United States: New York Violinist says Culture Transcends the Politics

Show goers shared their sense of wonder at the Chinese New Year Splendor, which ended its 11-day run at Radio City Music Hall on February 9th.

Bob, a book indexer, praised the performers' headdresses, which he said were "particularly beautiful." He said, "It took me a while to realise that the scenery design was LCD, because it was so bright and beautiful."

Larry Mancini, a pastor whose wife is Chinese, called the Splendor "touching." "The choreography is very good, [and also the] scenery." He then reminisced about a trip to China, saying, "I think the most beautiful part of Chinese culture is the people, because when I went to China, they were very warm and friendly to me. And [I also love their] traditions, such as the way they respect the elderly. Very orderly and very good people."

Musician Scott Sunny-Young and his girlfriend, Arleen Shaw, a violinist and music instructor, received tickets from a student's father, who wanted them to experience Asian culture. Arleen said, "Besides the beautiful performances, what I feel about the music is that the culture of the people transcends the politics and the government; that is what brings people's hearts together. To have the opportunity to experience a different culture the way we have tonight is a beautiful, beautiful thing!"

Sophie Hubert, a retired secretary, was accompanied by her husband. She shared her thoughts, although she still seemed mesmerised by the grandeur of the Splendor. "Terrific, the performance was excellent! The costumes are beautiful, the background scenery is wonderful, the drums are unbelievable; I give it an A++! I've never seen anything like that. I would recommend the show to anyone. Superb. I'm amazed by everything."

Harold Ramsey, a criminal defense lawyer said, "I enjoyed it very much. I'll encourage my Chinese friends to come see it." He continued, "I enjoyed the music. The live orchestra - it was made for me!"

Josie, a secretary, and her friend, Janice, a technical designer, said they adored the blue sea nymphs and liked the dance-drama, "Fruits of Goodness," where two teenage boys were redeemed at a temple. They were also moved by "The Risen Lotus," about imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners. Josie said, "I read about that [the persecution of Falun Gong] in the paper. It's interesting you have a segment to bring it to the attention of more people, because a lot of people don't know what's going on in China...I also liked the song about getting rid of the red crooks!"