MGM proudly announced today that it joins hands with the Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre to present the “MGM Awakening Lion,” an exclusive and tailor-made version of the award-winning Chinese ethnic dance drama, “Awakening Lion”. With its premiere in this July, this is the first residency show of the Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre outside of Mainland China. “MGM Awakening Lion” was created with the objective to showcase traditional dance drama with innovation, telling the great stories of the Chinese people with an internationalized and contemporary backdrop.

 

Pansy Ho, Co-Chairperson and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, said online at the launch event, “As we embark on to the bright new journey of the 14th Five-Year Plan, MGM presents this large-scale ethnic dance drama ‘MGM Awakening Lion’, where lion dance, a symbol of Chinese national heritage and festive culture, stands as the theme of the show. Curated for tourists of the new generation, ‘MGM Awakening Lion’ sets a new milestone for MGM, as it is the very first project of the ‘MGM Lion IP (Intellectual Property)’, a spectrum of tourism products in multiple categories. It is a brand-new style of experiencing Macau with a wide range of events created with the lion persona as the core, and the passing-on of the Lingnan heritage as the main drive. The residency show, as well as other ‘MGM Lion IP’ products, share the common goal of building Macau into ‘a base for exchange and cooperation with Chinese culture as the mainstream and the coexistence of different cultures’. It aims to deepen the exchanges of cultural tourism in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and promote its high-quality development in humanity and culture.”

 

The "MGM Awakening Lion" launch event was held at the MGM Theater, MGM COTAI. Catarina Lio, Vice President of Brand Marketing of MGM; Shi Qianjin, Artistic and Chief Director of “MGM Awakening Lion” and President of Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre; and the main cast: Iiliwan Umar, Peng Guanyu and Zhu Jinhui, were invited to introduce the dance drama to approximately 300 guests. “MGM Awakening Lion” also has the honor of having the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Macao Government Tourism Office and Cultural Affairs Bureau as supporting units. The show is co-produced by the Publicity Department of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, and MGM.

 

 

 

Embracing the Cultural Root of GBA – Lingnan Culture

Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau are inseparable both geographically and culturally, as they share the same cultural root – the Lingnan culture. “MGM Awakening Lion” presented by MGM and Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre explores the new possibilities in the utilization and preservation of cultural heritage, as well as the collaboration between cultural and tourism industries. The residency show will serve as the classic cultural performance of the GBA, which utilizes cultural tourism to pass on Lingnan heritage, and further deepens the exchanges in the region.

 

“Wherever there are Chinese, there are lion dances”. The original ethnic dance drama “Awakening Lion” is the first large-scale dance drama in China using Cantonese lion dance as its theme. Named the best dance drama by the most prominent dance award in China – the China Dance Lotus Awards, the piece is a cluster of multiple cultural art elements including the lion dance, Southern Fist (Nanquan), dance performance and other traditional folk intangible cultural heritage. A drama without dialogue, it achieves bold innovations in stage music, design, lighting, and costume and demonstrates the unique artistic charisma of the repertoire, whilst telling the story of the Guangdong lion dance and Lingnan culture.

 

“MGM Awakening Lion” is re-arranged and tailor-made according to the cutting-edge technology and state-of-the art equipment of the MGM Theater.  The 70-minute drama is an exemplar of cultural tourism catered to the new generation tourists.  Retaining the plot and the strongest Lingnan cultural characteristics from the original dance drama, the pace of the drama has been enhanced, becoming more upbeat. The performing venue – MGM Theater, dubbed as Asia's most advanced dynamic theater with top-of-the-line black box theater setup, is going to truly elevate the entertainment experience and allure of the traditional dance drama. Empowered by the world's largest permanent indoor LED screen which blurs the line between virtual and reality, the drama fuses the venue and the performance together to deliver a one-of-a-kind and visual-stimulating extravaganza to the audience.

 

“Awakened by the spirit, rooted in the Lion” - the repertoire of “MGM Awakening Lion” is based on the awakening of a nation expressed in traditional culture. The ethnic dance drama depicts the journey of transformation of two lion dancers in the face of love and hate along with the dilemma of choosing between family and the nation, reflecting the perseverance of the Cantonese people. The set has also undergone all-round enhancements in terms character modelling, video background, stage props, choreography and even the use of music. Illustrating the essences of patriotic spirit with a contemporary touch, it is going to be a whole new multi-sensory journey for Macau residents and tourists.

 

Mr. Shi shared at the launch event, “‘MGM Awakening Lion’ is not only a breakthrough of the original ‘Awakening Lion’, but also a significant symbol of cultural unification in the GBA. Named the most inspiring dance drama and adored by many youngsters, ‘Awakening Lion’ showcases intangible heritage elements through artistic and unconventional means. Leveraging the advanced technologies of the MGM Theater, ‘MGM Awakening Lion’ blends ancient intangible heritage with virtual reality, taking the drama to a whole new sensational level. I truly hope that the show can go international and outreach to the world.”

 

Tickets are now on sale from MOP280 on MGM’s official website at mgm.mo, as well as Damai.cn, MacauTicket.com by Kong Seng Paging Ltd. Macau, Klook and selected travel agencies. †

 

“The Largest Dancing Lion” Returns to MGM COTAI

In addition to the revelation of the residency show at the launch event, MGM once again showcased the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ holder, “The Largest Dancing Lion” created in 2010. It was the first ever GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ dancing lion in its category which MGM spent six months to build. This gigantic lion is 20 times larger than the usual dancing lion (6.2m in length, 4.36m in height and 2.1m in width), and the head itself already weighs 250 pounds, which takes four well trained lion dancers to operate it. The three main cast members, Iiliwan Umar, Peng Guanyu and Zhu Jinhui performed with “The Largest Dancing Lion” on stage, presenting the splendid charms of Lingnan culture to the audiences.

 

“The Largest Dancing Lion” will be exhibited at the Spectacle, MGM COTAI from May 11 onward. The Spectacle is at the same time the record holder of the largest free-span gridshell glazed roof (self-supporting), the first ever architectural and structural GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Macau. During the exhibition period, visitors of MGM COTAI will be able to see two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles of MGM in one occasion, making the Spectacle a hotspot in town again.

 

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†Ticketing Information

 

Venue:                                   MGM Theater, MGM COTAI

Duration:                               70 minutes

Ticket Price:                          MOP 280 | 380 | 450 | 600

Inquiry Email:                        ticketing@mgm.mo

 

Sales Platforms:

• Ticketing Hotline:     (853) 8802 3833 (available 24/7)

 

• Online Platforms:     MGM Official Website

                                                (https://www.tickets.mgm.mo/mgm-awakening-lion)

                                                Damai.cn

                                                (https://detail.damai.cn/item.htm?id=644194867389)

                                                MacauTicket.com by Kong Seng Paging Ltd. Macau

(http://www.macauticket.com/TicketWeb/ProgramInfo.aspx?proCode=P-003143&c=en-us)

Klook

(https://www.klook.com/en-HK/activity/56816-mgm-awakening-lion-macau-2021/)

• In-person:                  Selected travel agencies and MGM Theater Box Office (10:00 to

19:00 daily)

 

 

Show Dates and Schedule:

 

Show	Date	Time
First Round	July 8-9, 12-13, 2021	8pm
	July 10-11, 2021	3pm & 8pm
Second Round	Oct 5-8, 2021	8pm
	Oct 9-10, 2021	3pm & 8pm
Third Round	Dec 19-24, 2021	8pm
	Dec 25, 2021	3pm & 8pm
Fourth Round	Feb 6, 2022	3pm & 8pm
	Feb 7-12, 2022	8pm

 

 

For media enquiries, please contact:    

MGM
Jessie Kuan	Karen Lam
Phone: (853) 8806 3412	Phone: (853) 8806 3421
Email：jessiekuan@mgm.mo	Email：karenlam@mgm.mo

 

Occasions Asia Pacific

Osmond Zhang Phone: (86)150 2162 4231 Email：osmond@occasionpr.com

Yvonne Wong Phone: (852)9248 5450 / 3678 0110 Email：yvonne@occasionpr.com

 

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About MGM

 

MGM is an abbreviation for MGM China Holdings Limited (HKEx: 2282) and is a leading developer, owner and operator of gaming and lodging resorts in the Greater China region. We are the holding company of MGM Grand Paradise, SA which holds one of the six gaming concessions/subconcessions to run casino games in Macau. MGM Grand Paradise, SA owns and operates MGM MACAU, the award-winning premium integrated resort located on the Macau Peninsula and MGM COTAI, a contemporary luxury integrated resort in Cotai, which opened in early 2018 and more than doubles our presence in Macau. 

 

MGM MACAU is a Forbes Five-Star luxury integrated resort inspired by the arts with every element of the resort infused with creativity and style. MGM MACAU has approximately 600 guest rooms and suites and boasts a number of distinguishing features, including the architecturally stunning European-inspired Grande Praça, housed under a soaring glass ceiling. MGM MACAU’s world class facilities include the MGM Art Space, dedicating over 5,000 square feet to display authentic works of art, conference and event facilities, spa, and seven signature restaurants and bars to fulfill any gastronomic craving. Our property is conveniently located on the Macau Peninsula and is directly connected to the luxury retail shopping complex, One Central.

 

MGM COTAI is the latest integrated resort of MGM in China. Designed as the “jewelry box” of Cotai, it offers approximately 1,400 hotel rooms and suites, Asia’s first dynamic theater, meeting space, high end spa, retail offerings and food and beverage outlets as well as the first international Mansion at MGM for the ultimate luxury experience. The Spectacle at MGM COTAI becomes the record holder of the largest free-span gridshell glazed roof (self-supporting) on January 19, 2019, making it the first architectural and structural GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Macau, China. MGM COTAI is being developed to drive greater product diversification and bring more advanced and innovative forms of entertainment to Macau as it grows as a global tourist destination. MGM COTAI is the only mega complex and hotel in Macau to gain three-star certification in both Green Building Design and Operation Label, as well as the first hotel in the Greater Bay Area and second in Greater China to receive the certifications.

 

MGM China Holdings Limited is majority owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM), one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage.