Photo: Courtesy of organizers
Classic stage art draws crowds at theater event
The Chinese classic Yue Opera The Butterfly Lovers starring performers such as Chen Lijun and Li Yunxiao from Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe takes center stage in Hong Kong on Wednesday, as part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Chinese Theater Cultural Festival, which brings together theatergoers across the area by combination of traditional opera artistry and innovative modern elements.
Speaking of local audience's enthusiasm for traditional Yue Opera, Naomi Chung, head of Xiqu and Performing Arts at the West Kowloon Cultural District, told the Global Times on Tuesday that tickets for both performances of the opera program sold out more than three months in advance.
"Another program of Yue Opera Birthday Celebration by Five Daughters presented by the troupe that was launched on Monday evening also sold out. The atmosphere at the venue was lively," said Chung.
The Butterfly Lovers and Birthday Celebration by Five Daughters are both classic and iconic programs of Yue Opera, a popular Chinese opera genre with a history spanning over a century.
According to Chung, Birthday Celebration by Five Daughters, written by renowned dramatist Gu Xidong, is one of the most celebrated works in the Yue Opera repertoire.
Thanks to its enduring popularity, the crowd-pleaser has also been adapted into various other xiqu genres, including Peking Opera.
The Butterfly Lovers is a classic Chinese legend with countless stage and screen adaptations.
Adding to its enduring legacy is an award-winning production by the Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe, which retells the tragic romance with a modern sensibility.
Chen, one of the lead performers, highlighted the universal appeal of Yue Opera.
She noted that Yue Opera allows audiences worldwide to appreciate the artistic beauty of China's Jiangnan region.
Through this art form, China's worldview, values, and philosophy of life can be shared with audiences in different nations and regions.
At the GBA Chinese theater cultural festival, theatergoers from the GBA and beyond not only experience the allure of Chinese opera through Yue Opera, but also enjoy performances from other genres, including Cantonese Opera.
Tang Ying-yen, a board member of West Kowloon Cultural District Foundation Limited, said that the Cantonese Opera Feng Tian Cheng Yun, produced by the Xiqu Center in the West Kowloon Cultural District, was staged at the Guangzhou Opera House in Guangdong Province during the festival, further promoting deep cultural exchanges among the traditional opera art of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
In Hong Kong, there are more young people attending performances of traditional Chinese opera genres.
Chung noted that at some performances of Cantonese Opera, which was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, most of the front-row seats were occupied by young people.
The inheritors of traditional opera art in Hong Kong such as renowned Cantonese Opera singer Law Ka-ying have been trying to revive the opera in daily life.
Law told the Global Times that whether young or old, audiences entering the theater expect quality storytelling and genuine performances., as part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Chinese Theater Cultural Festival, which brings together theatergoers across the area by combination of traditional opera artistry and innovative modern elements.
Speaking of local audience's enthusiasm for traditional Yue Opera, Naomi Chung, head of Xiqu and Performing Arts at the West Kowloon Cultural District, told the Global Times on Tuesday that tickets for both performances of the opera program sold out more than three months in advance.
"Another program of Yue Opera Birthday Celebration by Five Daughters presented by the troupe that was launched on Monday evening also sold out. The atmosphere at the venue was lively," said Chung.
The Butterfly Lovers and Birthday Celebration by Five Daughters are both classic and iconic programs of Yue Opera, a popular Chinese opera genre with a history spanning over a century.
According to Chung, Birthday Celebration by Five Daughters, written by renowned dramatist Gu Xidong, is one of the most celebrated works in the Yue Opera repertoire.
Thanks to its enduring popularity, the crowd-pleaser has also been adapted into various other xiqu genres, including Peking Opera.
The Butterfly Lovers is a classic Chinese legend with countless stage and screen adaptations.
Adding to its enduring legacy is an award-winning production by the Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe, which retells the tragic romance with a modern sensibility.
Chen, one of the lead performers, highlighted the universal appeal of Yue Opera.
She noted that Yue Opera allows audiences worldwide to appreciate the artistic beauty of China's Jiangnan region.
Through this art form, China's worldview, values, and philosophy of life can be shared with audiences in different nations and regions.
At the GBA Chinese theater cultural festival, theatergoers from the GBA and beyond not only experience the allure of Chinese opera through Yue Opera, but also enjoy performances from other genres, including Cantonese Opera.
Tang Ying-yen, a board member of West Kowloon Cultural District Foundation Limited, said that the Cantonese Opera Feng Tian Cheng Yun, produced by the Xiqu Center in the West Kowloon Cultural District, was staged at the Guangzhou Opera House in Guangdong Province during the festival, further promoting deep cultural exchanges among the traditional opera art of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
In Hong Kong, there are more young people attending performances of traditional Chinese opera genres.
Chung noted that at some performances of Cantonese Opera, which was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, most of the front-row seats were occupied by young people.
The inheritors of traditional opera art in Hong Kong such as renowned Cantonese Opera singer Law Ka-ying have been trying to revive the opera in daily life.
Law told the Global Times that whether young or old, audiences entering the theater expect quality storytelling and genuine performances.
