The art of glove puppetry has been a well loved art form in China since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Like other puppetry styles, it is closely related to opera and folk music, using the same stock character types and sharing many of the same themes and stories. Hao Bang Ya, Tigers! features a set of beautifully carved and costumed hand puppets that transmit a wide range of dramatic expressions, comic slapstick and acrobatic feats that will thrill children and adults alike. The puppets perform traditional choreographies (arranged by Taiwanese puppet-master Wushan Huang) as well as contemporary scenes and musical numbers. English explanations, hands-on demonstrations and audience participation make the Chinese cultural experience accessible to even the youngest audience members.

The program includes:

--"Lion and Dragon Dance." A homage to the ancient street spectacles that are meant to chase away evil spirits and bad luck, still an integral part of traditional Chinese New Year Celebration.

--"Wu Song Fights the Tiger." illustrates a favorite episode from the great 15th Century novel, "The Water Margins." It tells of how Wu Song, a famous strongman and master martial artist defeats a fierce tiger that has been plaguing a mountain village with his bare hands.

--"Tiger Suite." In honor of the Chinese Year of the Tiger we present this series of wild comic dances and musical scenes starring a quartet of wooden felines. It includes: "Zodiac Parade" presenting the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac in music and dance; Mah Jong/Hula dance ("Hu-la" means "I win!" in Mandarin); and "Bang Da Lao-hu, Ji Chi Chong" (Stick Beats Tiger, Chicken Eats Worm) which is based on a traditional children´s game similar to "Rock, Paper, Scissors".

--Surprise appearances by the "End-of-Year Monster."

Hao Bang Ya, Tigers! is performed in a self contained puppet booth and is adaptable to any small or mid-sized performance space of up to 300 seats. It requires a well-lit stage area of at least 12´x8´. A sound system that can accommodate our IPod and microphones for our MC/Host may be required for larger venues.