Soul of Shaolin
Tickets from $50
Cititour.com Review
If this self-described martial arts spectacle is part of China’s attempt to smooth festering international relations with the U.S., at least it comes to us lead-free. The 30 Shaolin Temple Wishu Martial Artists, mostly male, who performed this fabulistic tale at last year’s Olympics in Beijing, turn their act into an Olympic sport itself. They twirl, flip and even clown around, contorting their bodies into seemingly impossible positions. (Imagine the Bikram class from hell.) One kung-fu master even lifts a bowl off the ground by suctioning it to his stomach with his finely honed abs.
Unlike the Cirque du Soleil and Cirque Dreams extravaganzas, usually distinguished by their over-miked music and equally loud costumes, this affair, directed and choreographed by Liu Tongbiao, is much tamer and old-school on all fronts, befitting its ancient China setting. But the narrative is little more than a thinly veiled excuse for the action. When war separates young Hui Guang (played by three different performers at various ages) from his mother, he's taken in by the monks of the Shaolin Temple, who guide him in the ways kung fu and Buddhist meditation. Of course there's lots more of the former (meditation doesn't exactly make for rip-roaring entertainment) and, not surprisingly, a heartfelt reunion at the end.
Theatergoers who enjoy the stunning feats of the Cirque showcases or are fascinated by the strength and precision of kung-fu experts should find much to admire here. If you're looking for artistic and emotional rewards, however, you'd be better off signing up for a course in Chinese history.
By DIANE SNYDER
Visit the Site
http://www.soulofshaolin.com
Open/Close Dates
Opening 1/13/2009
Closing 1/31/2009
Box Office
212-307-4100
Theatre Info
Marquis Theatre
1535 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
Map
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