Tang Concubines

Gosh, I haven't updated this blog in 2 weeks. I haven't been terribly busy with work, in fact things are winding down because we are close to release. I guess this lull at work has made me kind of lazy and that's why I haven't been updating my blog (yes, I tend to operate quite opposite to most normal people...)

So what have I been up to recently? My mom got 2 tickets from the bank to go see Tang Concubines at the Toronto Center for the Arts. My dad didn't want to go and so this is where the dutiful son steps in. I am really glad I went to see the show. At first I wondered if they will be speaking Chinese or English, and I was going to guess English because how else would the western audiences understand the story? But at the same time it would be quite strange to hear the ancient Chinese characters speak in English. Thankfully, the show was not in English, nor was it in Chinese... it was told by body language. There were 2 lighted billboards that explained at the beginning of each scene what the scene was about (this was in English and Chinese). The audience can then sit back, relax and enjoy the ensuing dance sequence, without having to worry about listening to the dialog. Reading the program before the show also helps quite a bit.

I was amazed by the flexibility and fluidity of the performers, it's hard to imagine that the human body is capable of such graceful motions. And you know about those people that can bend their body in all sorts of weird shapes and knots? I've seen them in TV shows but this is the first time I have seen one in a live performance. She can literally bend over and sit on her own head... that was a bit disconcerting. It sure give a new meaning to the phrase "I'll cut of my head for you to sit on" (no thank you, I can sit on my own head).