Opera

Xiaohan, Eli, & I went to a Peking Opera performance comprising two plays.  The first had lots of Wushu fighting, which was enjoyable.  The second was mostly talking and singing, telling the story (I pieced together) of an emperor’s concubine returning from exile.

Eli described it best:  “That was the most alien thing I’ve ever seen.  Alien music, alien singing, alien costumes, alien makeup, alien story.”  Utterly alien.  The mannered acting reminded us both at times of bad audio-animatronics.  Stiff and twitchy.  Verging on the uncanny valley.  As for the singing, I repeatedly thought of The Knights Who Say “Ni!”