ASK, or Art Space for Kids, opened a new performance in the first weekend of March – Anatomy of the Piano II: First Piano on the Moon. Featuring UK pianist William Pickvance, the performance is 50 minutes of fun piano feats and musical discovery, told from the perspective of a child prodigy who is chosen to play at Mozart’s birthday celebration in the famous composer’s birth city of Salzburg.
The simple story is layered with glimpses into musical history when the ghost of Mozart appears to the boy the night before he is due to perform, right as he is panicking that he has no actual talent but only tricks up his sleeves. The boy takes Mozart on a music history crash course from European classical music to the sound of the blues from New Orleans, and even the thrilling rhythms of rock ‘n roll, Ultimately, Mozart rekindles the boy’s love for the ivory keys and helps him to remember that “As long as you have passion, keep playing.”
Pickvance performs his part in the show entirely in English, but for the benefit of local audiences, the Beijing performance has been tailored to include Mandarin through the addition of bilingual actor Martin Wang. By adopting different roles throughout the show, from fellow child prodigies Felicity and Arvin to donning the wig and persona of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself, Wang adds a light humorous touch to the show that young ones will enjoy.
The message of the show is perfect for any aspiring pianist or musician who has ever felt discouraged or like giving up. Plus, grown-ups are sure to appreciate the various musical references that Pickvance cleverly makes, which extend beyond his classical music repertoire to include popular culture like rock ‘n roll music and the iconic theme from Jaws. The space is also set up for comfort as kids are requested to remove their shoes (adults have the option of cloth shoe covers) so they can sit on the cushioned benches or floor more casually.
First Piano on the Moon will play from now until Mar 19, following ASK’s three-week rotation of shows. But they have many more international acts lined up for this year, which you can view on their WeChat mini program by searching 小不点大视界 (xiǎo bù diǎn dà shì jiè).
Tickets are usually RMB 320 each but jingkids readers can enjoy a special price of RMB 298 when they buy their tickets using the QR code below. For further discounts, you can pick up a package card (8 tickets for RMB 2,240 or 20 tickets for RMB 5,200), but note that they will close the sales of these packages by the end of this month!
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Images: Art Space for Kids (ASK)
