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Presented as part of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Chinese Opera Festival, performances featuring four xiaosheng stylistic schools of Yue opera will be staged in June. Four representative actors of Yue opera xiaosheng (young male) roles will perform, namely Zhao Zhigang (school of Yin), Wu Fenghua (school of Fan), Zhang Xiaojun (school of Xu) and Xu Biaoxin (school of Lu). Also performing will be some of the best xiaosheng dan (female role) actors, namely Wu Suying, Chen Xiaohong, Chen Fei and Chen Shi.
The programme includes some of the gems of Yue opera, including "The Butterfly Lovers", "Southeast the Peacock Flies" (school of Fan and Fu starring Wu Fenghua and Chen Fei), "Seeking out His Wife at the Mulberry Orchard" and "Fortune-telling" from "He Wenxiu" (school of Yin starring Zhao Zhigang), excerpts from "The Dream of the Red Chamber" (school of Xu starring Zhang Xiaojun), and "Fang Qing Visits His Aunt" from "The Pearl Pagoda" (school of Lu starring Xu Biaoxin).
The name Yue refers to the ancient geographical name of the region during the Spring and Autumn Period. In Yue opera, the four major vocal styles of actors in xiaosheng (young male) roles are based on the four legendary stars, namely Yin Guifang, Fan Ruijuan, Xu Yulan and Lu Jinhua. The Yin school is open yet lyrical, with each utterance of a word controlled by the vocal delivery; the Fan school is robust and naturally voiced, with emphasis on pacing and accentuation; the Xu school is sonorous and expressive, with emotions woven into the vocal delivery and is therefore highly infectious; while the Lu school emphasises vocalising techniques and is distinguished by its nasal resonance, "back-of-head" tones and gutteral resonance.
Details of the performances are as follows:
June 25
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Programme: "The Butterfly Lovers"
June 26
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Programme: Excerpts - "Fang Qing Visits His Aunt" from "The Pearl Pagoda", "Seeking Vengeance" from "Trials of Love", "Burying Flowers" from "The Dream of the Red Chamber", "At the Study" from "The Aloeswood Fan", "Chen Sanliang Tortured in a Trial" from "A Pure Spirit"
June 27
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Programme: "Southeast the Peacock Flies"
June 28
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Programme: Excerpts - "Catching Wang Kui Alive" from "Trials of Love", "Burning the Manuscripts and Mourning Daiyu" from "The Dream of the Red Chamber", "Seeking out His Wife at the Mulberry Orchard" and "Fortune-telling" from "He Wenxiu", "Torturing Kouzhu" from "How a Dead Cat Was Substituted for a New-born Prince"
June 29
Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall
Programme: "The Butterfly Lovers"
All shows start at 7.30pm. Ticket prices ranging from $120 to $420 are now available at URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by telephone credit card booking. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients.) Please refer to the programme booklet for group booking discount schemes.
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7325, or visit www.cof.gov.hk/2014/en/program_yue.php. For ticketing enquiries, please call 3761 6661. For telephone credit card booking, please call 2111 5999. For Internet bookings, please visit www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:05
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