SYDNEY—Australian actress Judy McBurney was glowing after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre for the second time in as many weeks.
“I’m glowing; I had such a beautiful time,” Ms. McBurney said of her experience on Feb. 23, watching Shen Yun’s final performance in Sydney of its 2011 World Tour.
“I actually saw this last week; this is my second time—I had to come along this week with my friends, and it was even better. It is just magical,” she added.
New York-based Shen Yun brings 5,000 years of China’s true history to the stage, from ancient times to the present, in an array of gorgeously costumed artists, hi-tech digital backdrop scenery and a full orchestra playing a combination of Eastern and Western music.
Each segment, dances and song, was steeped with meaning that Ms. McBurney cherished.
“I love the message, I love the dancing, I love the music, I love the backdrop, all the technological stuff—the way they had angels coming down [off the screen] and then appearing on stage. I have never seen that before,” she emphasised. “That is absolutely completely new to me and it is wonderful. They are extremely talented and very special people.”
One message she got was to be aware.
“There is so much deceit going on in this world, and the message to me was, ‘Trust in God, trust in yourself and most importantly, be aware. Only with awareness can we survive and have a beautiful life.’ That is the message that I got that is most important, to be aware, and to trust your heart and to love.”
Ms. McBurney also found the Shen Yun Orchestra outstanding.
“It was incredible with the Eastern and Western instruments. They were a beautiful blend. I had to keep looking down to remind myself that is was a live orchestra. I thought it was just beautiful with the Chinese instruments and the Western instruments. Fantastic!”
She was also taken by the solo vocalists—tenor Guan Guimin, sopranos Min Jiang and Feng Ming, and baritone Qu Yue, who each perform with piano-accompaniment.
“Amazing, they sang from their heart, and because I couldn’t understand what they were singing, I loved the way they had it on the backdrop, they had it written in English, as well. You could really get what they were singing, and it was extremely important to understand, because it was very deep, very spiritual, very beautiful.”
Ms. McBurney thought the pianist was also wonderful, accentuating the beauty of the female performers.
“I’m glowing; I had such a beautiful time,” Ms. McBurney said of her experience on Feb. 23, watching Shen Yun’s final performance in Sydney of its 2011 World Tour.
“I actually saw this last week; this is my second time—I had to come along this week with my friends, and it was even better. It is just magical,” she added.
New York-based Shen Yun brings 5,000 years of China’s true history to the stage, from ancient times to the present, in an array of gorgeously costumed artists, hi-tech digital backdrop scenery and a full orchestra playing a combination of Eastern and Western music.
Each segment, dances and song, was steeped with meaning that Ms. McBurney cherished.
“I love the message, I love the dancing, I love the music, I love the backdrop, all the technological stuff—the way they had angels coming down [off the screen] and then appearing on stage. I have never seen that before,” she emphasised. “That is absolutely completely new to me and it is wonderful. They are extremely talented and very special people.”
One message she got was to be aware.
“There is so much deceit going on in this world, and the message to me was, ‘Trust in God, trust in yourself and most importantly, be aware. Only with awareness can we survive and have a beautiful life.’ That is the message that I got that is most important, to be aware, and to trust your heart and to love.”
Ms. McBurney also found the Shen Yun Orchestra outstanding.
“It was incredible with the Eastern and Western instruments. They were a beautiful blend. I had to keep looking down to remind myself that is was a live orchestra. I thought it was just beautiful with the Chinese instruments and the Western instruments. Fantastic!”
She was also taken by the solo vocalists—tenor Guan Guimin, sopranos Min Jiang and Feng Ming, and baritone Qu Yue, who each perform with piano-accompaniment.
“Amazing, they sang from their heart, and because I couldn’t understand what they were singing, I loved the way they had it on the backdrop, they had it written in English, as well. You could really get what they were singing, and it was extremely important to understand, because it was very deep, very spiritual, very beautiful.”
Ms. McBurney thought the pianist was also wonderful, accentuating the beauty of the female performers.
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_medium.jpg "Shen Yun Performing Arts curtain call in Sydney's Capitol Theatre. (Henry Lam/The Epoch Times)")
“She just sat there. She had music, but she didn’t look at the music. She was just playing and I thought, ‘amazing, just amazing and extremely beautiful.’ All the women were so beautiful and the men were so beautiful and strong, and I loved the costumes … they were fabulous, everything was perfect. I have never seen a show like this before—except for last week.”
Ms. McBurney also teaches deportment, costumes and wardrobe for the renowned model and beauty agency, June Dally-Watkins.
“I just thought they were so feminine, so elegant, so regal,” she said. “I think a lot of the ladies around today aren’t like that, especially in the West. A lot of us aren’t like that. The ladies, the dancers on stage, they were so beautiful and feminine. I think a lot of us should think about that and remember that we are not boys.”
She had brought two friends to the show and she said she would tell others to come as well.
“I would say, it’s the most amazing experience I’ve ever had, and I’m an actress, I have seen a lot of shows, and you really can’t explain it. I said to the people I brought along tonight, just come along and see it, I really can’t explain. It is a real journey and it is a very deep journey, and come along.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Raiatea Tahana-Reese.
Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, March 1-6. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
Ms. McBurney also teaches deportment, costumes and wardrobe for the renowned model and beauty agency, June Dally-Watkins.
“I just thought they were so feminine, so elegant, so regal,” she said. “I think a lot of the ladies around today aren’t like that, especially in the West. A lot of us aren’t like that. The ladies, the dancers on stage, they were so beautiful and feminine. I think a lot of us should think about that and remember that we are not boys.”
She had brought two friends to the show and she said she would tell others to come as well.
“I would say, it’s the most amazing experience I’ve ever had, and I’m an actress, I have seen a lot of shows, and you really can’t explain it. I said to the people I brought along tonight, just come along and see it, I really can’t explain. It is a real journey and it is a very deep journey, and come along.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Raiatea Tahana-Reese.
Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, March 1-6. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
