《Adventure of Marco Polo》

The performing industry well-known brands in China

Play premiered

Large-scale national dance drama The Adventures of Marco Polo was co-presented by Beijing Heaven Creation Culture Investment Company and Hohhot Minzu Art Performing Group and it was produced by Heaven Creation International Performing Arts Exchange Ltd. It was premiered at Inner Mongolia People's Hall in Hohhot in July 2013, and its overseas premiere was at White House Theatre in Branson, the United States, in August 2013. By the end of November 2013 over 100 performances were made in the United States and it has caused great sensation both at home and abroad. Its mode of “one play, co-production and performances at home and abroad” brought innovation to the industry.

Drama synopsis

The background of the play(show) can trace back to Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) when Marco Polo visited China and fell in love with a prairie girl named Saran. It showed a prosperous, inclusive state and expressed human’s desire for peace. Extremely rich artistic elements were shown in this Mongolian dance-based play, which merged dances of the Dai nationality, the Hui nationality, Indian dance and ballet. High artistic standards and exquisite stage choreography was shown in the combination of acrobatics, magic and other art elements.

Play《Adventure of Marco Polo》

《Adventure of Marco Polo》Highlights appreciation

Play characteristics

As a show to commemorate 860th anniversary of the founding(capital) of Yuan Dynasty, The Adventures of Marco Polo has won the first prize in the 3rd Chinese Ethnic Group Drama Festival and six other individual awards including best director and best screenwriter. Meanwhile, it is the exhibited showduring the activities for “going global of Chinese culture”and the 2013 Beijing International Drama Season. It was staged at the National Center for Performing Arts on December 13 and 14, 2013.

Play value

From 2013 to 2015, a total of 584 shows of The Adventures of Marco Polo had been staged in the US, a record-high in the performance of China’s “goingglobal” operas. It was honored a “consummate and perfect work” by the local newspaper. In the second half of 2015, The Adventures of Marco Polo will have a tour show in Italy and Hungary.

《Adventure of Marco Polo》

Moments

《Adventure of Marco Polo》

Review

China Culture Daily: The Adventures of Marco Polo—a perfect work in the first year of the reform of Hohhot Ethnic Performance Troupe

It only took half a year for The Adventures of Marco Polo to become a legend: within the same year, the play completed its production, premier, resident performing abroad; and within the same year, it won popularity and awards both at home and abroad. How popular is the drama? Two performances at the National Center for Performing Arts gave us answer: on the evening of December 13, one day before show day, tickets had already sold out yet people still asked to buy tickets before the show on December 14, even though the box office has already closed. What is more, the audience stood and applauded for over 10 minutes at the end of the show. Bai Shuxiang, Chairwoman of Chinese Dancers Association, told the reporter excitedly: “Based on Mongolian dance, the show combined acrobatics, magic, multi-ethnic dance and even skills of intangible cultural heritage. It shows high level performing skills of Hohhot Ethnic Performance Troupe, a team with decades’ history. Bu He, former vice chairman of NPC Standing Committee, praised the play: “it integrated the features of the dance art and the foreign art, which is a good way to spread Chinese culture and set an example for the going global of the Inner Mongolian’s dance art.” He hoped that this play be a show of Hohhot Ethnic Performance Troupe.

China Culture Daily: Cao Xiaoning introduced The Adventures of Marco Polo to the White House Theatre

According to Ryan Presley, mayor of Branson, when you read, you are trying to understand it, while when you see the show with such beautiful things in it, you feel something that goes into your heart, and it helps us to understand more about Chinese history and culture.