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14
Thu
Dec
2018
19:30
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15
Sat
Dec
2018
19:30 |
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$320, $240, $120 |
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Auditorium, Ko Shan Theatre New Wing |
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13
Thu
Jan
2019
14:30 |
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$280, $220, $120 |
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Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre |
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25
Thu
Jan
2019
19:30 |
|
|
$280, $220, $160, $120 |
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Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall |
BUY TICKET
Chinese Opera
Revisiting a Fine Selection of Cantonese Opera: A Fan to Remember and The Cosmic Mirror
A Fan to Remember
Date: 14-15.12.2018 (Fri-Sat) Venue: Auditorium, Ko Shan Theatre New Wing
The story takes place in Nanjing at the end of the Ming Dynasty when the Manchu settle on the Central Plains. A titled scholar, Hou Chaozong, and a famous courtesan, Li Xiangjun, are both noted for their literary excellence and very much in love. To commemorate this, they write a love poem on a fan. The opportunist Ruan Dacheng wants Chaozong to join the faction, so he offers Xiangjun dowry gifts, but is humiliatingly turned down. On hearing the news of the dethroned emperor Chongzhen’s suicide at Meishan, his subjects are devastated. The loyalists set up an altar in the wild, wailing for his spirit to return. Dacheng, now a trusted courtier of the new emperor Prince of Fu, chases them away. On the other hand, Chaozong, as one of the loyalists, receives a secret letter from Shi Kefa, the Minister of Military Affairs of Ming guarding the last city in Yangzhou. He immediately takes leave of Xiangjun and goes to Yangzhou. The city falls after a futile defence, and a ten-day massacre follows. Shi Kefa gives his clothes to Chaozong for his cenotaph before he commits suicide. Back in Nanjing, with Yang Longyou as the go-between, Dacheng coerces Xiangjun to marry someone else. To show that she is willing to die rather than succumb to his plan, Xiangjun throws herself against a pillar. Xiangjun’s blood stains her fan. As a reminder of the tragedy, Longyou adds a few strokes to turn it into a painting of peach blossoms. Xiangjun’s bosom friend, Zhenli, is willing to sacrifice herself by taking her place and obliges Dacheng’s wedding arrangement in tears.
Some time has passed. With the country in demise and himself in dire straits, Chaozong runs into Zhenli one night on the river. Zhengli has lost her family in the chaos, and becomes a fisherwoman. At the same time, Xiangjun gets into trouble with the Qing soldiers when she flees from war. When they try to take away her fan, she refuses to let go. The fan gets ripped, and Xiangjun is devastated. When a cenotaph of Shi Kefa is erected at the Plum Blossom Taoist Temple, thousands of people throng to pay tribute to him. There, Chaozong, Xiangjun and Zhenli meet again. The sounds of the chimes and the woodblock of the temple seem to remind them that life is but an elusive dream. The fan is properly buried; the lovers part with a vow to reunite in another life.
Ruan Dewen as Hou Chaozong
Hong Wah as Li Xiangjun
Chan Ka-ming as Li Zhenli
Liu Kwok-sum as Yang Longyou
Hung Hoi as Shi Kefa
Wong Hai-wing as Kou Baimen
Lui Hung-kwong as Liu Jingting
Kim Lun as Prince of Fu
Kim Ying as Qing soldiers
Kwong Shing-kwan as Ruan Dacheng
Chung Kui-man as Taoist priest
The Cosmic Mirror
Date: 13.1.2019 (Sun) Venue: Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre
Date: 25.1.2019 (Fri) Venue: Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall
The country has suffered a three-year drought. The Dragon King, who administers rainfall, issues a mandate to the mortals that they should find the Cosmic Mirror at a precipice in order to end this disaster. In the mortal world, Du Shuangcheng has just been appointed the prefect of the area and is celebrating with his family. The unexpected order from the Emperor of the country throws the whole family into distress. Just as Shuangcheng and his wife, Yuexi, secretly discuss ways to get out of this, Shuangcheng’s elder sister Shuangyi admonishes him of his duty as a public servant. To make him realise it, she even kills herself. So with tears in their eyes, the couple embarks on the journey. They encounter many hazards on the way, from rough terrain to heavy snowstorm. Their guard and entourage are killed when they try to protect them. Then the couple gets stranded in the snowstorm, Yuexi sacrifices her life for the survival of her husband by feeding him with her own blood. After Shuangcheng has barely managed to escape to safety, he meets two beautiful temptresses. He is so enticed that he is about to give up his mission. At this critical moment, the spirits of Shuangchen’s sister, wife and attendants suddenly appear, castigating him for such weakness of will. Shuangcheng is brought back to his senses. He realizes the importance of his mission and is now determined to break away from the temptresses. As he succeeds in finding the mirror and conducts the offering ritual to the Dragon King, he sees all those who have sacrificed for the cause appear before him, phantoms turning into celestials as they rise to heaven.
Song Hongbo as Peacock God / Du Shuangcheng
Zong Yunsin as Yuexi / Goddess
Chan Ka-ming as Du Shuangyi / Goddess
Hong Wah as Goddess / State Preceptor / Mad Woman / Bi Lian
Hung Hoi as Wei Tuo / Luo Qi
Kim Lun as Jia Lan / Feng Biao
Kim Ying as Arhats / Owner of unscrupulous shop
Lin Xinling as Goddess / Owner of unscrupulous shop / Zi Lian
The running time of the performance is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes including an intermission of 15 minutes.
Information provided by the arts group
TICKETING
DATE VENUE PRICE 14.12.2018 (Fri) - 15.12.2018 (Sat)
19:30
19:30
Auditorium, Ko Shan Theatre New Wing
$320, $240, $120
13.01.2019 (Sun)
14:30
14:30
Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre
$280, $220, $120
25.01.2019 (Fri)
19:30
19:30
Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall
$280, $220, $160, $120
DATE14.12.2018 (Fri) - 15.12.2018 (Sat)
19:30
19:30
PRICE
$320, $240, $120
DATE13.01.2019 (Sun)
14:30
14:30
PRICE
$280, $220, $120
DATE25.01.2019 (Fri)
19:30
19:30
PRICE
$280, $220, $160, $120