TORONTO—Business owner Francisesco Parronchi had a burdensome and traffic-logged drive to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, and almost turned back halfway through instead of continuing on to attend Shen Yun Performing Arts. But sitting in the audience the evening of April 4, he felt the performance had a special message just for him, and it was all worthwhile.

“This message today, [it was] one of the messages that touched me a lot,” Mr. Parronchi said.

“She said, don’t let the troubles darken your soul,” Mr. Parronchi recalled.

“It was very worth driving to here, and see this wonderful show, and listen to that beautiful voice and make me happy. And I’m not going to let the troubles, like she said, make my soul darken. I think it was a special message for me.”

“It’s wonderful,” Mr. Parronchi said, adding that it was very sad that Shen Yun could not perform in China today. “Because it’s a wonderful show, so everybody should watch this. It’s wonderful.”

“They bring us peace, they bring us a good message, and this part, we need this in our lives,” he said. “We can not only look at jobs and be happy and joyful, but the spiritual part in life is one of the most important things we have. More than money and everything.

“I think it’s very important in our lives. It’s important to have work, to have your family, but the spiritual side is very important in our life,” he said.

“They are fantastic. They brought me very joy tonight. I’m loving it,” he said.