Titled “Revelry of the Blooming Hibiscus”, the nighttime spectacular celebrates the rich culture of Tujia people, one of the country’s largest ethnic minority groups known for their remarkable singing, dancing and songwriting abilities. Meticulously choreographed by famous theatre directors featuring elaborate indoor and outdoor stage designs, lighting effects and a riveting storyline, this highly anticipated cultural performance is a key highlight of the annual Sheba Festival, an important occasion for Tujia people to revel, socialize and pay tribute to ancestors.
The show made its official debut in May 2020 as part of China’s recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic. In a move to enhance the audience experience and augment the storytelling process, producers of “Revelry of the Blooming Hibiscus” decided to include digital projections for both indoor and outdoor segments of the show in its second season, which kicked off in late 2020. The projections were accomplished by Christie’s partner Zhongqing Yingye Group using three Christie Crimson WU31 laser projectors installed across the stage area to deliver bright, bold visuals.
A spokesperson for Zhongqing Yingye Group said, “We are proud to be involved in this extensive cultural performance in Furong Ancient Town that celebrates the history, culture and accomplishments of the Tujia people. The Christie Crimson WU31 is our top choice for this project as bright, vibrant images are required to drive the storytelling and complement live performers onstage in both indoor and outdoor environments. With an IP5X-sealed, solid-state laser light source in a rugged and compact chassis, the Crimson WU31 is well suited for large-scale events like this.”
The spokesperson added that the two Crimson WU31 projectors deployed for the indoor performance are warped and edge-blended to display a slew of exciting images on a 14-metre-wide (45-feet-wide), 6-metre-high (19-feet-high) backdrop. A third Crimson WU31 is used outdoors where visuals are presented on a projection canvas measuring 23 metres (75 feet) in length and 7 metres (23 feet) in height. This projector is housed in a weatherproof enclosure to protect it from moisture and inclement weather.
April Qin, Sales Director for China, Enterprise, Christie, commented, “We are delighted that Zhongqing Yingye Group has accomplished this amazing project in Furong Ancient Town that demonstrates the capabilities of Christie’s high-brightness Crimson Series laser projectors. Built tough and always ready to deliver big, bright and intensely colorful images, the Crimson Series has become the 3DLP® projector of choice for large venues and staging events due to its excellent track record in terms of performance, reliability and service support.”