The Taiwanese opera troupe Ming Hwa Yuan is set to kick off the first-ever European tour in its 80-year history with a performance in Berlin, Germany on the evening of Oct. 12.
ROC first lady Chow Mei-ching is accompanying the troupe as its honorary director on the seven-city, six-nation tour that will also take it to Austria, the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands and the U.K. over the coming weeks. The troupe left Taiwan Oct. 10.
Speaking on the eve of the Berlin show, troupe leader Sun Tsui-feng said the troupe’s 80 performers feel honored to have the opportunity to perform in Europe.
Sun pointed out that European opera has very high artistic standards and has become popular throughout the world.
“It is extremely difficult for an Eastern opera troupe to put on a performance on a Western stage, but I’m confident that our troupe with its rich history will be able to genuinely move European audiences,” Sun said.
Meanwhile, Chow headed to the troupe’s rehearsal venue Oct. 11 to oversee its preparations for the opening night show, praising Ming Hwa Yuan as “the pride of Taiwan.”
The troupe’s performance will combine martial-arts numbers with accompanying Chinese orchestra music and drum sounds to give the audience a refreshing experience, according to the troupe.
Although this marks Ming Hwa Yuan’s first European tour, the troupe has performed on the continent in the past, staging a show in Paris, France 10 years ago. (SB)