Mr. Ringwald was affected by the stunning grandeur of what he had seen. “It was just overwhelmingly beautiful. I can’t explain it. I was overwhelmed with the beauty, and the simplicity, and yet stunning, stunning visual arrangement,” he said.
The technical artistry of the show, especially the backdrop, drew his attention. “I can’t believe how you do that. That’s amazing ... Words can’t explain it. It’s just dumbfounding how well done it is. And I go to a lot of Broadway shows. This is one of my favorite, by far—and I go to a lot of Broadway shows,” he said.
Although Mr. Ringwald said he knew very little about the culture of ancient China, he wanted to know more. “I know very little about it. So, to learn something new, I’m looking forward to the rest of it.”
He felt a strong spiritual message, he said. “It reminded me that I need to get back to doing some meditation.”
He said he’d be sure to spread the word about Shen Yun. “I’m going to tell all my friends that they need to come. That it’s visually stunning and you really should come to this show.”
‘It’s a Peaceful Culture,’ Says Psychiatrist
Ramana Mantravadi attended Shen Yun with his wife, Aparna Pemmaraju, and enjoyed the performance. Mr. Mantravadi said, “I want to know about Chinese culture before communism.”Ms. Pemmaraju, a psychiatrist, said Shen Yun was “beautiful and colorful, and then its moral stories, too, are okay.”
Ms. Pemmaraju pointed out the educational value of Shen Yun’s mission to revive the traditions of ancient China. “It helps to educate the younger generation [to things about China] that even I don’t know. So, this is all good for the younger generation,” she said.
Mr. Mantravadi said Shen Yun informs the world about the evils of communism. “I think the values are important. I think they should also add a dance or a storyline to show why communism is bad.”
