Memory 5D+ at Pasadena Civic Auditorium

Zhou Lijun in MEMORY 5D+

Thousands of years of Chinese music meets the 2017 era of stagecraft in the rhapsodic and romantic live stage production “Memory 5D+ – An Immersive Musical Odyssey to a Distant Past,” created and devised by Ulan Xuerong.

“Memory 5D+” is an innovative, new, large-scale, live entertainment spectacular featuring seventeen of China’s most revered musical performers, thought about as national treasures, performing on rare traditional instruments seldom heard in North America and in traditional Chinese performance forms. They are part of a cast of 43 of musicians, singers and dancers.

Zhou Siyao in MEMORY 5D+
Photo credit: John Hughes

The $4 million production is set against an immersive backdrop of real, virtual and projected images and action that evokes China’s unique Cultural Heritage, showcasing many facets of the country’s abundant art forms.

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The titleMemory 5D+” refers to the expansive collective “memory” of Chinese performing arts of the past, and the intangible contribution they have made to Chinese culture – brought fully alive in this unforgettable performance. “5D+” evokes a cumulative experience beyond the five senses.

Zhou Siyao in MEMORY 5D+ photo credit: John Hughes

Following these first performances, “Memory 5D+” will embark on an international tour of the production. Pasadena audiences will be the first ever to see this breathtaking show.

World renowned creative designer Tom E. Marzullo and his team are designing a multi-dimensional immersive journey utilizing state of the art concert production techniques that include high definition digital video and lighting, 7.1 surround sound, lasers and aromatic sensory technology.

Ulan Xuerong, the Founder and General Director of China Film HuaTeng, has assembled an impressive roster of honored musicians, who perform pieces from the entire repertoire of Chinese music. Zuerong formed CFH with the intent of honoring and finding performance platforms for China’s most revered and well-known musical performers.

Xiangyun Brothers in MEMORY 5D+

The styles represented in “Memory 5D+” represent both recognizable Chinese musical forms to little-known, but amazing, virtuoso performances that Western audiences might liken to intense Western oriented jazz, classical or world music performers.

The instruments employed include guqin (Chinese zither), “cowboy” flute, gijak, guzheng, konghou (Chinese harp), morin khuur (Mongolian horsehead fiddle), pipa (Chinese lute), Tuva drum (Shamanic drum), and two chordophones – Topshur and Yekele.

“Memory 5D+” also uses many Chinese performance arts including Chinese acrobatics, Dolan Muqam, Khoomei (Tuvan throat singing), Shadow Play, Suzhou Pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing from the Suzhou Dialect), Tibetan folk songs, and Urtin Duu (Mongolian Long Tune).

Zhang Yixiang in MEMORY 5D+

Memory 5D+ plays two performances only, Friday May 26 and Saturday May 27 at 8pm. Pasadena Civic Auditorium. 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena. Tickets are $38-$128 plus VIP premium seating. (800) 982-2787. Groups of ten or more call (626) 449-7360. Online at www.memory5D.com

Zhang Yixiang and Zhou Lijun in MEMORY 5D+