SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Performing Arts Soon Arriving in Boston

Mar 28, 2025

3/28/2025Updated: 3/28/2025

BOSTON—The Boch Center in the Wang Theatre is preparing for the grand return of Shen Yun Performing Arts from April 3 through 6.

Theater goers who saw the performance in 2023 and 2022 loved the positive message and great entertainment that Shen Yun presented. They clapped with the rest of the world with enthusiastic applause.

Michael Kallelis, CEO of a pharmaceutical company, said, “I like that the [pieces are] short stories, and each one is different from the other.” He said that Shen Yun is “an uplifting show.”

Michael Kallelis at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston on Dec. 30, 2023. (Weiyong Zhu/The Epoch Times) — Michael Kallelis at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston on Dec. 30, 2023. Weiyong Zhu/The Epoch Times

Jonathan Harper, director of athletics at Rivier University, said, “That type of athleticism you don’t see every day, that’s for sure. I was truly intrigued.”

“You’re transfixed just by the music and the color and the dance, and overwhelmed by the total experience,” he said.

The performers exuded “tremendous energy! It came from the stage through the orchestra and the folks around us really enjoyed the show,” he said.

Based in New York, Shen Yun travels the globe each year, staging exhilarating performances of classical Chinese dance and music. The company, which aims to show a China before communism, features story-based dances performed with classical Chinese dance, as well as folk and ethnic dances from China’s many different areas.

Bob and Carol Monahan at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston on Dec. 30, 2023. (Frank Liang/The Epoch Times) — Bob and Carol Monahan at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston on Dec. 30, 2023. Frank Liang/The Epoch Times

Bob Monahan, chief graphic designer at Boston College, and his wife Carol, a teacher and former reporter, admired Shen Yun for exposing the atrocities of communism in today’s China.

“I think it’s an important message for us all to see as Americans, and not just Americans, but throughout the world. I think people need to see this, and people need to remember this,” Mrs. Monahan said.

Mr. Monahan said that the lyrics sung by the solo vocalist really touched him. Shen Yun features singers that perform in the bel canto technique to sing lyrics in Chinese.

Mr. Monahan said from the song, he interpreted that “atheism and evolution” are leading the world’s people astray. “It hits home,” he said. “I didn’t think that Chinese were so spiritual before communism. So it was good to see.”

Healthcare attorney Carrie Martignetti said that Shen Yun’s message was about “bringing the spirituality, the beauty, and the enjoyment of dance” to the audience.

Eric Love, founder and director of the LARP Adventure Program, said he felt an emotional charge throughout the show that gave him hope for the future. He also thought the performance delivered “some very powerful messages,” and it reminded him that “humanity needs to think about compassion and make that a priority over power.”

Eric Love (L) and Pat Cronin at Shen Yun's evening performance at the Boch Center Wang Theatre, in Boston, on Dec. 28, 2023. (Frank Liang/The Epoch Times) — Eric Love (L) and Pat Cronin at Shen Yun's evening performance at the Boch Center Wang Theatre, in Boston, on Dec. 28, 2023. Frank Liang/The Epoch Times

“How do you bring thousands of years of tradition to a literacy that not only kids these days can understand but the elders as well? I appreciated that,” he said.

In 2022 Richard Swett, former member of Congress and former Ambassador to Denmark, appreciated the beauty and goodness of Chinese culture before the communist regime took control.

He said, “I think that this is the part of Chinese culture that many people don’t see, that many people just think of China as communist mainland China. They don’t see the spiritual aspects of it, they don’t see the beautiful classical dance,” he said. “So I think that this is a depiction of the culture that needs to be understood by more people.”

President of an investment banking firm, Daniel Howard, said, “I think it was very spiritual. I think it had a definite viewpoint of the new China versus the old China. But very spiritual. Very intense.

“The message is that the old China, the traditions are very important, and it’s important to preserve those traditions even today,” he said.

Deacon Steve Minninger and Becky Minninger enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Boch Center Wang Theatre on Dec. 29, 2022. (Weiyong Zhu/The Epoch Times) — Deacon Steve Minninger and Becky Minninger enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Boch Center Wang Theatre on Dec. 29, 2022. Weiyong Zhu/The Epoch Times

“There’s a tremendous similarity in our seeking truth,” according to deacon Steve Minninger. “And that’s what it’s all about. seeking truth, and love,” he said.

“It’s a beautiful recollection for all of us to realize that we are all created by a Supreme Being and Creator that gave us life. And they exhibited that beauty in a remarkable way. So I’m just very grateful,” he said.

Mr. Minninger said that during the performance, some of the story-based dances touched on topics of modern-day China, including the suppression of people in faith under communist rule.

He prayed for the Chinese people, especially the brothers and sisters persecuted for their faith. To see this theme brought up in Shen Yun moved him and his wife. They are Catholic and pray for those of other faiths persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party as well.

For Boston and nearby cities, including Worcester, Providence, R.I., and Portland, Me., theatergoers can book tickets by visiting ShenYun.com/tickets

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.