Tonight, my family (hubby, our two daughters, and myself) went to the University of St. La Salle Coliseum here in Bacolod City with much anticipation for The Great Chinese Circus featuring Acrobats from Hebei, China. We were so excited to take our eldest daughter to the show because such performances do not happen in these parts every day.
It was so hot and humid tonight but we all endured it because we were very excited. With the title, we expected a grand production with many numbers showcasing different stunts. During the introduction, the host also said that Chinese acrobatics originated in the province of Hebei in China. So this must be really good. But sadly, the show did not live up to our expectations. I thought I was the only one who was getting bored but then I learned that my daughter had also told my husband that she already wanted to go home after the first half of the show.
In totality, most of the numbers were not seamless in execution. I can understand that sometimes if there is more than one performer doing an act, they cannot really have the same movement because they are also trying to balance whatever they are carrying, like the two guys throwing around ceramic jars. But when they pose together with one guy having his palm out but the other one with the back of his hand, then they have to practice some more. Personally, I like the balancing plates number where six ladies balanced six spinning plates each at the tip of long sticks. Their costumes were simple but created a nice visual impact. It was not seamless but pretty cohesive. Hubby commented that they could have shown that the plates were not stuck to the sticks, but well, one lady dropped one set of plates so that was proof enough that they were indeed balancing them. I also like the drama and execution of the couple who “flew” around the stage on swags of fabric. That was nice.
So all in all, I can say that a couple of numbers were nice, some were okay, and the rest were ho-hum. But I have to give an A for effort for the cast. I feel bad giving a not-so-good review because if you are a performer, you just reward is the appreciation of the audience. That is why we also cheered and applauded much because a performer relies on adulation to keep on going. But so sorry, we were just not so impressed.
But the big boo-boo of the entire show was the emcee. He tried to get the audience to be more energetic during a stunt that he said the guy who was going to perform looked like actor Xian Lim. In order to get the guy going, the host urged the audience to cheer him on by calling him, “Xian! Xian!” Ridiculous! Why would you let the audience cheer someone using a different name? At first we were also cheering, but when he asked us to do that, we stopped. That was crazy. Hubby said that there seems to be a notion that all Chinese go by one name. It is like saying that all Chinese sentences start with “Ni hao.” Crazy.
The big saving grace of the entire show is that part of the proceeds will to Kalipay Negrense Foundation, an organization that helps children at risk and enables them to function as better citizens of our society. I applaud the efforts of this foundation and I am seriously thinking of starting regular support in our children’s name.
For more information, visit their website, www.kalipaynegrensefoundation.org.
KALIPAY NEGRENSE FOUNDATION
Main Office
Room 1, Ground Floor, MARC Building
Ylac Avenue, Villamonte
Bacolod City 6100,Negros Occidental, Philippines
Landline No.: +63 (34) 435-2496
Mobile No.: +63 917 700-2345
Email: kalipay@kalipaynegrensefoundation.com