China Military Tries Musical Approach to Image Building
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THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016 l i f e s t y l e M u s i c China military tries musical approach to image building hina’s military has a bulging arsenal of ships, war- The recruiting video in particular marks a new skits and magic tricks, the show is part of a long tradition planes and missiles, but this week, music is its approach by the PLA as it seeks to attract well-qualified of People’s Liberation Army performances aimed at Cweapon of choice. A new recruiting video aimed at young recruits looking for adventure, but who might oth- entertaining, promoting ideological conformity and stir- Chinese millennials raised on pop tunes and video games erwise be tempted by the private sector. “The mission is ring pride in the military and ruling Communist Party. features a rap-rock soundtrack with lyrics such as “just always on the mind. The foe is always in sight,” the Song Zuying, a famed singer of folk songs and patri- waiting for the order to kill, kill, kill” and “war can break unknown rapper shouts at the beginning, following otic anthems, headlined the performances, regaling out at any time - are you ready?” In a frantic, near seizure- moody images of a serious-looking soldier in dress uni- crowds with lyrics such as, “On stilted platforms in the inducing music-video style montage, cutting-edge fight- form. Available Wednesday via a link on the Defense South Sea, (China’s) five-starred red flag flaps in the er jets zoom and special forces troops take out bad guys. Ministry’s official website, the video appears as the 2.3 wind, I’ve tasted all types of bitterness in the South Sea, On a gentler, more traditional note, singers with a mili- million-member PLA is downsizing in an effort to boost (but) the people’s happiness is my pride and glory.” Song, tary song and dance team have been entertaining troops its war-fighting capabilities. Chief among those steps is a who once performed with Celine Dion on state televi- and construction workers stationed on China’s new man- cut of 300,000 personnel while shifting funding and sion, was a big hit with the construction workers and made islands in the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands, attention away from the ground forces in favor of the naval officers who attended the shows, the official underscoring Beijing’s confidence in its increasingly dom- navy, missile corps and air force. Xinhua News Agency reported. The event was also inant position in the disputed region. recorded for broadcast by state-run CCTV. “I was so excit- Among the songs performed was “Ode to the South Media technology ed for ... the troupe to come to the front-line islands,” said Sea Defenders,” whose lyrics speak of “a troop of stout Retired PLA Col. Yue Gang said the video represents a Huang Tianjun, a member of the garrison atop Fiery men with guns in their hands who battle the wind and new approach, both in its visual language and in high- Cross Reef, the largest of the newly minted islands con- fight the waves to guard the nation’s door.” Though very lighting all branches of the armed forces, rather than just structed by heaping sand and cement atop a coral reef. different in sensibility, the two attempts at musical out- one or another as in past. “The style of promotion accords “We will most definitely hold fast here and defend every reach show how the People’s Liberation Army is trying to with the attitudes of young people toward the army and inch of the reef,” Huang said. — AP shape its image as a modern, high-tech fighting force the imagery used appeals to hot-blooded young men,” capable of defending Chinese interests even far from said Yue, a frequent commentator on military affairs. “It is In this file photo, Chinese home. That’s an image that had been dented in recent also a natural step for the army to adopt modern media singer Song Zuying performs decades as the world’s largest standing military devel- technology to attract young men in modern times.” during the ‘Cultures of China, oped a reputation for corruption and lax discipline, and For its part, the variety show-style performances in Festival of Spring’ concert at amid criticism that it is ultimately loyal not to the Chinese the South China Sea represent a tried-and-true approach. the Shrine Auditorium in Los nation but to the ruling Communist Party. Entitled “The People’s Navy Advances” and also featuring Angeles. — AP Broadway musical ‘Hamilton’ does what it always does - stuns he Tony Awards are being nicknamed this year the earned four nominations. “I’m so grateful to have found my Zeller’s “The Father,” Stephen Karam’s “The Humans” and Mike tions, and acting turns by Adrienne Warren and Brandon Victor “Hamil-Tonys” in recognition that “Hamilton” is the show way back toward the theater community. I grew up doing Bartlett’s “King Charles III.” Liesl Tommy, making her Dixon. (Audra McDonald, who was eligible as a lead actress in a Tto beat. That was proven again Tuesday. Lin-Manuel theater. It’s how I learned to listen to music,” said Bareilles, Broadway debut as a director, won a nomination for helming musical, wasn’t nominated and so won’t be able to chase her Miranda’s hip-hop-flavored biography about the first US treas- who got a nod for music and lyrics. “This experience of work- “Eclipsed ,” which takes place in a Liberian rebel camp where seventh Tony.) ury secretary earned 16 Tony Award nominations, breaking the ing on ‘Waitress’ has so changed my life in personal ways and women are held as sexual captives. Dixon said he was surprised some of his co-stars - including 15-nominations record held jointly by “The Producers” and professional ways.” Calling from a taxi on her way to her next theater assign- Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, Joshua Henry and McDonald “Billy Elliot the Musical.” “Hamilton” earned nods in all 13 cate- ment downtown, Tommy said her phone blew up with calls - didn’t get nods. “I was pretty shocked,” he said. “But I’m hon- gories it was eligible. “I feel really grateful that they kind of Five nominations from well-wishers. The most important one she had was with ored to represent them and we’re going to go into this Tony spread the wealth,” Miranda told The Associated Press. “Theater “School of Rock ,” the adaptation by Andrew Lloyd Webber her brother and parents in South Africa. “It was a very emotion- season and we’re going to take a number of those awards.” He requires collaboration and I’m lucky to be working with some and Julian Fellowes of the Jack Black-led movie about a al phone call because it’s not anything I thought, when I emi- added: “I’m happy to stand toe-to-toe with ‘Hamilton.’” The of the best people in their respective fields alive right now.” wannabe rocker who enlists fifth-graders to form a rock group, grated to this country, would ever, ever happen,” she said. revival of Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night ,” The awards will be handed out June 12, with James Corden earned four nominations, including best musical, book, origi- “There was a lot of feelings of vindication that all of that hard starring Jessica Lange and Gabriel Byrne, earned seven nomi- playing host from the Beacon Theatre. “Hamilton” will be hop- nal score and best leading man in Alex Brightman. “It’s a funny work and sacrifices could lead to something like this.” Late nations, including a first for Lange for her third Broadway role. ing to break another record: The musical with the most Tonys is “The Producers” with 12. At that ceremony, “Hamilton “ will compete for Broadway’s biggest crown - best new musical with “Bright Star,” “School of Rock,” “Shuffle Along” and “Waitress.” The other top nominees Tuesday were “Shuffle Along,” a show that explores a groundbreaking 95-year-old musical starring, written and directed by African-Americans, which got 10 nomi- nations, and the revival of “She Loves Me,” which earned eight. Happiest smile “Hamilton” earned seven acting nominations - Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson and Renee Elise Goldsberry. It also earned nominations for best musical, scenic design, costumes, lighting design, direction, choreography, orchestrations, best book and best original score. The musical has already won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, a Grammy, the Edward M Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History and a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant. The loudest screams in Miranda’s house Tuesday morning were for the announcement of Jackson, who plays George Washington. Jackson was one of the first people to audition for the show in New York in 2002. “To see him get recognized got a particularly loud scream from my parents and my wife and I,” Miranda said, laughing. Goldsberry earned her first Tony nomi- nation after appearing in four previous Broadway shows and said she will go to the theater Tuesday night holding aloft the This image released by Philip Rinaldi Publicity shows Brandon Victor Dixon, left, and This image released by The Public Theater shows Lin-Manuel Miranda, foreground, banner of “Hamilton.” Audra McDonald during a performance of “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical with the cast during a performance of ‘Hamilton,’ in New York. “The 16 of us represent every single person that worked on Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed” at The Music Box Theatre in New York.