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Kung Fu Theatre Performance At WCC |
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Posted by Westchester.com
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Thursday, 31 January 2008 |
 Valhalla, NY - Westchester Community College (WCC) will celebrate the Chinese New Year with the Kung Fu Theatre performance of Tales from the Beijing Opera on Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. in the Academic Arts Theatre.
The program will feature a comprehensive art form combining dance, acrobatics, stage combat, mime, and dialogue into a theatrical whole. In this show, veteran professionals work in this exotic style, turning somersaults and exhibiting martial arts moves while adorned by elaborate, colorful costumes. Various tales reflect simple comedy, animals portraying human behavior, historical warfare, betrayal, and acts of heroism.
Beijing Opera is the most diverse of China’s performing arts. During the Qing Dynasty, Beijing was a center for theatrical activity, commerce, and politics. Traveling opera companies came there to perform for traders and government officials eager to hear the music and dialects of their hometowns. Beijing Opera developed as an amalgamation of several of the most popular of these regional forms. It has a reputation for being rowdy and colorful. The costumes and makeup are elaborate, but the scenery and props are sparse. A chair or table may double as a mountain. A tasseled crop may represent a horse. A paddle could indicate a boat. Three circles around the stage could be the equivalent of a long journey. These conventions give Beijing Opera an atmosphere of magic and simplicity. Stories are often taken from history, mythology and literature.
Tickets are $20 (general admission), $17 (student/ seniors) and $12 (for children under 13). For information, phone 914-606-6262.
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