NEW YORK CITY—Michael Richheimer felt Shen Yun Performing Arts was so special, seeing it at Lincoln Center on April 5, that he had already decided then and there to see it again next year. After all, each year’s program is a new one.
“I thought it was absolutely wonderful, and I loved it,” said Mr. Richheimer, a doctor.
A Shen Yun production consists of more than a dozen vignettes that include classical Chinese dance, stories of spanning 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, and even musical solos. Mr. Richheimer felt each “one better than the next.”
Sitting in the audience, Mr. Richheimer “just a great warmth came over me.” He said the performance delivered a good feeling, and he encouraged others to see it too.
For Paul Crucero, seeing Shen Yun had inspired him in his craft.
“I thought that the experience was quite magical. One of a kind. The pageantry, the costumes, the choreography, really something that I haven’t really seen in the city, so it was very much a treat to see Shen Yun,” said Mr. Crucero, a projectionist.
“I thought that the lighting design was quite spectacular. You know, it’s given me some inspiration for some of the stages that I work at,” Mr. Crucero said.
He saw Shen Yun’s attention to detail in the lighting, from color, intensity, effect, and stage cues, and how the lighting was always used to complement the stage.
“Definitely something that kind of knocked me on the floor,” he said.
Mr. Crucero said that with all the years that Shen Yun has performed at Lincoln Center, it has definitely created a tradition of its own, and one that he hoped could have a positive impact as it continues.
“I’m sure that a lot of the kids that saw this got something from it. I’m sure that in 10 years’ time they'll look back at this and like, oh I remember that show, it really was so positive and impactful for me,” he said.
“This definitely has a divine spark about it, so, you know, I could definitely see it having some sort of spiritual awakening for somebody in the audience, and if one person’s life is changed by this, that means a lot.”
“Productions like this have just that much potential,” he said.
