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The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present the 10th Cantonese Opera Day on November 25 (Sunday) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. This annual event, with free admission, offers a fun-filled programme for Cantonese opera lovers and other members of the public.
The theme for this year is entitled "The Legacy of Cantonese Opera Continues", and many activities been lined up for the day. After the opening parade, four Cantonese Opera Day ambassadors, as well as children and youth Cantonese opera troupes from Hong Kong and young actors from the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Academy, will show the fruits of their efforts in continuing the legacy of the genre.
The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing; the Chairman of the Cantonese Opera Advisory Committee, Mr Charles Chow; the Chairman of the Cantonese Opera Development Fund Advisory Committee, Mr Frankie Yeung; and the Vice Chairman of the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong, Mr Lee Lung, will officiate at the opening ceremony, which will begin at 1.45pm at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza.
A highlight of the day will be the workshop on Cantonese opera and Tai Chi, in which performers will demonstrate a new routine created by Leung Sum-yee of the Kim Sum Cantonese Opera Association and Tai Chi master Leung Hung-kai. The routine is a combination of the stylised movements of Cantonese opera and Tai Chi entitled "Celestials Amidst Clouds". The moves are simple and easy to follow, so anyone practicing the routine will not only gain an elementary understanding of the movement techniques of Cantonese opera, but also be able to use it for physical exercise.
A variety of free activities will start after the ceremony and they will be divided into four activity sections: "Young Cantonese Opera Artists Showcase"; "Children Cantonese Opera Artists Showcase"; the theme zone "The Legend of the White Snake", with Cantonese opera puppet theatre, game stalls and a workshop on stylised movements and postures of Cantonese opera; and "Cantonese Opera Discovery Zone", with youth talks, Cantonese opera lectures, a Cantonese opera make-up and costume demonstration workshop and a workshop on floral plaques. There will also be exhibitions on Cantonese opera and bamboo-shed theatre, snapshots of Cantonese Opera Day, a guided tour (conducted in English) for foreign tourists, and an autograph session by famous Cantonese opera stars.
Since 2003, the cultural sectors of Guangdong, Macau and Hong Kong have designated the last Sunday of every November as Cantonese Opera Day to promote the development of the valuable vernacular art of Cantonese opera. Through the staging of this territory-wide activity on a regular basis, it is hoped that a broader audience base can be built to carry the torch of Cantonese opera for future generations. In the past decade, the LCSD has won acclaim for its holding of the annual event and thousands of people have participated in a variety of programmes across the city.
Many other related events will be held at various LCSD venues in support of Cantonese Opera Day.
For programme details, please refer to the programme leaflet or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/chinese_opera/00000408.html. For enquiries, please call 2268 7325.
Ends/Friday, November 9, 2012
Issued at HKT 11:00
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