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The Chinese Opera Festival 2010, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will soon stage Puxian opera, one of the five major theatrical genres of Fujian. The Lisheng Opera Troupe of Fujian will perform for Hong Kong patrons its prized Puxian opera production and signature piece.
The programme includes "Chuncao Barging into the Court Room", as well as a variety of operatic excerpts. "Pulling a Trick on a Female Psychic Medium" and "On the Ferry Boat" are stories with a contemporary theme performed with traditional techniques, and are moral lessons that provide the audience much food for thought. In the rest of the programme - "Escorting Jingniang Thousands of Miles", "Two Valiant Fighters and Zhu Yingtai Paying Her Last Respects" from "The Butterfly Lovers", "Zhu Chaolian" and the "Monk Mulian series" - the artists will demonstrate their exceptional stylised movements and vocal talent that have made Puxian opera unique.
Puxian opera is one of the five major theatrical genres of Fujian, alongside Liyuan opera, Min opera (Fujian opera), "Gaojiaxi" and "Xiangju" (or "Gezaixi" of Taiwan), with Puxian opera and Liyuan opera being the oldest. Its traditional stock repertory consisted of more than 5,000 titles, with about 80 of them retaining all the elements of the original "nanxi" (southern opera), its cultural provenance. Puxian opera was also inscribed in the first listing of National Intangible Cultural Heritage of China in 2006.
Puxian opera has a unique, quaint charm that reflects the influence of ancient Chinese puppet theatre. As for music, it has retained the "nanxi" of the Song and Yuan period.
All performances will start at 7.30pm. Details are as follows:
June 27 (Sunday) Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall
"Chuncao Barging into the Court Room"
June 28 (Monday) Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall
Excerpts: "Two Valiant Fighters", "Zhu Chaolian", "Escorting Jingniang Thousands of Miles" and "Pulling a Trick on a Female Psychic Medium"
June 29 (Tuesday) Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall
Excerpts: "On the Ferry Boat", "Zhu Yingtai Paying Her Last Respects" from "The Butterfly Lovers" and "On Eating Meat" and "The Vow Taken at the Back Garden" from the series of plays on "Monk Mulian" etc.
Tickets prices ranging from $100 to $240 are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price concessions will be granted to senior citizens, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients. (Limited tickets for students and CSSA recipients are available on a first-come-first-served basis.) A Chinese Opera Festival 2010 group discount is available; please check the details in the programme leaflets.
For programme enquiries, call 2268 7325; for ticketing enquiries and reservations, call 2734 9009. For credit card telephone bookings, call 2111 5999. Internet bookings are available at www.urbtix.hk. Visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp for more information on the programme.
There are free talks and an exhibition on Puxian opera. Details are as follows:
Talks (in Putonghua)
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June 26 (Saturday) 2.30pm
Room AC1, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Topic: The expressiveness of mimetic movements in Puxian Opera
Speakers: Li Yuqin, Zhang Ting, Zheng Bixiong, Cai Xinzhi, Zheng Jianfei, Lin Qingxia
June 30 (Wednesday) 7.30pm
Room AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Topic: The creative process of two new productions of Puxian opera, "Pulling a Trick on a Female Psychic Medium" and "On the Ferry Boat", and the way forward for ancient theatrical genres
Speakers: Zheng Huaixing, Wang Shaoyuan, Zhang Ting
Exhibition
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Chinese Operas with an Ancient Lineage - The Theatrical Art of Puxian Opera and Zhengzi Opera
June 15 - July 4 Foyer, Tsuen Wan Town Hall
June 18 - July 4 Foyer, Ko Shan Theatre
Ends/Thursday, June 10, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:22
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