From the producers of 'Heartbeat' and 'Terracotta Warriors' comes 'Tang Concubines', a spectacular Chinese stage show featuring awe-inspiring dance and martial arts, and telling a tale of love, lust, life and death amidst the ghostly ruins of a great Chinese dynasty. Written, produced and directed by Denver resident Dr. Dennis Law, in 2006 'Tang Concubines' became the only show in Chinese history to win Canada’s prestigious Dora Award for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design. 'Tang Concubines' will play Denver’s Buell Theatre April 7-19, making Denver the first U.S. city to witness this lavish production.
Tickets are on sale now at www.denvercenter.org.
Read more about 'Tang Concubines' after the jump.
China’s Tang Dynasty (618-906 AD), regarded as the pinnacle of progress and prosperity in Chinese history, serves as the intriguing backdrop for TANG CONCUBINES - the true story behind the unlikely rise of two legendary concubines. At a time when social constraints dictated that women had little hope of affecting their nation’s history, two women climbed their way to the top of the power structure–one by way of treachery, the other through devotion–and irreversibly changed their country’s fate.
Both women began as royal concubines and both radically redefined the role of women in imperial China, but the similarities stop there. The ambitious Wu Ze Tian would stop at nothing in her ruthless rise to become China’s first and only Empress, while the selfless Yang Guifei served her country loyally and ultimately gave her life to restore peace to the dynasty. The two women’s legacies were enduring: Wu ushered in an era of unprecedented women’s empowerment, while Yang’s sacrifice and much-lauded beauty brought her immortality in the culture’s poetry.
TANG CONCUBINES tells their extraordinary stories, conjuring imperial China with a thrilling combination of ballet, Chinese opera, martial arts, sumptuous sets, lavish costumes and cirque-like diversions. The cast of 80 invites audiences into the splendor of a majestic palace, and the soaring score combines traditional Chinese musical stylings with the cinematic sounds of a Western symphony.
TANG CONCUBINES is choreographed by Chinese dancer Jonathan Feng Han. The Chinese government ranks dancers on a scale of one to four, with Class I being considered a top skilled dancer in China. It takes years to earn a Class I ranking, and Jonathan Feng Han, lead dancer and choreographer for TANG CONCUBINES, is one of these rare talents. Jonathan graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy in 1997 and is the youngest male National Class I dancer in China today. Fen Han’s unparalleled talents were last seen in Denver when he performed all three lead roles in Terracotta Warriors. Feng Han is often found instructing at the Law Brothers Chinese Performing Arts International Dance Academy and will perform as the lead dancer in TANG CONCUBINES.
TANG CONCUBINES is produced and directed by Denver resident Dennis K. Law, MD. Retired from a career as a well-known surgeon in Denver, Colorado, Dr. Law started his interest in the field of entertainment by producing Warriors of Virtue, a high budget family feature film distributed by MGM, Warner Brothers and Columbia Artists worldwide. In China, he also produced a prize-winning CCTV children’s film Xiwa as well as the acclaimed television series “April Rhapsody.” After the acquisition of The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts by the Law family in early 2002, Dr. Law became the C.E.O. and President of The Centre and its associated production company Sight, Sound & Action Ltd. Over the last three years, in addition to presenting many Broadway shows and the acclaimed Colorado Ballet Dracula, he also produced the Canadian premiere of Plaid Tidings, the concert “From China with Love” and “Dragon Meets Eagle.” Most importantly, Dr. Law has utilized The Centre to allow Vancouver to launch a new genre of Action-Musicals, notably Of Heaven & Earth in 2002 and Terracotta Warriors in 2004. In 2005, by starting the First Annual Chinese Performing Arts Festival in Vancouver and Toronto, Dr. Law continues to dedicate efforts to introduce Chinese performing arts of international packaging and quality to North American audiences. The two shows from the summer of 2005, Senses and Heartbeat, combined for 120 performances in the three cities of Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto.
