|
One of the word's most favorite children's story characters has
arrived in China with a mission: To bring fun and laughter to
thousands of Chinese youngsters.
Disney's multi-million yuan production of Winnie the
Pooh has been wowing audiences throughout China and ends its
tour at Beijing's Poly Theater next month. The show has already
visited Shenzhen, Dongguan, Shunde of Guangdong Province and Wuhan
of Hubei Province and involves special Chinese narration.
Winnie the Pooh brings the characters of the Hundred
Acre Wood to stage in an interactive and three-dimensional
production designed by a Broadway-calibre creative team.
The story is simple. The honey-loving bear is joined by his
friends: Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore (the donkey), Rabbit, Kanga (mother
kangaroo) Roo (baby kangaroo) and Owl. They plan a surprise party
for Winnie and engage the audience to keep Pooh bear distracted
from remembering that it is his birthday. Piglet accompanies Winnie
along the way and they get caught up in adventures and take the
audience on an imaginative musical journey.
Feld Entertainment regional vice-president of Asia/Australia
Michael Daynes, who is producing the show, said the play has
captivated audiences worldwide.
"It has toured 13 countries since it premiered in New Zealand in
2004 and I believe the Chinese children and their families will
enjoy it as much as the families in all the other countries," he
said. "Children and their parents are encouraged to sing, dance and
play along with Pooh and his friends in an exciting, interactive
family entertainment experience, staged in an elaborate Hundred
Acre Wood set," he said.
Poly Theatre spokesman Zou You said "Winnie the Pooh" was
quality entertainment for all generations. "I think family
entertainment will be a big thing over the summer holidays. Even
adults who are not normally interested in the theatre often want to
expose their children to something artistic."
Chinese narration
Narrating the tale is Tracie Franklin, who guides the audience
with the help of her three amusing and eager Honey helpers. The
helpers provide constant laughs as they help change scenes,
interact with children and follow Tracie's direction throughout the
story.
For the China tour, a local Chinese narrator helps Tracie
communicate with local audiences.
Mums, dads and children are encouraged to sing along to the
famous Disney songs including new arrangements by musical director
David Loud of Winnie the Pooh and The Whoop-De-Dooper
Bounce.
State-of-the-art digital projection transforms the stage. For
the first time, Feld Entertainment has worked with Disney animators
to create stage backgrounds inspired directly by Disney's films and
the classic Winnie the Pooh tales. The varied landscapes
of the Hundred Acre Wood come to life with blowing leaves,
fluttering butterflies and changing seasons.
The creative team's objective was to open a portal, which
rocketed the audience to this very special fantasy world.
"When the audience walks in and sees the set before them, they
will feel like they are walking right into the Hundred Acre Wood,"
said Star Daily reporter Wang Daming, who watched the show last
week in Shenzhen, the first stop of the show's China tour. "From
the moment the towering trees part on the stage, revealing the
depth and beauty of Winnie the Pooh's world, the audience is
immersed in an enchanting live interactive theatrical
experience.
"Each scene unfolds with nostalgic beauty, indulging guests with
song, laughter and adventure. Beautiful colours, life-sized props,
amazing sound and light combine to produce a dazzling effect."
Director BT McNicholl said each minute of the show was carefully
planned. "We went about making sure that each scene, each song and
each moment was engaging in the best way."
Production designer Anna Louizos, who recently designed the sets
for Broadway shows including the Tony Award-winning Avenue
Q, Golda's Balcony and Steel Magnolias, drew
on her experiences to create an amazing set. "In theatre, you
invite the audience to make connections and think about the set and
storyline in ways that aren't necessarily spelled out for them,"
Louizos said. "In envisioning the set, I wanted the audience to
really feel like they were enveloped by the Hundred Acre Wood."
Lighting designer Patrick Dierson said the latest technology was
used to help illustrate the story. "The lighting does not dominate
the show like it would in a rock concert what I wanted to
accomplish for Winnie the Pooh was to add a subconscious mood," he
said.
A cast of 15 performers takes to the stage under the
choreography direction of Christopher Gattelli, whose theatre
credits include Chess, The Radio City Christmas
Spectacular and Godspell.
Gattelli said a good sense of humor was needed to build the
dance routines for the show. "The dance numbers have to play on two
different levels so that both children and adults are entertained
and involved as participants."
Winnie The Pooh starts at Beijing's Poly Theatre on
August 17-21. Tickets cost from 180 yuan to 380 yuan. For more
information call 5166-2007, 6523-1499.
(China Daily July 27, 2006)
|
