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The Chinese Opera Festival 2015 will stage one of the South China Eight Classic Pieces, "Monk Biancai Releases the Demon", in July. Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Cantonese opera stars Law Kar-ying and Ng Chin-fung together with Leung Chi-kit, Cheng Wing-mui, Li Pui-yan and Song Hongbo will re-enact this classic piece on stage.
Regarded as treasures of the Cantonese arias, the South China Eight Classic Pieces were originally compiled from the scores of Cantonese opera by omitting the dialogues and joining the singing parts together. Eleven such pieces were compiled but only eight remain. Following on from the presentation of "Lulang Reprimands His Son" at last year's Festival, renowned Cantonese aria singer Leung So-kam directs this classic piece "Monk Biancai Releases the Demon" in an ongoing effort to prevent this great art from falling into oblivion. The Eight Classic Pieces maintain the interpretation of the 10 role types of Cantonese Opera, with "Monk Biancai Releases the Demon" written for the gongjiao (bearded old male) role.
The story tells of how Su Dongpo, a famous poet during the Song dynasty, seeks assistance from the monk Biancai to help save his friend Tao Zhuan's son Fengguan, who has been bewitched by a willow nymph. Each of the characters in the piece sings in his or her unique style. Tao Zhuan and monk Biancai sing in a vigorous and profound laosheng (old male) vocal style, while Su Dongpo (zongsheng, bearded male) and Tao Fengguan (xiaosheng, young male) sing in a clear and resounding sheng (male) style. Madam Tao (zhengdan, virtuous female), Liu Qingniang (huadan, young female) and the Four Guardian Spirits (hualian, painted face) sing in zihou (falsetto voice) and dahou (heroic voice) respectively to recapture the flavour of the ancient vocal styles.
One of the South China Eight Classic Pieces, "Monk Biancai Releases the Demon", will be staged at 7.30pm on July 5 (Sunday) at the Auditorium of Sha Tin Town Hall; and at 7.30pm on July 6 and 7 (Monday and Tuesday) at the Theatre, Ko Shan Theatre. Tickets priced at $120, $200, $280 and $360 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 .
Pre-performance and post-performance talks will be held at 7.30pm on July 2 (Thursday) and July 9 (Thursday) respectively at AC1, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Speakers include Danny Li and Leung Chi-kit. The talks will be conducted in Cantonese. Admission is free. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ends/Monday, June 1, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:12
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