Soul
of Shaolin the first production
from China to
be imported to Broadway, should not really be mistaken for a play,
though the
hype describes it as a vehicle for a moving story. In truth, the story,
which
is a slender and highly predictable thing about a mother and son
separated and
later reunited is the vehicle for a number of martial arts
demonstrations from
the discipline of Kung Fu. And if an evening of that filling your eye
is also
enough to lift your spirits, then The Soul of Shaolin is definitely worth a look. The dexterity
of the
moves is—not in the caual sense that has diminished the word, but in
its
true sense—awesome, and the ensemble “numbers” are among the most
intricately choreographed and spectacular routines you’re ever likely
to see.
(Well, the fight choreography not so much. It’s clearly “fight
choreography”
with true punches pulled, clearly nobody’s getting hurt, so there’s not
as much
suspense or thrill to it as the martial arts drills and challenges.)
The story,
because it is so
simple, is told
almost entirely in mime, with no need for supertitles.
If your sensibility is like mine, a little of this stuff goes a long way, so decide accordingly. But that caveat noted, seeing the ensemble of dedicated artists go through their paces in person is quite a bit more exhilarating and inspiring than seeing similar stuff on video, and it sure is theatre.
Now
if it would inspire a really good musical…