'Super' high expectations

A dancer performs on stage as part of Attraction at the National Stadium in Beijing on Saturday. Photo: Courtesy of the Beijing Nestyle Culture Corporation

For visitors to Las Vegas, Broadway or Macao, watching a high-level and exciting super show is a must. Now, in an attempt to earn more from tourists' pockets and keep them staying longer, famous tourism centers are producing their own elaborate and expensive shows, tying local entertainment industries even closer to local tourism resources.

Still an emerging sector in China, the quality of these shows can vary greatly. Additionally, most audiences throughout the country are unfamiliar with this type of large-scale performance that often combines various forms of acrobatics and stage art. While audiences may feel somewhat at a loss when it comes to following the story presented by these shows, producers usually make up for the lack of a coherent plot with some truly fantastical moments.

Attraction - the first super show made specifically for the National Stadium, the main location for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games more commonly known as the Bird's Nest - premiered its third season on Saturday. Although mainly aimed at tourists visiting the capital, the show, despite some limitations, offers an entry point for domestic audiences to get to see what a super show is like and what audiences should expect.

High-tech improvement

Although these shows combine different forms of performance art, a high-quality show needs to have at least one area it excels in so that it can differentiate itself from others and build its reputation, just like the Cirque du Soleil's O Show in Las Vegas markets itself as a water show.

While also containing some water ballet, the biggest highlight of the show on Saturday was its background visual effects. Designed by the Oscar-winning visual effects team Pixomondo, the images that unfolded on the 3,600-square-meter LED screen which served as the stage's background were a visual feast.

The central theme of the show's story focused on the relationship between nature, humanity, righteousness and injustice, with the background screen mainly showing images that captured the magnificence of nature as well as the agony and despair when natural areas are destroyed. Watching these scenes I was immediately reminded of the stunning jungle scenes depicted in the 2009 film Avatar.

High wire performances were a consistent selling point for the show during its previous two seasons, this year is no different as the show's high wire act was better than ever. At one point the two main characters leapt into the air where they battled it out far above the stage, to the thunderous applause of the audience.

While the use of high-technology is a shortcoming for many fledgling domestic shows, Attraction not only has made some definite improvements when it comes to visual effects and high wire acrobatics, it has also leapt forward when it comes to music and sound. The show is the first of its kind in China to utilize a 13.1-channel stereo set during the performance, which managed to immerse the audience into the show with its crystal clear music and sound effects echoing throughout the Bird's Nest.

The importance of story

Many super shows try to use dazzling effects, visuals and acrobatics to distract audiences from what are usually very weak stories. However, for domestic shows telling a good story still matters. The importance of story can be seen from two well-known examples, Spiral Show, produced by the Wanda Group three years ago and performed in Sanya, Hainan Province, and Legend of Romance in Sanya, produced by the Songcheng Group.

In August, Spiral Show was shut down due to low attendance. According to industry analysts, one of the reasons behind this poor showing was the performance's weak story. On the other hand, Legend of Romance in Sanya, which premiered last year, has become a huge draw for the seaside tourist resort where it is shown. By drawing on the area's rich local history and culture, the story has become a major highlight of the show.

When it comes to Attraction, the story plays a major part in the show as performers sing and act throughout the entire show. While the songs and music, composed by the country's best composers, were truly a treat for the ears, I was left disappointed by the story itself, which was simple and lacking in cultural richness.

Scheduled to embark on an overseas tour next year, Attraction may just become the first Chinese super show to perform internationally. Whatever the response the show may receive from foreign markets, domestic shows still need to continue to improve themselves. After all, like any other stage art, a truly successful performance is one that makes use of a universal language, this should be especially true for super shows such as Attraction that have been designed to appeal to tourists from anywhere in the world.