Divine Performing Arts to Take Show to Rhode Island

CAPTIVATED: Audience members of all ages enjoy the Divine Performing Arts show in Boston in January. Divine Performing Arts will be in Providence, R.I., on March 5. (Bing Yuan/The Epoch Times)

BOSTON—For the past three years, the New York-based dance and music company Divine Performing Arts (DPA) has been wowing audiences at the Boston Opera House as part of its World Tour. And now, on March 5, the company will take its show to another New England state—Rhode Island, at the Providence Performing Arts Center.

In January, Providence Mayor David Cicilline welcomed the show Chinese New Year Spectacular to Boston’s Opera House with a letter saying, “This outstanding display of classical Chinese dance and music is sure to captivate audiences of all ages.” Boston, less than an hour’s drive from Providence, draws theatergoers from Rhode Island’s capital city.

DPA shows feature original productions that draw on classical Chinese dance and ancient Chinese traditions for inspiration. The company aims to rediscover humanity’s true cultural heritage by reviving traditional Chinese culture and values that were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and suppressed under the communist regime.

Last year, DPA had two touring companies that between them performed 216 shows in 66 cities worldwide. There are three touring companies this year for the 2009 World Tour, scheduled to visit over 80 cities. Two of the DPA companies include a live orchestra, one of which will be performing for the Providence production.

The DPA orchestra is unique, integrating Chinese instruments with standard Western orchestral instruments. With the authentic sounds of the erhu, pipa, and bamboo flute, for example, the orchestra is able to provide just the right sounds for the dancers to enhance the nuances of meaning portrayed in the pieces. Diverse musical arrangements are composed specifically for each dance.

A Perfect Venue

The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) offers the perfect ambience for a DPA performance. The theater, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is itself a work of art, which has been undergoing extensive restoration and “plays a vital role in the City’s ongoing renaissance,” says the center’s Web site.

Coming close to being demolished in the 1970s, the building was originally Loew’s Movie Palace when it first opened in 1928. Designed by Chicago’s Rapp brothers—renowned American theater architects—it was indeed palatial with its rich, elaborate interior design including marble columns and crystal chandeliers.  

In the 1990s, the stage was expanded, a new sound system installed, and the main lobby and arcade areas restored to their original splendor. In 2002, renowned artist Dan Daily was commissioned to create a chandelier especially for the newly renovated interior. The project took two years from start to finish.

In addition, the theater is home to a rare Mighty Wurlitzer organ, which was built in 1927. The instrument was purchased for the theater in 1982 and continues to provide entertainment to listeners.  

Today, the PPAC is a notable world-class venue for performing artists, concerts, Broadway shows, and other first-class productions. And with its extensive community outreach programs, it not only plays an integral role in bringing the arts to the public but also enables people to learn about and appreciate the beauty of its architectural and musical history.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts 2009 World Tour.
For more information please see DivinePerformingArts.org