Monkey: Journey to the West
October 6, 2007
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! A million times bravo! These guys are setting the classical stages free!
I saw this animated, acrobatic, 21st Century circus opera last night in the very Parisian Theatre de Chatelet. Insane. I mean, insane. How cool.
I bet you’ve never been in an opera that starts with animation by the guy who came up with Gorillaz; that is based on a Chinese epic written in 1592; and where you are assimilated by an army of 40 Chinese acrobats, singers and dancers that keep you on the edge of the most amazing choreographic, costume and musical thrill you’ve had in ages.
Some master minds behind this are Chen Shi Zheng (conception and mise en scene), Damon Albarn (composition) (the guy from Blur) and Jamie Hewlett (co-creator of Gorillaz). All 3 in the picture below
In case you never heard of the original text, Xi You Ji (Journey to the West), by Wu Cheng, is the tale of a Chinese monk, based in a mythological world, which recites in a fantastical and comic manner his travels through India in the 7th C. He is carrying the sacred Buddhist texts and the trip will take him 17 years.
In the narration the traveller -Tripitaka- is accompanied by Monkey King and another 3 anthropomorphic buddies (a white horse, a pig and a sable).
Tags: choreography, comic, magic, monkey journey to the west, opera, post-modern, scenario
November 3, 2007 at 10:19 pm
I’m quite jealous. I hope it makes it to the States in some form or fashion.
January 8, 2008 at 11:45 am
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