December 20 - Premiere of the Techno-cultural Dance Drama MGM Awakening Lion Crowned with Success

[Monday, December 20] Celebrating the 22^nd anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland, the techno-cultural Dance Drama “MGM Awakening Lion”, jointly presented by MGM and Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre, has premiered at the MGM Theater yesterday (December 19). Empowered by cutting-edge technologies and the world’s largest permanent indoor LED screen in the MGM Theater, the dance drama integrates theatrical technologies with intangible cultural elements including the lion dance, Southern Fist (Nanquan) and dance performance to achieve bold innovations in showcasing the essence of Lingnan culture. The splendid 70-minute drama merges virtual and reality to deliver a one-of-a-kind, visually stimulating extravaganza to the audience.

Pansy Ho, Co-Chairperson and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, said that “Lingnan culture is an integral part and a splendid charm of Chinese culture. Building on the essence of Lingnan culture, the ‘MGM Awakening Lion’ infuses new energy into the traditional culture with the help of innovative technology and performance. It is intended to take the development of culture and tourism to the next level and promote the culture of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to the globe. MGM hopes to ride on cultural elements to make the tourism experience more captivating and innovative. While we help to take Macau’s cultural tourism to new heights, at the same time we also bring out the attributes of the city and the allure of the new era to come.”

Shi Qianjin, Artistic and Chief Director of “MGM Awakening Lion” said, “the ‘MGM Awakening Lion’ presents a new challenge to the production team. Yet it also marks a breakthrough of cultural togetherness in the GBA. During the adaptation of the original drama ‘Awakening Lion,’ we took into account the innovative features of the MGM Theater to produce a marvelous visual extravaganza. With Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau sharing the same cultural roots, this show has a special significance of deepening the cultural exchanges in the GBA, escalating the greatness in traditional culture.”

“MGM Awakening Lion” is an adaptation from “Awakening Lion”, the dance drama that won the most prominent dance award in China – the China Dance Lotus Awards. 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 hates along with the dilemma between family and the nation, reflecting the spirit of perseverance of the Cantonese people. The site-based set has also undergone a series of enhancements in terms of character styling, background videos, stage props, choreography, and the use of music. By demonstrating the essence of patriotic spirit with a contemporary touch, it unites Chinese people around the world in a new way.

“MGM Awakening Lion” is the first residency show of the Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre outside of Mainland China. The collaboration manifests cultural confidence through modern technologies and advances the thousand-year-old Lingnan culture in a commercialized form to expand the international impact of this drama. Adhering to a popular proverb among Chinese communities, “wherever there are Chinese, there are lion dances”, the dance drama was created with the objective to pass on Lingnan culture, while telling good stories of the Chinese nation.

To give “MGM Awakening Lion” a trace of Macau element, MGM partnered with Macau’s IP cartoon character, “Galo Chicken”, to create a new version of “Galo Chicken” that features rooster olive, to welcome and interact with the audience and take photos with them. Rooster olive, an artifact of Guangzhou’s intangible cultural heritage, is a traditional snack sold along the streets by a vendor dressed in a rooster costume, which is also a character in the drama. As a mascot representing both Chinese and Portuguese cultures, the “Galo Chicken” is transformed into a new version that features rooster olive, bringing local, Lingnan, and Portuguese elements together, which made itself a crowd’s favorite photo spot outside of the show.

“MGM Awakening Lion” is honored to have 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 its 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. The first round of the show runs from December 19 to 25, 2021. 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 second round is scheduled from February 6 to 12, 2022. All are welcome to enjoy “MGM Awakening Lion”, the exclusive large-scale ethnic dance drama presented by MGM, and indulge in the multi-sensory journey.

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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.

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