Stumble upon this performance while doing my routine scan at the SISTIC website... ha! This is not a musical... but it looked interesting - the GRAND SHADOW PLAY... that's how it sells... and it's a LEGEND.
The theatre was not even 50% filled - probably it's matinee and also the 2nd day of the Lunar New Year... but I thought, the Category B ticket is good enough - ok, I got the best Cat B ticket - the 1st row of the Category B section in the middle, and right at the centre, and lots of space for the legs! (J15). Hahaha... also got a good view of the entire stage! In fact, Category A ticket will be a bit too close to the screen...
It started with the "Crane and Tortise" - a special curtain-up show. Everything's behind the 'screen' but coloured! amazing! Isn't it? My assumption is - Shadow Play is really shadow! No! No! No! It's not the grey shadow. It's coloured!!! Haha... Coloured Shadow? True!
The movement was so real! The crane's neck, the frogs jumping, and the flying butterflies! It's really like watching the 2D cartoons! So interesting So 栩栩如生... watching it live! It's a real treat for someone who have only seen such on TV! Oh yes, the cheeky tortoise and the crane - it earned some chuckles from children around :D
In fact, I was a bit blur... though got the brochure quite sometime ago, only noticed about the "Crane and Tortise" starter... did not know what's the main course - only until saw the huge title casted on the screen - 观世音传奇 . So, the 传奇 is about the Buddha "慈行". Vaguely, I think I watched the black and white cantonese movie on this in my primary school days.
I thought the shadow play can be dull... not really... I'm impressed by some of the minute details that the group did to make it a great show - the movement of the leading ladies were pretty real! When they kneel down or sit down... ok, except they walked a bit too fast! We could see the grains of rice - from the spoon to the baby's mouth; the lighting of fire for cooking.
Oh yes, towards the end, the puppets came to the foreground - when they had to cross mountains and ocean... OK, there came the 3D dragon!
Well, overall, it's a treat to the eyes - although the singing is a bit too highly pitched... er... a bit like 京剧. For a moment, I'm glad I could understand and speak mandarin - so as to appreciate this kind of art that is fighting a losing battle to technology.
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