***********************************************************
The Chinese Opera Festival (COF) 2015 will present a series of works of Mulian opera, which is one of the oldest forms of Chinese theatre.
Mulian opera originates from the story of "Monk Mulian Rescues His Mother" and is performed at Buddhist and Taoist services, at funerals and during the Hungry Ghost Festival to expiate the sins of the dead and deliver them from purgatory. Often, when disaster strikes, whether as a cause of man or nature, staging a Mulian opera is believed to have the power of expelling evil and returning calm to the land. On the other hand, if the land enjoys mild weather and bumper harvests for years, staging such plays is a way of offering thanks. Mulian opera is remarkable for its brilliant combination of opera, dances, acrobatics and martial arts. This year, the COF is introducing the Mulian Opera Series by featuring three different troupes.
Details of the series are as follows:
Quanzhou Wu Tianyi Centre for Dacheng Opera Heritage of Fujian
--------------------------------------------------------
Dacheng opera was originally part of the Buddhist and Taoist memorial rituals, but it found its way to the stage during the reign of Emperor Daoguang of Qing, who reigned from 1821 to 1850, and became one of the rare liturgical theatrical genres in China. The traditional repertoire of Dacheng opera consists of stories based on myths and religion. It has kept many of the traditional "show opening rituals" and masterly skills such as "fire eating and spitting", "eating paper and pulling out guts" and "juggling cymbals", which provide thrills and excitement for the audience. Today, the exotic genre of Dacheng opera is on the verge of extinction. The Quanzhou Wu Tianyi Centre for Dacheng Opera Heritage of Fujian led by successor Wu Tianyi will be in Hong Kong to perform in three evenings some of the most representative episodes of the Monk Mulian story.
June 23 to 25 (Tuesday to Thursday), 7.30pm
Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall
Tickets: $120, $180 and $260
Centre for the Preservation of Qi Opera of Hunan
------------------------------------------------
Plays centred around Monk Mulian and following the "gaoqiang" style are widely considered to be the forebears of Qi opera, and "The Legend of Mulian" has become the premier full-scale play in the Qi opera repertoire. In the COF 2011, the Centre for the Preservation of Qi Opera of Hunan (formerly Qi Opera Theatre of Hunan) made its debut in Hong Kong, staging the full-length "Monk Mulian Rescues His Mother" to critical acclaim. The troupe has been invited for a rerun in this year's Mulian Opera Series, again with its most outstanding actors Liu Dengxiong and Xiao Xiaobo. Alongside Mulian operas, the troupe will present to audiences some of its signature works. In "Risking One's Life at the Qin Residence", an all-acting "hualian" (painted face) vehicle, actors rely solely on dialogue and action to depict the grief of bereavement, and stunts like "desk-leaping" are employed as well to portray characters. "The Drunken Lu Zhishen Wreaking Havoc at the Monastery" parades acrobatic moves using different body parts such as the eyes, the face, the legs and the belly, while 18 Arhats catch attention with performances given while standing on one leg. "Lady Zhaojun Going Beyond the Great Wall", once a nationwide success, is a richly crafted, sumptuously wrought classic that is well worth revisiting.
June 27 to 29 (Saturday to Monday), 7.30pm
Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall
Tickets: $120, $180 and $260
Qimen Mulian Opera Troupe of Anhui
----------------------------------
Having originated from folk culture, the Mulian operas of Qimen hold a history of more than 400 years, with the earliest opera troupe formed in Limu Village. The COF has specially invited residents of the villages of Limu and Lixi of Qimen County of Anhui to put aside their farm work and come to Hong Kong to recreate performances that they would give in ancestral halls. The opening playlet, "Five Celestials Pacifying the Land", is traditionally seen to have the effect of invoking blessings for the rest of the show and warding off evil for the locals. The symbolic props, costumes, accessories and make-up are all created by the villagers themselves. For audience members who are accustomed to professional performances, this may appear rather primitive and coarse. Yet it is this honest, unpretentious quality, with a genuine and heartfelt warmth, that sets these works interestingly apart from the urbanised versions we are so used to.
July 2 and 3 (Thursday and Friday), 7.30pm
Theatre, Yau Ma Tei Theatre
Tickets: $120, $180 and $260
Tickets are now available at URBTIX. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis). Please refer to the Chinese Opera Festival website or programme leaflet for group booking discount schemes.
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7325, or visit www.cof.gov.hk. For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For Internet bookings, please visit www.urbtix.hk.
For information about the Mulian Opera Series forums, artists talks and exhibition, please visit the COF website.
Ends/Friday, May 29, 2015
Issued at HKT 12:10
NNNN
