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The 7th Chinese Opera Festival starts in mid-June, with highlights of Kunqu opera performances marking the opening as a tribute to Tang Xianzu, the great playwright of the Ming dynasty. The festival is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of Tang Xianzu, the Festival has invited local Kunqu scholar Koo Siu-sun to retell the story of "The Legend of the Purple Hairpin", and has commissioned the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe to perform the opening programme. The troupe will also perform "The Butterfly Dream" and four other excerpts.
Koo has reorganised the 53 episodes of "The Legend of the Purple Hairpin" into one full-length play of 10 acts. The show will be performed with Tang's original lyrics and the original musical notation of Ye Tang from the Qing dynasty. There will be two performances of "The Legend of the Purple Hairpin" with two pairs of performers playing the leading roles Li Yi and Huo Xiaoyu - the first by renowned Kunqu opera artists Wen Yu Hang and Ying Kam-sha; and the second by the two outstanding young performers of the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe, Zeng Jie and Hu Ping. The role of Grand Commandant Lu will be played by Zhang Shizheng, a Shi-generation Kunqu opera artist. The part of Liu Gongji will be played by young "jing" (painted face) actor Hu Linan. The play will be directed by renowned Kunqu opera director Shen Bin, with artistic supervision by Wang Shiyu and Wang Fengmei, both acclaimed Kunqu opera artists.
The script of the Kunqu opera, "The Butterfly Dream", was adapted by Koo Siu-sun in 2005, based on the adaptation stage script by Yan Zhu from the Qing dynasty. Originally, four actors performed 10 roles to develop the story of Zhuangzi testing his wife. The play proved to be highly popular following its debut performance and is now being played by Kunqu opera troupes worldwide, with high critical acclaim in the United States. In 2011, the play was restaged by director Lin Weilin of the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe with creative young actors such as Bao Chen, Wang Jing, Hu Linan and Tian Yang. The excerpt performance will be led by the Shi, Xiu and Wan generations of actors. Wang Shiyao and Zhang Shizheng of the Shi generation will perform "Writing the Petition" from "The Story of the Gauze Silk".
Another highlight will be the performances by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe. Legendary artists including Cai Zhengren, Yue Meiti, Liang Guyin, Zhang Xunpeng and Zhang Jingxian will lead a fine cast in performing the Kunqu vocal concert "The Four Dreams at Linchuan". The finest pieces from the Four Dreams will be showcased the same evening. Of the Four Dreams, "The Peony Pavilion" is by far the most widely performed and the most popular. Renowned Kunqu artists Cai Zhengren, Liang Guyin and Zhang Xunpeng will join the troupe in staging this classic masterpiece - a not-to-be-missed performance. The excerpt performance comprises both civil and military highlights featuring highly technical singing and thrilling action scenes. Cai Zhengren will perform his signature acting in "Welcoming the Statue and Lamenting the Statue" from "The Palace of Eternal Life". Once again he promises to move the Hong Kong audience with his interpretation of the profound love and sentiment of Emperor Ming of Tang.
Details of the performances are as follows:
Opening Programme: Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe
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Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
June 17 and 18 (7.30pm)
Kunqu opera "The Legend of the Purple Hairpin"
June 18 (2.30pm)
Excerpts
June 19 (7.30pm)
Kunqu opera "The Butterfly Dream"
Tickets price: $120 - $420
Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe
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Auditorium, Kwai Tsing Theatre
July 8 (7.30pm)
"The Four Dreams at Linchuan" Kunqu vocal concert
July 9 (7.30pm)
"The Peony Pavilion"
July 10 (7.30pm)
Excerpts
Tickets price: $120 - $420
Tickets are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999.
For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.cof.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, May 13, 2016
Issued at HKT 10:30
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