TAMPA, Fla.—Shen Yun was a resounding success in Tampa, presenting three sold-out shows on March 3 and 4 at the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. One staff member at the Straz Center commented that she hadn’t seen a packed house like this at the Straz in a very long time.
Audience members fortunate enough to be in attendance expressed their delight, giving Shen Yun Performing Arts high praise.
“The dancers—the greatest I’ve ever seen in my life!” said Pepe Urquiaga, who has been a life-long tenor and ballad singer. “The singers, the tenor and the soprano, they were superb. Superb!” he said.
According to the company’s website, “The fundamental characteristic of Shen Yun vocal soloists is their use of bel canto vocal technique while singing Chinese lyrics. This means that the singer must grasp the highly difficult technical requirements of bel canto operatic singing while retaining the proper Chinese articulation and diction—today, this is unparalleled.” The English translation of the lyrics is displayed on the large digital backdrop.
