By Ming Zi

This autumn saw the global premiere of the multimedia theatrical spectacular“Era—An Intersection of Time”at. Shanghai Circus World. The show has won broad accolades since its premiere. Gilles Ste-Croix, vice president of the globally renowned Cirque Du Soleil, who came to Shanghai to watch the performance, highly commended the show, saying that“It is a splendid show, and its quality is definitely not inferior to the touring performances of Cirque Du Soleil.”For many Chinese audiences, it is the unprecedented performance of a multimedia theatrical spectacular that draws them to the theater.

East meets west

Multimedia theatrical spectaculars are currently in vogue at theaters including global entertainment centers in Broadway, the West End of London and Las Vegas. The production of Era: An intersection of Time, as China’s maiden foray into high-end theatrical performances, has been completely in line with international standards and practices, with its creative director, stage director, composer, multimedia technicians, stage design, lighting, acoustics, and special effects all being. experts in productions of this kind., Era marks the first time China has hosted a pool of world-class talent for the production of a single theatrical show.

The mission of the show is“China elements, Global Production”. The creation and production team, composing of world-class experts, has sought to make the best use of China’s traditional artistic elements, in particular those of Southern China, and the whole show features a collection of many award-winning programs of the Shanghai Circus. Centering upon the performance of acrobatics, the producers have broken through the outdated traditional performance styles and transformed these programs into 21 types of fantasy performances.

Innovative design and unique props

All kinds of theatrical arts can be boiled down to the performance of a common or legendary story occurring in a fixed time and space. As a multimedia fantasy extravaganza, Era—An Intersection of Time tells us a story of Shanghai against the backdrop of China’s opening-up and reform drive. It however, is not an historical epic; the show has resorted to many jubilant, exquisite arts and techniques to usher the audiences into a miraculous time and space, as if putting the passengers on the maglev train to watch the unfolding of meaningful stories and flashes of major events via the globalization window.

The team of domestic and overseas experts has injected fresh vitality and fantasy into the creation and production of Era—An Intersection of Time. The performance breaks the barriers of different arts, integrating the artistic styles of acrobatics, dance, music, song, and martial arts into a brand-new performance mode. Meanwhile, it also boasts the latest high-tech multimedia techniques, and the use of rich acoustics, lighting, electronics, a water curtain and artificial fog creating a miraculous stage for the audience.

To achieve a real breakthrough in artistic styles, the renovation of the theater and the manufacturing of props are the key links in the overall production of Era—An Intersection of Time. The props of the show emphasize the compatibility and differences between oriental traditions and modern fashions. Boats, compasses and oilskin umbrellas, which are characteristic of the Chinese tradition, mesh easily with props such as the modern car wheel. The compass is one of the four ancient inventions of China, and the prop of the car wheel, bearing the name of the‘wheel of the century’is also the first of its kind in the world, boasting a diameter of nine meters and a weight of 1.5 tons. Before this, the largest wheel prop had a diameter of eight meters for a performance of two or three artists, while the‘wheel of the century’could be used for the performance of six people, which is also the first of its kind.

Photos:

1. A combination of‘bungee jumping’and‘trampoline’

2. Opening programs

3. ‘Aerial Silk’—one of the highlights of the show