Friday is Chinese New Year\u2019s Eve, and celebrations are underway, including a televised New Year\u2019s countdown. For a sense of just how big this is: more than 115 million people watched and streamed Super Bowl 50 last year, but one billion people are expected to watch the Lunar New Year Gala in China.
The festivities are a dazzling feast for the eyes, with over-the-top pomp that demands attention, a frenetic mix of dancers, athletes and singers, reports CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz. She went behind the scenes to see how it all comes together.\u00a0
\u201cThis show is one of a kind,\u201d said Yang Dongsheng, the TV special\u2019s chief director and architect. \u201cWe have a wide range of routines to try appeal to everyone.\u201d
That range, of course, extends beyond the flashy stage. Propaganda, which has gained prominence under current President Xi Jinping, is also on display.
It\u2019s a logistical high-wire act that involves 13,000 performers and cutting-edge technology.
At the rehearsals, there was no shortage of bright colors and special effects. The performers have been rehearsing for months for five hours of eye-popping TV.
Behind the scenes, we were given special access to a most bizarre backstage. The hallways were a hodgepodge of elaborate \u2013 though at times, unidentifiable \u2013 costumes.
And in what may also make this the cutest show on earth, we saw children dressed up as baby roosters. After all, 2017 is the year of the rooster. \u00a0
But the tight space and tighter schedule brings its challenges, said dancer Yu Qingqing.
\u201cWe often rehearse until 1 or 2 a.m. And some don\u2019t have time to eat at noon,\u201d she said in Chinese.
They grab a bite\u00a0whenever and wherever they can. Still, Yu said it\u2019s well worth it.
\u201cIt means so much to us in China,\u201d she explained. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to make the show\u2019s cut. Only the elites survive.\u201d
The show can launch a career and boost the celebrity of even the biggest names. Celine Dion performed in 2013. This year\u2019s headliner, Jackie Chan, was greeted with cheers at rehearsals this week.\u00a0
For Chan, and the legions of other performers in this year\u2019s show.. the event marks not just a celebration of fresh beginnings.. but of patriotism and pride.<\/p>\n