Empire Produces Globally-Broadcast, Sold Out Chinese New Year's Gala at Manhattan Center for NTD-TV

In one of the most challenging international projects ever undertaken by our company, Empire was responsible for producing a Chinese New Year's Gala Celebration at The Manhattan center for the emerging, independent Mandarin language global television network, New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV). For this massive undertaking, Empire served as the overall executive producer of the program, managing every aspect of the production and working in collaboration with an enormous group of international volunteers who had never before been involved with a show of this nature or scale. The Global Gala was held in the historic Manhattan Center's Hammerstein Ballroom, built in 1912 by Oscar Hammerstein. The two-night program, for which tickets were marketed and sold to both the English-speaking and Mandarin speaking public, was completely sold out.

The program included an extraordinary cast of more than 400 performers in 20 different performing groups that came from as far away as Taiwan, Australia and Germany to participate in the show. Performers included The Ying Tang Dance Company (32 members), The NTD-TV Global Gala Chinese Instrument Ensemble (35 members), The National Taiwan University of Fine Arts Dance Company (16 members), The Juilliard String Quartet, The Peking Acrobats of China, Australia's Returning Group, pianist Oliver Folger Jia, American Ballet Theater performers Gennadi Saveliev and Irina Dvorovenko who performed the Grand Pas de Deux from the Nutcracker, Soprano singer Bai Xue, The New York Repertory Orchestra (56 members), Dancer Wei Yu, the European "I Have Come Here for You" Chorus (90 members), bass vocalist Christian Bischoff, soprano Min Jiang, Erhu master performer Xiaochun Qi accompanied by Changzi Ma, famous tenor Guimin Guan with 21 supporting dancers and the Lotus Arts Dance Ensemble (30 members). The evening was hosted by Mei Zhou and Adam Montanaro and featured many surprises including onstage remarks by New York United States Senator Charles Schumer.

Presenting a live program with over 400 performers presents many challenges in addition to the communications and cultural impediments of working with an English-speaking crew and a Mandarin speaking cast and client. Empire was able to seamlessly surmount these challenges to present a smooth running program that delighted both Chinese and American guests of all ages. Empire managed all production for the program, working with the world class Manhattan Center production team and many outside vendors & sponsors to deliver elements including a 56' wide X 48' deep stage with custom risers & sets, a series of 4 sets of legs & borders, proscenium opening, main curtain and projection/cyc surfaces that needed to be flown on old-fashioned line sets, flying set pieces and scenery, Pani image projections, elaborate sound and lighting installations to fulfill the varied needs of all of the acts, special effects including fog and hazing machines, confetti cannons and electrified scenery, in addition to a 7 camera video crew using jib crane and dolly tracks to cover the live performance for broadcast into millions of homes around the world. The resulting performances were a unprecedented spectacles of color, movement, action and entertainment of every kind. The audience responded with standing ovations and this important program helped to put NTD-TV on the map as a global alternative in the world of Chinese Broadcasting.

Empire is a leading producer of internationally oriented programming for clients from around the world. With longstanding experience and productive relationships with Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other Asian businesses & communities, Empire is the natural fit for international entertainment & media projects of this nature. Empire is a skilled manager of even the most complex and challenging international entertainment projects.