ESCONDIDO, Calif.—Some birthday gifts are memorable. Catherine Newhart, an artist, received her ticket to Shen Yun Performing Arts as a birthday gift. She and Dan Hare felt fortunate to have gotten the last tickets for today’s matinee performance. “It couldn’t be a more wonderful birthday gift. I’m so pleased,” Ms. Newhart said. She added that attending this performance during the pandemic was an uplifting experience. “It’s very uplifting. When I was seated, I thought, how wonderful it is. So many people have been courageous to come out,” she said. The pair was intrigued by Shen Yun’s dedication to portraying China before communism. “I think the concept of sharing how things were before communism and the spiritual perspective is relevant. A lot of people feel disconnected and lost,” Ms. Newhart said. “It’s an amazing performance. It has a glimpse into Chinese culture that we don’t see in the headline news,” Mr. …