第九届东方名家名剧月将献演上海东方艺术中心 - 2015年12月25日

THE 2016 festival of classics, modern twists and experimental pieces at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center will run from March 18 to April 24.

Held in its ninth year, the festival will present a total of 19 performances covering a wide range of styles, including Peking, Kunqu, Yueju, Huju, Huaiju, Huangmei, Pingtan, Hanju and Chuju operas.

Artists of major traditional theaters of the country will gather in Shanghai and give six art lectures to the younger generation.

During the festival, celebrated artists will host talks with traditional opera fans on the history, aesthetics and preservation of diverse art forms.

According to Lin Hongming, general manager of Shanghai Oriental Art Center, the festival has become a cultural brand of the center and a platform to discover talented performers and cultivate a younger audience.

On March 18, a classic Peking Opera comedy "Promotion of Scholar Xu" by Hubei Peking Opera Theater will open the festival.

The award-winning show plays an important role in the history of Peking Opera because for the first time chou, a male clown role of the opera, takes the leading part in the performance.

It is a comedic story of scholar Xu Jiujing who stands out in the official examinations but is not conferred as Number One Scholar because of his appearance.

Renowned Peking Opera performer Zhu Shihui who earned the Plum Blossom Award — China's top award for traditional opera artists — twice for portraying the character, will perform again. Over the past decades, the play has been staged more than 700 times all over the country.

Wuhan Hanju Opera Theater will present a historical show “Wang Zhaojun” on March 22. Dating back more than 300 years, Hanju Opera is one of China’s ancient regional operas.

The play revolves around the life and emotions of Wang Zhaojun, one of the ancient Chinese "Four Beauties." She was sent by the emperor to marry the leader of the Xiongnu tribe in order to establish a friendly relationship between the two sides. The show features poetic scenes and exquisite costumes and is a touching tale of the legendary lady.

Ningbo Xiaobaihua Yueju Opera Troupe will perform the classic "A Dream of Red Mansion" on April 1 while Northern Kunqu Opera Theater from Beijing will stage "Li Qingzhao," an original play about the life of the well-known ancient female poet, on April 15.

Pingtan (storytelling through music) artists Xu Huixin and Zhou Hong will present a performance of classic tales and modern retelling on April 16.

Zhejiang Peking Opera Troupe will bring two plays with distinctive martial arts scenes. Weng Guosheng, student of the late Peking Opera master Gai Jiaotian, who specialized in martial male roles, will star in the two Peking Opera performances "Tiger Generals" on April 8 and "Lotus Magic Lamp" on April 10.

Another highlight of the festival is nanyin music performances "Elegy on a Funeral for Flowers" by celebrated artist Wang Xinxin on April 21 to 22.

The classical musical performing art, which is said to date back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), originated in southern Fujian Province.

The graceful ancient art form is also known as a "musical fossil." In 2009 it was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

On April 24, Kunqu Opera performance "The Peony Pavilion" will close the festival. The show, which gathers both veterans and young artists from Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, also pays tribute to playwright Tang Xianzu, who is considered the "Shakespeare of the Orient." It is a love story of Du Liniang, daughter of a county official, and young scholar Liu Mengmei.

For detailed schedules and more information, please visit www.shoac.com.cn.

Date: March 18-April 24, 7:30pm

Venue: Shanghai Oriental Art

Center, 425 Dingxiang Rd

Tel: 6854-1234