The famous ballet “Raise High the Red Lantern” by the National Ballet of China will be staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) this month. It is a spectacle with high production values.
The first performance on Oct. 27 will be invitational. The second, on Oct. 28, is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis (tel. 8323704) starting Oct. 25.
This was announced at a recent press launch at the CCP by Pan Feng, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy. Also present during the press con were Felipe M. de Leon Jr., chair of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and Chris Millado, vice president and artistic director of the CCP.
Based on the novel by Su Tong, “Wives and Concubines,” which was made into a film by Zhang Yimou, “Raise High the Red Lantern” is set during the warlord era of China in the 1920s. It is the story of a young woman who becomes the concubine of a wealthy man, takes on a lover and is ordered executed by the master.
The show fuses modern and Western ballet, cinema, shadow play, Peking Opera and other Chinese cultural elements. It has 100 dancers and many props, and has chalked up 400 performances around the world.
“It is the first time that the production is being presented outside the commercial market,” said De Leon. “There is no money involved. It is the result of cultural exchange, a gift from China.”
“It took three years for the visit to realize,” noted Millado. “Chinese officials came here twice to see if we have the facilities. Logistics and finances had to come together. And hundreds of lanterns are used.”
He declared, “It is one of the best examples of dance theater.”—CONTRIBUTED