China’s National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts will perform Peking and Kunqu Opera in Minneapolis on Sunday, November 1, 2009. The performance, Highlights of Classical Chinese Theater, includes excerpts from some of the most famous Peking and Kunqu Operas. The performance begins at 7:00 pm at Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minnesota, 2128 Fourth St South, Minneapolis, MN 55455. To purchase tickets, contact the University of Minnesota Arts Ticket Office at http://northrop.umn.edu/tickets or 612-624-2345. Peking and Kunqu Opera are forms of traditional Chinese theater that combine music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics with vibrant makeup and costumes. Peking Opera has been performed for over 200 years and Kunqu Opera, often called the “mother” of Chinese Opera, has been around for over 600 years. In 2001, UNESCO declared Kunqu Opera as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” This designation has helped to revive this valuable and “endangered” art form within China. Highlights of Classical Chinese Theater will include excerpts from Peking Operas At the Crossroads, Reed Jungle, Picking Up the Jade Bracelet, Fourth Son Visiting His Mother, Autumn River and the Kunqu Opera The Peony Pavilion. This performance is sponsored by the Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota and co-sponsored by the University of Minnesota’s Office of International Programs and China Center, the Chinese American Association of Minnesota (CAAM), and the Confucius Institute at the University of South Carolina.