Imagine a backdrop of a vast ocean with surging waves for a grand dance called “The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea”. Or picture a fairyland landscape and palace for a dance called “Grinding an Iron Pestle Down to a Needle”. These are but two of the many classic creations used as a backdrop by NTDTV for its Chinese New Year Spectacular show playing at New York City Radio City Music Hall from February 14 – 17.

Tranquil artistic concepts from Chinese paintings and the magnanimous charisma of Western paintings are combined with a hi-tech application of traditional art, photo-electricity and projection used as backdrops. The combination makes for a rare delight of artistic performances. It is not surprising that the show ranked 7th on Billboard Magazine’s top 10 shows in Feb 2006 based on ticket sales for the 2006 shows at Radio City Music Hall.

Li Wencheng, head of the New England Monte Jade Science and Technology Association, said, “The backdrop for the NTDTV Chinese New Year Show is indeed rather unique and the skillful application of projection and photo-electricity has to be the creation of an expert.”

“The backdrop makers of the NTDTV show have extended the effect of our backdrops to its extreme,” noted Radio City’s Manager.

The enormous background screen used during NTDTV’s Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall has the effect of bringing the audience into the performance. In a typical stage setting, it is difficult to create a multidimensional effect, even with a large number of performers. The space on stage has limitations, and stage props also often give people a feeling of things being faked.

However, when Soprano-Alto Yang Jiansheng sings a vocal solo, she stands alone on the stage with no accompanying dance or stage props. However, the magnificent backdrop makes the audience feel as though they are right in the midst of the performance.

For example, in the 2006 Chinese New Year Spectacular, throughout the show the backdrop kept changing along with each performance, from misty rain, pavilions and towers, to the water-bound country in south China to shining spears and armored horses and famous mountains and rivers; from green bamboo and red flowers and the change of four seasons to the sun, the moon, the stars and the auspicious clouds in the highest heavens.

Colorful events that took place in the thousands of years of Chinese history were replayed to perfection on stage. The design of the backdrops was definitely the creation of an expert. The backdrops did not use dominant color themes to supersede the performers on the stage. Instead, they provided a very logical and harmonious artistic atmosphere.