COSTA MESA, Calif.—Opening night on Wednesday for Shen Yun Performing Arts’ New York Company at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts was a sold out performance. The show brought glee and excitement to many of those in attendance, including Emmy-nominated Hollywood television producer Michael Teilmann.
Mr. Teilmann wears many hats. He is a television producer in Hollywood, and has been nominated for four Emmy awards; is the executive director of the Bob Hope Hollywood USO at LAX; a decorated military veteran; and was recognized in 1973 while serving at NATO in Mons, Belgium, with a military order of knighthood. In 1990 he was bestowed a second European Order of Knight Commander. The Order of Saint Constantine the Great, an Order of Knighthood, founded in A.D. 312, recognized him with two awards, one of which was the Grand Collar of the Order, its highest honor.
He attended with his friend, Ambassador Ron Dunn. Ambassador Dunn was asked to serve as a U.S. Army Reserve ambassador by the Chief, Army Reserve (CAR), in Washington, D.C. He serves in the rank of a two-star general and works closely with the Pentagon.
“It was just so marvelous to sit here and see the beautiful costuming, the magnificent dancers and singers, the music. It was heartwarming because it told a story. It told the story so beautifully that we were all enchanted,” shared Mr. Teilmann.
Shen Yun’s mission is stated clearly on its website: “reviving 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture.” The globally understood language of the classical arts as a beautiful medium of communication speaks to the hearts of audiences worldwide.
“I’ve learned more than I had in the past [about China]. It was interesting to see the stories of Tiananmen Square. I’ve been in Tiananmen Square, but to see it portrayed on stage in that way, was very, very interesting. To see the cultural clash that seems to be presently going on in China, [referring to the persecution of Falun Dafa] as exemplified by the actors and actresses on the stage was also very interesting.”
While many of the dance pieces are drawn from China’s illustrious past dynasties, there are also pieces that deal with contemporary Chinese culture, in particular the persecution of the spiritual practice Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong).
“But more importantly, it was the joy of life portrayed by the actors, singers, and dancers. Your history is certainly far greater and longer than the American history, but it’s fascinating to see how it’s developed over the years. It was a wonderful show and I’m delighted to have been here.”
Mr. Teilmann expressed why the scene about Tiananmen Square has meaning to him: “It carries a meaning in that we were aware of what was going on. Totalitarian states often have an interesting way of treating their own citizens. It was just interesting to see it portrayed on stage. But it was a beautiful performance and one that I would recommend highly to others to see. It was a joy to see.”
Ambassador Dunn joined in, “The show is very well done. It has a lot of meaning … the dance is very indicative of how a people move and how they think. The dance is very important, very melded together. Things that we are doing in ballet were certainly done thousands of years ago. It’s wonderful to see … how it works back and forth.”
“When I see this show, they are letting live the stories, culture, and everything we heard as kids—now we see it through song and dance, there’s nothing better. It’s wonderful,” said Mr. Teilmann.
Each year Shen Yun’s Orchestra creates an entirely new score to express musically the stories told through dance and song. Merging both the Eastern erhu (two stringed violin) and the 2,000 year old pipa (four stringed Chinese lute) with Western classical instruments offers a unique melodic experience.
Mr. Teilmann exclaimed, “The orchestra is fantastic. My mother was a singer with Warner Bros. Those guys [the orchestra] are great players. All of them!”
“That’s a long show, a hard show. They are fabulous.—Perfect! Unbelievable!”
In summation, Mr. Teilmann shared, “Marvelous, great! The pianist! The pianist was great. It’s just wonderful that you get a chance to do this!”
Reporting by Lu Rusong and Cheryl Casati.
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will have one more performance in Costa Mesa and then in Los Angeles through to Jan. 14.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
