Chinese Opera to Perform

A 28-member opera company from Shanghai will give four performances, all of them geared toward a Western audience, at Pasadena City College on June 9, 10 and 11.

The performances will be the first stop on the company’s month-long tour, which also includes San Francisco and New York.

“The main purpose is to introduce this style of Chinese opera to the U.S. audience,” said T. Y. Wu, who for 23 years performed professionally in Taiwan and arranged for the opera company’s visit to Los Angeles. Wu, president of a Chinese meat products company in Montclair, still performs in amateur productions locally. The shows at Sexson Auditorium will feature very little dialogue and lots of acrobatics and mime, Wu said. “They have selected those numbers with the most action, to satisfy your vision more than your hearing,” said Wen K. Chow, a member of a Monterey Park amateur Chinese opera club.

The Shanghai company performs a style of opera, known as kun chu, which originated in the 16th Century.

Performances will be June 9, at 7:30 p.m., June 10 at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and June 11 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $8 to $30. For information, call (714) 621-3679.