3 Best Performing Arts in Mandalay, Myanmar

Ma Ma Naing and Naing Yee Mar founded this theater in 1986 and, in 2000, performed in France, the Netherlands, and the United States. The team also works with NGOs to put on puppet shows that aim at improving AIDS awareness. The expert manipulators here use colorful marionettes to tell classic Burmese tales, including love stories and one about a flying alchemist. Read the program so you understand more about what you're watching. The hour-long show starts nightly from 8:30 pm.

Accompanied by eight musicians, seven talented dancers kitted out in bright costumes perform classical Burmese routines. Twelve dances are on the rotating program, which changes nightly and highlights Myanmar's variety of traditional dances. The lively, colorful show runs an hour and kids who can sit for that long will certainly be entertained. The performance starts at 8:30 pm.

For this comedic trio, two brothers (Par Par Lay and Lu Maw) and a cousin (Lu Zaw), an Independence Day gig at Aung San Suu Kyi’s compound in 1996 turned serious. Par Par and Lu Maw were arrested for their political satire and jokes and served seven years in prison. Brother Lu Maw kept the show going until their release, but later in 2007, group leader Par Par Lay served a month in prison. Though he passed away in 2013, the Moustache Brothers still perform as a duo to this day. Expect a mix of music, dance, satire, and screwball comedy.