LOGROÑO, Spain—On March 14, Shen Yun Performing Arts captivated a packed audience at the Riojaforum Theatre during its second performance in Logroño this season. As the curtain lifted to reveal a celestial scene, enthusiastic applause broke out across the theater and continued throughout the afternoon. Among the audience members were internationally acclaimed Irish-American singer, musician, and composer John Kelly and his wife, Spanish soprano Maite Itoiz.

For the artist couple, the performance was not only visually beautiful but also emotionally stirring.

“The performance is very exciting,” Mr. Kelly said after watching Shen Yun. “It awakens things that we carry inside us. When we see it and bring it to mind, it awakens many feelings that may have been dormant within us or that have always been there. The feeling is both new and yet not new—it is something we all carry, and it awakens those emotions and what should be awakened. So through art, it is possible.”

Mr. Kelly said the performance touched something fundamental about the human experience.

“It’s the good in life, the purity, and where we feel at home—where everything is about sharing and no one is more important than anyone else,” he explained. “It’s about something higher than ourselves, which I would call a divine force.”

Ms. Itoiz said she felt a similar resonance while watching the performance.

“It’s that celestial feeling they project,” she said. “Here in the West, we’re not always very aware of the culture that existed in China before, and I think it’s beautiful that they convey it through dance and music. It’s like a wisdom that existed before, and it awakens something within us—even in Westerners. I think it’s something all human beings share.”

Mr. Kelly is a renowned Irish-American singer, musician, and composer known for his expressive performances. Born into a musical family, he is a core member of the internationally acclaimed group “The Kelly Family,” which has recorded more than 25 albums and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

“Wow, that’s a real treat,” Mr. Kelly said. “Having a live orchestra and everything performed live is amazing—you can’t put a price on it. The blend of Western and Chinese instruments has been excellent. The compositions are wonderful, and it’s very pleasing to the ear. It sounds very natural.”

“As soon as the curtain opened and I saw the celestial world, I was almost in tears,” Ms. Itoiz said. “It was really beautiful.”

She said the opening scene in particular stirred a profound feeling.

“When they were in that heavenly world, it felt as if they were being sent to Earth,” Ms. Itoiz said. “Deep down, I think we all carry a kind of memory—that we come from somewhere we can call home, and we hope to return there one day. That is the feeling the performance gave me.”

Mr. Kelly said the performance also conveyed a message about the possibility of inner change.

Ms. Itoiz said preserving traditions is “very important.” Mr. Kelly agreed, noting that tradition carries timeless value.

Ms. Itoiz said she was deeply moved by the story showing the arrival of communism and the suffering it brought. She noted that such themes are rarely portrayed on stage, and it takes tremendous courage for the performers to present the persecution on stage.

“I would like to offer my congratulations,” Ms. Itoiz said. “He is very brave for bringing this project forward, and also very talented. From what I understand, he is also a composer and arranger. What he is doing is wonderful—please keep going.”

Mr. Kelly likewise praised the courage required to bring the production to life.

“I think he has been a very brave man,” he said. “To accomplish this in a world where obstacles come from all sides must have been very difficult.”

Having enjoyed a wonderful afternoon, Mr. Kelly expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Shen Yun artists. “Thank you very much!” he said.