Andrea Garofalo, an opera singer, said, “The scenography is just unbelievable. I never thought it would be anything like this. I’m gonna have to tell all my friends to come again and see it too, because it’s amazing.”
Glenn Baker, a country music singer, said, “I was very impressed with the production value. With what I do, I can put a lot of value into that, a lot of timing, a lot of preparation, a lot of talent. It’s my first time. I’m blown away.”
“I found that it was very engrossing, like I just wanted to be a part of it. The music was amazing, just from a cultural standpoint. It was very educational as well. And I really, really liked that a lot,” said Karen Rudolf, a best-selling author. “It’s really getting in touch with your inner self and being true to it, which creates the flow. And they definitely were expressing that, from the soul, from the inside out.”
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of traditional culture and values from China before communism. In addition to myths and legends, the company also portrays modern tales of courage in the face of China’s brutal persecution of faith.
Marianne Galasso, an executive film producer, said, “I just have to say the statement of the whole play and the courage is really what I’m blown away by. The freedom of religion, the freedom of faith, is so important, and I know how much courage it takes to put on a play like this and how much pushback you must be getting. So my prayers are with everyone that’s involved in this play that the light can shine.”
Tony Dody, a filmmaker, said, “Very, very positive message. Anyone that undergoes persecution in a way, and if they’re out there freedom fighting and because they believe and they’re doing the right thing, prayer, meditation, it’s an incredible message, and you have that definitely weaved in throughout the entire story line here.”
Mr. Dody said, “The musical score was absolutely amazing. I mean, honestly, it’s a symphony, but it feels like any movie you would see. ... It’s very consistent to really add to the theme of the overall message.”
Mr. Garofalo said, “It’s a little different than I’m used to: The Italian opera. But I really loved the soprano and the Bel Canto, because this is what I studied for.”
“Amazing voices, amazing and two different aspects which just really brought it together,” said Ms. Rudolf. “They sang in such a space where it really brought the heart, their heart in particular, out, and just brought it out from, I believe, the audiences.’”
Christina Dody, a filmmaker, said, “I love how they take the traditional Chinese instruments and add them into the orchestra. It adds such a nice element. Makes it feel very authentically Chinese, which I love.”
