Ticketing

2-4/8 Fri-Sun 8pm

Tea House Theatre, Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon Cultural District


stage

Price

 $430

 $330



No refreshment
With Chinese and English surtitles
Audience is strongly advised to arrive punctually. Latecomers will only be admitted at a suitable break.



Programme Enquiries: 2268 7325

Ticketing Enquiries: 3761 6661

Credit Card Telephone Booking: 2111 5999

Internet Booking: www.urbtix.hk


Please click here for discount scheme details.


This is a unique performance.
The audience is in such close proximity with the actors that they can actually perceive every movement and every facial expression of the actors on stage.
The programming is diverse in range, covering comedy, serious drama, martial art and civil repertories in Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera in tandem. Most of them feature a duo performing consummate artistry and with emotive rapport, such as Writing the Petition from The Daughter of the Horse Trader, The Marriage Proposal from The Butterfly Dream, Stealing the Poem from The Story of the Jade Hairpin and The Dragon Teases the Phoenix.
The cast encompasses three generations of actors , including winners of the Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre Tang Yuen - ha and Cai Zhengren, and the famous Kunqu laosheng (old male) Lu Yongchang. From beacons in performing arts, young talents from the Shandong Peking Opera Theatre, to a new generation of Peking and Kunqu Opera actors trained by Jingkun Theatre, they will bring a new and refreshing perspective of the two genres in Chinese opera as reflected in the title, as ‘chrysanthemum’ is commonly used to represent Peking Opera , and ‘orchids’, Kunqu Opera.

Co-presenter

2/8 (Fri) 8pm


Excerpts

Kunqu : Touring the West Lake from The Legend of the White Snake


This excerpt is a 1997 adaptation of the Kunqu, Leifeng Pagoda, with Tang Yuen-ha and Cai Zhengren starring in the premiere performance. The production is recognised for its tuneful singing, elegant stylised movements and poetic ambiance.


A white snake has been practicing the Taoism Way on Emeishan for years and pines for the mortal world. She and her companion, a green snake, transform into human form, take on the names Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, and go to visit the West Lake in Hangzhou. They happen to meet Xu Xian, who lends Suzhen his umbrella in the rain, and it is love at first sight for the two of them.

Main Cast: Cheung Ching-man, Choy Yuk-chun, Chau Cheuk-yan



Peking Opera : Excerpt from The Crossroads


The Crossroads is a classic repertoire for actors in duanda wusheng (close-combat fighting military male) roles and wuchou (military comic) roles. The performance demonstrates the two actors’ consummate skills and rapport through seamlessly choreographed miming actions of probing in the dark, peeking, guessing, and actual fighting.


The story takes place during the Northern Song period. Jiao Zan is a valiant general in the army of the Yang family, but is banished because he has insulted the evil minister at the imperial court. Marshal Yang Lulang sends General Ren Tanghui to protect Jiao secretly along the way. At an inn by the crossroads, he is mistaken by a righteous swordsman, Liu Lihua, to be an assassin from the imperial court. With both sharing the same intention to protect Jiao, the two men begin a combat in the dark of the night…

Main Cast: Zhang Liang, Wu Shichao



Kunqu : A Tearful Visit to the Prison Cell from The Daughter of the Horse Trader


The excerpt has an alternative title A Miraculous Double Reunion. It belongs to the chuiqiang vocal style, and is found in the stock repertory of troupes performing Kunqu Opera and Peking Opera. It is a representative repertoire of actors in laosheng (old male) roles as it requires them to be equally adept in singing and acting.


Li Qi is framed and sentenced to imprisonment pending death without a fair trial. Devastated, he wails and cries in the cell all through the night. The new mayor Zhao Chong is not in his office, having gone on an inspection tour of the rural districts. Hs wife Li Guizhi hears the wailing and cannot help having pity on the prisoner. She orders to have him brought before her to find out. Li Qi tells her how he was framed by his adulterous second wife and her partner-in-crime for killing their maid because she refused to be raped. From his narration, Guizhi discovers that this old man is none other than her own father.

Main Cast: Lu Yongchang, Cheung Ching-man



Kunqu : Writing the Petition from The Daughter of the Horse Trader


This operatic excerpt is an engaging performance between a sheng (male) and dan (female). There is also the touching expression of ‘being through thick and thin together’ from the newly-wed couple, and small touches of wit and teasing between two young lovers.


Guizhi waits for her husband to return to the residence to tell him the whole situation, and pleads for help. But Zhao is also hands tied, because he cannot conveniently override the decision of the outgoing mayor, as the case has already been filed with the imperial court in the capital. What he can do, he proposes, is to prepare a petition on her behalf. He also says that as the newly appointed High Commissioner is due for an official visit tomorrow, Guizhi can disguise herself and find an opportunity to approach His Excellency to deliver the petition to plead the case and hope to have it revoked.

Main Cast: Cai Zhengren, Tang Yuen-ha



The running time of each performance is approximately 2 hours including an intermission of 15 minutes.

3/8 (Sat) 8pm


Kunqu : Stealing the Poem from The Story of the Jade Hairpin


This is a classic performed by a male and female duo, in jinsheng (scholar) and guimendan (high-born lady) roles. The performance is delicate and insightful, and the pacing is smooth and lucid.


A scholar, Pan Bizheng, is taking temporary board at his aunt’s Taoist nunnery. He meets the young nun Chen Miaochang, and the two are attracted to each other but dare not show it. One day, Miaochang writes a ci poem entitled The Moon on the West River, with an embedded message of her secret love. Bizheng reads correctly the meaning between the lines and is overjoyed. He takes the poem to confront Miaochang, who cannot deny it was her heart note. All rules and restriction are thrown to the wind as the two tie the knot.

Main Cast: Choy Yuk-chun, Cheung Ching-man



Peking Opera: Road to Exile from The Boar Forest


This is a bravura piece for actors in wenwu laosheng (civil and military old male) roles as both need to demonstrate consummate skills in singing, acting and martial arts.


Lin Chong is incriminated by Gao Qiu, the treacherous Commander of the Imperial Guards, and is banished to Cangzhou. But Gao would not stop at that: he orders the two guards responsible for taking Lin to Cangzhou to kill him on the way. Lu Zhishen appears in the nick of time and saves Lin.

Main Cast: Sun Weian, Zhang Hongjian



Kunqu : The Emperor's Tears on Seeing His Beloved's Statue from The Palace of Eternal Life


This excerpt is an exemplary piece for actors in daguansheng (male with crown) roles in Kunqu, as it requires exceptional vocal techniques from the actor.


After the army’s coup at Maweipo, which resulted in the demise of Lady Yang, Emperor Ming of Tang misses her so much that he orders to have a shrine built in Chengdu, installed with her likeness carved out in sandalwood. On the day of its completion, a sacrificial ritual is conducted. He orders Gao Lishi to escort the statue to the palace, and he will personally see to the enshrinement. As he recalls the past, he cannot help mourning her and feeling the deep remorse.

Main Cast: Cai Zhengren



Kunqu : The Marriage Proposal from The Butterfly Dream


This is a duo performance between a dan (female) role and a xiaohualian (clown) role. The two should show insightful reading of the psychology of the characters and the quick repartee must be delivered seamlessly. The old man is actually an old butterfly transformed into human form, and he teases and tests Tian. The actor in dan role should show the eagerness of a widow to remarry, but the entire presentation should be tasteful and not vulgar.


Zhuangzi happens to come across a young woman vigorously fanning a tomb. She tells him she is newly widowed, and according to her husband’s words before he died, she can remarry once the soil on his tomb is dry. Zhuangzi lends his help by wielding magic, and the woman presents him with the fan to thank him. On returning home, Zhuangzi fakes his own death to test his wife, née Tian. He then transforms himself into the Prince of Chu. Tian is immediately taken to the young, handsome prince, and offers herself to him through his old servant. The Prince accepts, and the message is relayed to Tian by the old servant. Tian is ecstatic, and decides to hold the wedding that evening…

Main Cast: Tang Yuen-ha, Lu Yongchang



The running time of each performance is approximately 2 hours including an intermission of 15 minutes.

4/8 (Sun) 8pm


Kunqu : Wandering in the Garden from The Peony Pavilion


Wandering in the Garden from The Peony Pavilion is a classic in operatic excerpt, distinguished by its fine libretti, lyricism in music, and the wonderful blending of song and dance.


The story is set in the early years of Southern Song period. Du Liniang, daughter of the prefect of Nan’an, visits the back garden with her maid, Chunxiang. On seeing how the beautiful spring scene is spoiled by the dilapidated walls and wells, she laments the fleeting of youth and the waste of the best days of one’s life.

Main Cast: Cheung Ching-man, Chau Cheuk-yan



Peking Opera : Excerpt from The Pulley


The Pulley is in the stock repertoire of actors trained in changkao wusheng (military male in full armour) roles. The performer must possess solid martial arts training, particularly strength and agility in the lower back and legwork.


The story takes place in the Southern Song period. The Song and Jurchen troops are engaged in heavy fighting at Ox Head Mountain. Prince Gao Chong arrives in the Song army camp with army provisions. He wants to go into battle himself, but the Commander, Yue Fei, only charges him with the task of keeping the Song standard flying. A trained and able warrior, Gao is displeased to be assigned such a lowly task. The battle now in full force, Gao watches impatiently as the Song army is losing. Unable to restrain himself, Gao mounts his horse and breaks into the enemy’s formation. He manages to win a few rounds at first, but then…

Main Cast: Zhang Liang



Peking Opera :The Dragon Teases the Phoenix


This is a delightful, comic short piece, and the actors need to strive for realism with natural acting, to be witty but not flippant and with a touch of sincerity.


Travelling incognito, Emperor Zhengde of the Ming Period is on an inspection tour. He arrives in Meilong Town and stays at the inn of Li Long. Li needs to observe vigil outside, so he asks his younger sister, Li Feng (Phoenix), to mind the shop. Zhengde is enamoured of her, and on the pretext of ordering food, engages her in banter. Feng also finds this guest attractive with his handsome, debonair looks. Zhengde reveals his real identity in the end and makes her his ‘Playful Concubine’.

Main Cast: Tang Yuen-ha, Sun Weian



Kunqu : Excerpt from A Devastating Witnessing Experience from Death of a Thousand Loyal Souls


This aria is a timeless piece and the first verse is like a household tune, recognisable by countless people in many regions of the Mainland.


The story takes place in the early years of the Ming regime. Zhu Di, Prince of Yan, wages a war in the name of ‘protecting the emperor from his encroaching enemies’ and forces his nephew–Emperor Jianwen to abdicate in his favour. He also orders a massacre of the court ministers, their families, friends, and even distant acquaintances. A Devastating Witnessing Experience tells of how Emperor Jianwen, after becoming a monk and a fugitive, witnesses the sad fate of many of his ministers and the cruel handling of their dead bodies. He also sees officials in the rural areas and womenfolk of officers being dispatched to the capital and roughly treated like criminals. He is tortured by the bloody sights and at the same time, his wrath grows.

Main Cast: Cai Zhengren, Lu Yongchang



The running time of each performance is approximately 2 hours including an intermission of 15 minutes.

Information provided by Jingkun Theatre and Shandong Peking Opera Theatre


Jingkun Theatre
Jingkun Theatre was established in 1986 with the purposes of passing on the legacy of Kunqu Opera and Peking Opera and sharing their cultural background. Over the years, it has organised and coordinated various kinds of performances, guided talks, workshops and courses. Recent major productions include Three Stars in Peking Opera, Plum Blossom Award Winning Showcase, Yu Zhenfei and His Artistic Lineage and Three Maestros in Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera. Earlier productions include the Peking Opera Concert, which showcased the various vocal styles and traced the development of Peking Opera in the last one hundred years; The Great Belfry, which was based on Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame; and a Peking Opera based on the novel of the same title by Louis Cha, The Return of the Condor Lovers. Jingkun Theatre was invited to represent Hong Kong in the China Peking Opera Festival held in Nanjing in 2001, and the China Kunqu Opera Festival held in Suzhou in 2006. In 2007, it was invited to represent Hong Kong in the 3rd Festival of Traditional Chinese Opera in Paris and won the Prix Special du Jury (Special Jury Prize) and the Best Actor Award. Apart from giving performances and creating artistic works, Jingkun Theatre has been conducting arts education activities for primary, secondary and university students in Hong Kong. It has also been invited to give demonstration performances and hold workshops for universities in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Shandong Peking Opera Theatre
Shandong Peking Opera Theatre was founded in 1950. For over half a century, the company has trained up many Artists of Integrity and Artistic Excellence, including many winners of the Plum Blossom Awards for Chinese Theatre and the Wenhua Awards, National Class One performers who have won numerous prizes in national competitions, as well as generations of outstanding young actors. The company is renowned for its cast of virtuosi capable of performing all the stock roles in Chinese opera with professionalism and attention to detail. In 2006, the company was assessed by the Ministry of Culture as a Major National Peking Opera Company. It has an impressive repertory of new works including the original productions Raid of the White-tiger Regiment and Red-clouded Hillock, both having been made into films. Shilong Bay has been awarded the Cheng Changgeng Bronze Medal at the 1st China Peking Opera Festival and the new repertoire award in the 6th Wenhua Performance Award presented by the Ministry of Culture; The Overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period has been awarded the Outstanding Repertoire Award at the 7th China Theatre Festival and the 3rd China Peking Opera Festival, and the new repertoire award at the 11th Wenhua Award; Railroad Guerillas has won the Class One Award at the 5th China Peking Opera Festival; The Sacrifice of an Iron-willed Confucius Scholar has won the Silver Award at the 6th China Peking Opera Festival, Rui Fu Xiang was showcased at the 10th China Arts Festival and has received the Grand Prize (top) at the 14th Wenhua Performance Award. Other than performing in all parts of China on a regular basis, the company also acts as a cultural representative in artistic exchanges in Europe, Asia and Australia.

House Programme


houseProgramme07

2-4/8 Fri-Sun 8pm Tea House Theatre, Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon Cultural District
stage

Price

 $430

 $330

No refreshment
With Chinese and English surtitles
Audience is strongly advised to arrive punctually. Latecomers will only be admitted at a suitable break.

Programme Enquiries: 2268 7325
Ticketing Enquiries: 3761 6661
Credit Card Telephone Booking: 2111 5999
Internet Booking: www.urbtix.hk

Please click here for discount scheme details.

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