The magical and endearing Monkey King, the lovable character in the classic Chinese story, “A Journey to the West,” is a favorite of visitors to Long Island Children’s Museum’s current traveling exhibit, “Monkey King: A Story From China.” The museum is celebrating the Monkey King’s stay with varied activities that highlight Chinese cultural traditions this weekend.
Museum-goers can sample a staple of Chinese cuisine – spring rolls – at a culinary workshop, Saturday, Nov. 21, 1-3 p.m. Sunday features an authentic performance of Chinese opera by Chinese Theatre Works, along with a demonstration of the fascinating art of traditional Chinese opera face painting,
Chinese Theatre Works has been a popular performance group at LICM over the years; their varied programs offer audiences a sampling of Chinese Theater art forms. In October they presented performances of shadow puppetry, and in December they are premiering a new program of traditional hand and glove puppetry.
This weekend see excerpts from the renowned Peking Opera, on Sunday, Nov. 22, in a program that introduces families to traditional Peking Opera. The company will present selections of scenes and episodes from the classical repertoire, designed to hold the interest of both Chinese opera connoisseurs and Western audiences less familiar with this art form.
The 1:30 p.m. program will open with an explanatory talk in English, followed by opera excerpts sung in the original Chinese by CTW’s company of classically trained performers. They’ll perform in full stage makeup and exquisitely embroidered silk costumes, with traditional musical accompaniment. The visually stunning show will include classic scenes from well known operas, including “Monkey King Steals the Heavenly Peaches,” a scene represented in the popular multi-sensory, hands-on exhibit at LICM that runs through Jan. 3, 2010.