Detroit Council Member: Spectacular Good for Our Children in Detroit (Photo)

(Clearwisdom.net) The curtain call of the Divine Performing Arts 2008 Chinese Spectacular cast met with standing ovations and thunderous applause at the packed Detroit Opera House on January 22. Once in the lobby, audience members eagerly offered their comments about the performance to media reporters. After witnessing authentic traditional Chinese performing arts and music many people expressed gratitude that the show came to their community, and hope that it returns in 2009.

Council member Barbara-Rose Collins hopes the show returns next year to Detroit

Many years ago, Barbara-Rose Collins, Detroit city council member, thoroughly enjoyed a performance she saw at the Beijing Opera. "It was so beautiful, and I thought I'd never see that again. But you brought it to us. I'm very grateful."

Council member Collins expressed her hope that the Spectacular will return next year.

"People in this city need to see this diversity." The dance where teenage punks awaken upon witnessing the divine," Ms. Collins concludes, "It's good for our children, and our young people in Detroit."

"It's a big honor for Detroit and for Michigan to just land it [the show]," a local bank business sponsor said.

"The show is very beautiful and a lovely display of the Chinese culture." She stated that sponsoring the show was good for the bank and hopes they will be called upon next year to do the same.

As with other audience members, she found the drumming thrilling. "It gets your blood flowing!"

In regards to the dance scenes about the persecution in China of Falun Gong practitioners, a meditation group that follows Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance, a male audience member stated, "I think it makes it very real to people in the states who are not persecuted like that to understand the differences in cultures."

He continued, "Yet, we are the same under the skin. We all have the same compassion and truthfulness."

The Spectacular has become the largest overseas Chinese performance tour in the world, with over 100 dancers, vocalists and musicians, according to the show's organizers. The dancers, vocalists, musicians, as well as costumes and special effects, received praise from the interviewed audience members, making the question "What is your favorite part of the show?" difficult to answer.

One person summed it up as, "It would be hard to choose one aspect of the show I liked best because each one is unique and truly excellent. We are looking forward to your coming back next year."