re now a much more visual society, and I think the company has managed to capture that kind of display quite effectively.”
There are many facets to Shen Yun’s performances. According to the company’s website, Shen Yun features the world’s foremost classically trained dancers, operatic soloists, dazzling backdrops, and a unique orchestra blending East and West.
Mr. Brown complimented the fusion of sound in the orchestra, with its combination of Chinese and Western instruments.
“The orchestra is doing very well. Good, full-orchestra sound, playing very well, and in this hall it underscores the acoustical properties of how well it works,” he said.
“It’s so important, I think, for many American audiences, because they are much more accustomed to the Western influence, the Western sound, and so how [Shen Yun has] managed to navigate, to bring those two cultures together, is done very effectively,” he added.
Each Shen Yun performance includes at least 20 presentations, which express cherished virtues of traditional Chinese culture and have a timeless message or moral to teach, says the website.
“It’s just a great reminder of a sense of ... a universal kind of experience for audiences apart from their cultural heritage, to be able to appreciate fine art formed at a high level in a wonderful space, as we have here in Michigan Opera Theater,” said Mr. Brown.
Mr. Brown concluded by saying he believes that Shen Yun has something to teach audiences: “I think to be much more open to shared experiences, to that which they may not be familiar. ... I think, clearly the reaction is quite favorable. So I hope [Shen Yun] comes back.”
The Detroit Opera House has been the home of Michigan Opera Theatre since 1996.
Reporting by Teresa You and Andrew Darin
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
