http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Stone_egg.jpg

 

Monkey: Journey to the West is a stage adaptation of the 16th Century Chinese novel Journey to the West, by Wu Cheng'en. It was conceived and created by the Chinese actor and director Chen Shi-zheng, together with the British musician Damon Albarn and British artist Jamie Hewlett (the co-creators of the virtual band Gorillaz). However, the original idea came from Jean-Luc Choplin, head of the Chatelet Theatre in Paris.

 

The production received its world premiere as the opening show of the inaugural Manchester International Festival, on June 28, 2007 at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, where it ran until July 7. It was subsequently staged at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris between September 26 and October 13 2007. The production received its U.S. premiere at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC in May 2008. A further run was planned for the Berlin Staatsoper in July 2008, but instead took place at the London Royal Opera House.

 

Billed as a "circus opera", the show is Hewlett and Albarn's first major collaboration since Gorillaz. Albarn composed the musical score while Hewlett designed the visual concept, set and costumes. The adaptation for stage has been written by Shi-zheng, who also directs the production. Dramaturgy is by David Greenspan. The show features Chinese singers and 70 Chinese acrobats and martial artists. The orchestra put together for the production includes members of the UK Chinese Music Ensemble (led by Cheng Yu), Demon Strings and Sense of Sound.

 

In addition to the production, the Manchester International Festival also ran a programme of educational workshops in local schools, in partnership with the Chinese Arts Centre. In the programme, local children were introduced to the tale of Journey to the West, and learnt about various aspects of Chinese culture, music and dance, including mask-making, puppet-making, Tai Chi and Kung Fu.

 

Source: Wikipedia.

 

BBC Olympics Monkey Movie

 

 

CD out Monday 18 August!

Im not bothering with this one, the whole Opera+Mandarin thing puts me off most.

I like the Olympics advert, so I may get it.

 

Top 5 in the midweeks though! :funky:

I bought it yesterday and I do like it. If it were an instrumental album it'd be a definite 9/10 album. The voices can be a tad off putting though, not that it's in mandarin, I quite like that, they're just a bit too weird.

 

One thing I will say though is that this and the forthcoming Oasis album proves who was the real genius to emerge from that period! :wub:

I bought it yesterday and I do like it. If it were an instrumental album it'd be a definite 9/10 album. The voices can be a tad off putting though, not that it's in mandarin, I quite like that, they're just a bit too weird.

 

One thing I will say though is that this and the forthcoming Oasis album proves who was the real genius to emerge from that period! :wub:

Very true.

i bought it as im a damon fan in general i love his music but this album is taking me quiet a while to get into

I've got Monkey Journey to the West!!! :D