Since their debut in 1986, the Peking Acrobats have redefined audience perceptions of Chinese acrobatics. They perform daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs and are experts at treacherous feats of daring-trick-cycling, precision tumbling, somersaulting, and gymnastics. Accompanied by live musicians skillfully playing traditional Chinese instruments and high-tech special effects that coalesce with the music, the Peking Acrobats produce an exuberant entertainment event which infuses the excitement and festive pageantry of a Chinese carnival with explosive energy.
CAPA presents the Peking Acrobats at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.) on Tuesday, February 23, at 8 pm. Tickets are $42.50, $32.50, $30, and $25 at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and
www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. The Palace Theatre Ticket Office will open two hours prior to the performance. Students between the ages of 13-19 may purchase $5 High Five tickets while available.
The history of Chinese acrobatics is rich in tradition and dates back over 2,000 years, beginning with the folk arts of tumbling, juggling ordinary household objects, and balancing. Eventually, the excitement of the acrobats' amazing feats caught and held the attention of the ruling classes and performers were routinely invited to court to entertain and impress visiting dignitaries.
The varied acts of tumbling, singing, dancing, and juggling became known as "The Hundred Entertainments" during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), but records of acrobatic acts can be found as early as the Ch'in Dynasty (221 B.C. - 207 B.C.). Ever since, Chinese acrobats throughout the ages have continued to perfect what has become an evolving folk art form.
Children begin training at a young age and adhere to a rigorous training schedule which they follow for the rest of their lives. Today, the acrobat in China is considered an artist. Because of the unusual and difficult nature of the feats involved, high honor is conferred upon those skilled enough to become acrobats. In China, an acrobat can be considered the Chinese equivalent of an American opera star.
The Peking Acrobats have been featured on numerous television shows and celebrity-studded TV specials including "The
Wayne Brady Show," "That's Incredible," ABC's "Wide World of Sports," and NBC's "Ring in the New Year Holiday Special." They have also appeared on NICKELODEON'S hit show "Unfabulous" and "Ellen's Really Big Show" hosted by comedian and talk show host,
Ellen Degeneres. They set the world record for the human chair stack on FOX's "Guinness Book" primetime TV show where they balanced six people atop six chairs 21 feet in the air without safety lines.
The Peking Acrobats were also featured in director Stephen Soderbergh's hit film Ocean's 11, and Peking Acrobat alumnus appeared in the film's two blockbuster sequels, Ocean's 12 and Ocean's 13. The troupe was also featured at the Hollywood premiere party of Ocean's 13, showcasing their incredible acrobatic feats to a star-studded audience.
The Peking Acrobats performed as part of the Hollywood Bowl's fireworks season finale, where the company blended their unique brand of acrobatics with the majestic sound of the 100-piece Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Concerts such as these have led to many other performances with symphony orchestras across the US such as the San Francisco Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, to name a few. They have returned to the Hollywood Bowl three times, most recently in September of 2008 with Maestro Tom Wilkins conducting.
The Peking Acrobats have also expanded their audiences in the European market. For the past five years, they have toured throughout the continent and visited such countries as Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. They have traveled to several of these countries two and three times over, visiting many exciting cities such as Milan, Bologna, Naples, and Bruges, as well as Amsterdam and the Haag.
Their affinity for and popularity with European audiences does not end there, however, as in December of 2009, The Peking Acrobats once again returned to Europe for their fifth European tour.
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