21-22/6 (Fri - Sat) 7:30pm
Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall
With Chinese and English surtitles.
Members of the audience are strongly advised to arrive punctually. Latecomers and those who leave their seats during the performance will only be admitted and allowed to return to their seats respectively during the intermission or at a suitable break.
Enquiries: 2268 7325 (Programme) /
3166 1100 (Ticketing)
Booking: 3166 1288 / www.urbtix.hk
North Road Bangzi Opera is one of the four Bangzi Opera genres of Shanxi with a history of more than 300 years. The regional genre was inscribed on the first list of Intangible Cultural Heritage at National Level in 2006, well known for its passionate, bold tunes and energetic performance. The art of North Road Bangzi Opera emphasises vocal techniques and has developed different kinds of singing styles, having irreplaceable historical value in the study of Chinese opera development and the history of regional cultures.
The Academy of Xinzhou Studies will make its debut at the Chinese Opera Festival with two North Road Bangzi Opera classics. Plum Blossom Award winner and exponent of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of North Road Bangzi Opera, Yang Zhongyi will star in Sobering Up after Being Drunk, playing a timid old prime minister set up by the empress to give some drunken advice to the emperor, thus risking his own life. The performance includes specific stylised movements such as 'kicking of the robe' and 'turning of the headgear'. In Dotting the Eye of a Painted Dragon, winner of the Plum Blossom Award and Wenhua Award, Cheng Fengying will play the young and Tang emperor Li Shimin travelling incognito to visit a talented scholar. Cheng's delicate performance on the emperor's ups and downs in emotions would be too good to miss.
21/6 7:30pm
Sobering Up after Being Drunk
Sobering Up after Being Drunk marks a breakthrough in North Road Bangzi Opera as it moves away from the usually serious style to become comedic. Empress Zhangsun (Jia Fentao), the imperial family and the minister Fang Xuanling (Yang Zhongyi) display their quick wit as they engage in their interactions. The contrast between Fang's submissive obedience to imperial authority when sober and his transformation into an articulate and forceful chancellor when drunk is dramatically expressed through stunts such as 'kicking of the robes' and 'turning of the headgear'. As the first North Road Bangzi Opera performer of the laosheng (old male) role to receive the Plum Blossom Award, Yang impresses with his performance as Fang's 'ghost' in Scene Five, demonstrating his solid training in physical feats and robust singing style – a perfect showcase of what makes the laosheng role exceptional.
Main Cast: Yang Zhongyi, Jia Fentao, Zhang Yuping, Feng Huiling, Zhang Zhiqiang, Du Rui
22/6 7:30pm
Dotting the Eye of a Painted Dragon
Cheng Fengying, a highly venerated actor of both sheng (male) and dan (female) roles, received a Plum Blossom Award for her performance in Dotting the Eye of a Painted Dragon. She plays the young Emperor Taizong of Tang, who disguises himself to search for talent to help govern the country. In the excerpt Fleeing Away, Cheng incorporates martial arts skills when performing the stunt of 'dragging feet' on a bridge, showing the emperor maintaining his regal bearing despite his troubling circumstances. Her superb acting and nuanced interpretation add much depth to the character. In the story, the scholar Ma Zhou presents the emperor with a painting of a pupilless dragon to criticise his failings as a ruler. In order to save her beloved, Si Niang paints the dragon's eyes with her blood. There are also comedic scenes with the local tyrant, accompanied by string and percussion music, showcasing the charm of North Road Bangzi Opera.
Main Cast: Cheng Fengying, Jia Fentao, Guo Jing, Wang Maolin, Li Ruixing, Liu Hongliang, Du Rui, Kang Runquan
The running time of each performance is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes including an intermission of 15 minutes.