7-9 June 2011 (Tue-Thu) 7:30pm
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Tickets: $350, 240, 180, 100

Lyrics and dialogue with Chinese and English surtitles

7 June 2011(Tue)
Excerpts
Waylaying the Horse
The story takes place during the Song Dynasty when the Central Plains are under attack of the Liao army in the north. The eighth daughter of the Yang family of generals and fighters, Yang Bajie, disguises herself as a man to scout around the enemy land.  She passes by a tavern run by Jiao Guangpu, who is actually the brother of a general of the Song army but has not been able to return home.  On seeing Yang with her pass, he sees his possible way out by stealing it from her.  Yang becomes suspicious and starts a fight with him.  Finally, after much probing, he tells her the truth, so the two begin their journey home together.

Cast: Yang Ya’nan, Hao Jie

Executing Chen Shimei
Chen Shimei tries to have his wife Qin Xianglian and his children murdered to cover up the fact that he was married before he became the consort of the Princess.  Qin escapes and takes her plaint to the famously judicious Judge Bao.  Bao summons Chen to court so he and Qin would have the opportunity to state their case. Chen thinks that, as the Princess’s consort, he would be able to talk himself out of this.  Bao finds his words not to be trusted and orders to have him executed. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor’s aunt try to stop Bao, but he is unmoved and Chen is executed in the end.

Cast: An Ping, Li Guojing, Xu Jingen, Wang Shaozhuan

Xu Ce Running to the City Wall
The story takes place in the Tang Dynasty.  When Xue Rengui’s son is being persecuted by the corrupt minister Zhang Tai and his cohorts, the whole family is to be killed as well.  But thanks to Xu Ce, who sympathises with the Xue’s demise, takes the baby Xue Jiao under his wing and gives up his own son in his place.  When Xue Jiao is grown up, Xu Ce advises him to send a letter to his uncle Xue Gang and his wife, inviting them to bring their army of soldiers to Hanshan.  After the three forces meet, they agree to attack Chang’an together.  Xu Ce is thrilled by the news.  Despite his age, he runs to the tower on the city wall to catch the welcoming sight of the Xue soldiers coming.  He is also willing to speak on the Xue’s behalf in a plea to the Emperor to revoke their case and have Zhang Tai executed.  Seeing the young Xue Jiao in such fine shape, he is so happy that without getting on his horse or in a sedan chair, he runs to the palace and requests to see the Emperor to present his memorial for the whole reinstating process.

Cast: Chen Shaoyun

Peking opera and Cantonese opera version of King Chu Bids Farewell to His Concubine
This production of King Chu Bids Farewell to His Concubine is our new collaborative attempt.  Since there will be a long duet scene between the leading male and female actors, if the dialect, the percussion points and the music are all different, how should we work them out to create the right chemistry?  We have put in a lot of effort experimenting, rehearsing and adjusting.  Fortunately there are features in these two genres that resemble each other, especially with the banqiang vocal system on which both built. As for movements, since artists in Cantonese opera have been trained to adopt some of the percussive points and the stylized movements of Peking opera, it is easy to adapt and to give a seamless performance.  Peking opera is a genre that adheres closely to strict routines and traditions, it is admirable, therefore, of Ms Shi Yihong to agree to this collaboration.  Her immaculate attitude and keen eye for detail have helped to give the performance sparkle.  We hope that this ‘crossover’ attempt, with the juxtaposition of two types of dialectal singing as well as martial art routines on stage, would be a new and rewarding experience for our audience.

Law Kar-ying

Synopsis: The states of Chu and Han are fighting to see who can gain control of the nation. King Chu and his army are trapped and ambushed at Gaixia. The King of Han orders his soldiers to sing folk songs of Chu to mislead King Chu into thinking that he has lost his land entirely.  The singing is heard by King Chu’s favourite concubine, Lady Yu, who reports this to him.  He thinks the end is near, and composes a poem to express his devastation and downfall. Lady Yu hides her sadness and tries to console him with a song and a dance.  In order that King Chu would be able to break out of the siege without any restraints, she kills herself with his sword.

Cast: Law Kar-ying(Guest), Shi Yihong

Hong Kong：
Director : Liu Xun
Percussive Ensemble Leader: Chan Siu-lung
Ensemble Leader: Lau Kin-wing

Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe：
Jinghu : Chen Lei
Drum : Jin Zhengming
Stage Manager : Zhou Chunguang

Supported by the Ministry of Culture, performance on 7 June will be recorded and broadcast on China Central Television.

8 June 2011 (Wed)
Excerpts
The Pulley
The state of Southern Song is under enemy attack. General Yue Fei and his army fight with Wushu of Jin, but are trapped on Ox Head Mountain.  Wushu knows that there are many valiant warriors in Yue Fei’s camp, a factor that would make winning difficult. So he orders to have heavy metal pulleys stationed at strategic points on the mountain paths to stop Yue’s army from breaking out.  When Yue Fei appoints his generals to lead their troops in a formation on the battlefield, Gao Chong finds he is not assigned and confronts Yue, who only orders him to stay put in the camp and keep the Song standard flying.  When Gao sees the Song army losing in the battle, he rushes in and turns the situation around.  As the enemies retreat, Gao is in hot pursuit.  Wushu orders to release the iron pulleys down the slopes to thwart Gao’s advances.  He manages to use his spear to overturn eleven of the pulleys, but his strength gives out and he is crushed to death under the heavy wheels of the twelfth.

Cast: Xi Zhonglu, Fu Xiru

On Broken Bridge
The White Snake and the Green Snake can transform into human shape after practicing magic for a thousand years on Emeishan.  They call themselves Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing and come down to the human world. At West Lake, they chance to meet Xu Xian.  Bai and Xu fall in love and become husband and wife.  Monk Fahai intervenes, and Xu listens to his ill advice and makes Bai drunk on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.  Bai’s reversal to her original snake form scares Xu so much that he drops dead.  Bai goes to the celestial mountains to gather the celestial herb to revive him.  After he has recovered, Xu is again lured by Fahai to go to the Jinshan Monastery, where Xu is not allowed to return home.  Bai and Xiaoqing come to ask Fahai to release Xu but to no avail.  Bai is forced to wreak havoc.  Xu escapes from the Monastery, and is reunited with Bai on Broken Bridge in West Lake.  Bai forgives him because she still loves him, and the two go to the home of Xu’s sister.  Fahai tracks them down; the two snakes are not his match in magic powers.  Xiaoqing manages to escape, but Bai is trapped under the Leifeng Pagoda.  Many years later, Xiaoqing returns with her immortal friends, defeats the spirit guarding the Pagoda, brings it down, and lets Bai free.

Cast: Li Guojing, Yang Nan, Cha Sina

The Ugly Bride from The Return of the Phoenix to the Nest
A senior minister of the Ming Dynasty, Cheng Pu, retires from his office and goes home.  He has two daughters: the elder, Xueyan, who is from his first wife and is ugly; the second, Xue’er, who is from his concubine and is beautiful and intelligent.  Xue’er is therefore the apple of her father’s eye.  She is betrothed to Mu Juyi, but Lady Cheng has another plan: she wants her own daughter, Xueyan, to marry Mu in place of Xue’er.  Just at that moment, the aristocrat Zhu Huanran, an ugly man who has long ogled Xue’er because of her beauty, appears at the door and claims that he is Mu Juyi and has come for the bride. On the wedding night, in the bridal chamber, the bride and the groom discover both are imposters and are struck with remorse, but there is nothing they can do to revoke the situation.

Cast: Sun Zhengyang, Xiao Runnian

Castigating Yan Song
The story takes place during the Ming Dynasty, when the prime minister, Yan Song, is in power and his corrupt practices lead to the demise of many loyal courtiers.  He even schemes to usurp the throne, and has his own crown made for the occasion.  The Grand Historian Zou Yinglong hears of his intent, and has always wanted to thwart his plan as well as to shame him.  When Yan is dissatisfied with the work of the two craftsmen of his crown and chases them out, Zou puts them in the safe custody of Prince of Kaishan, Chang Baotong, so as to keep them as witnesses to testify against Yan.  He also tells Chang that he can beat Yan up, but not to cause any injuries to his face.  He will tell him the reason later.  Chang agrees to the plan.  To fortify his plot, Zou pretends to leak out the information to Yan, and succeeds in luring him to Kaishan. Yan brings with him a royal edict to do a search for the two craftsmen.  The Prince, under the instruction of Zou, cheats Yan into handing over the royal edict, and gives him a good beating on the body with the gold staff bestowed on him by His Majesty, deliberately leaving his face untouched.  Yan escapes and tells Zou he is going to appeal to His Majesty to mete out punishment to the Prince.  Zou tells him he has no proof because his face carries no wounds or bruises.  Yan begs Zou to create some for him, and seizing this golden opportunity, Zou gives him a good beating, at the same time castigating him to his heart’s content. But Yan still does not realise he is being tricked.

Cast: Shang Changrong, Chen Shaoyun, Jin Xiquan, Yan Qinggu

9 June 2011 (Thu)
Famen Temple
Liu the Matchmaker sees how Fu Peng has left Sun Yujiao a jade bangle, so she asks Sun for one of her embroidered shoes, claiming that she would do the matchmaking for her.  The matchmaker’s son, Liu Biao, sees the opportunity to blackmail Fu Peng.  An argument ensues, and the village beadle, Liu Gongdao, stops them.  At night, Liu Biao steals into the Sun Residence, and kills Sun’s uncle and aunt by mistake.  When he discovers the mistake, he cuts off the heads of the two and throws them over the wall into the courtyard of the village beadle.  Liu Gongdao is frightened out of his wits and hides the heads. Then he discovers that the entire process has been seen by his helper, Song Xing, so he kills him to shut him up forever.  The deaths are reported to the Magistrate, Zhao Lian.  Instead of investigating, he casts Fu Peng into prison and extricates a false confession from him by severely torturing him. The father of Song Xing, the helper who gets killed, wants justice done, but is also incarcerated.  His daughter, Song Qiaojiao, happens to be the fiancée of Fu Peng.  She makes Liu the Matchmaker drunk and so learns the truth of the entire situation.  When the Empress Dowager visits Famen Temple on a devotional trip, Sun Qiaoqiao seizes the opportunity to make her appeal.  The Empress Dowager is accompanied by the Chief Eunuch Liu Jin, who is entrusted to hear her out.  Liu Jin orders Zhao Lian to revoke the verdicts, and after investigation and the true culprits are found, Liu Jin orders to have Liu Biao and Liu Gongdao executed. Also, at the order of the Empress Dowager, the two girls, Sun Yujiao and Song Qiaojiao, are to both marry Fu Peng as wives.

Cast: Shang Changrong, Shi Yihong, He Shu, Sun Zhengyang, Xiao Runnian, Yan Qinggu, Jin Xiquan

Running Time: Approx. 2 hrs 45 mins with an intermission

Peking opera is one of the most influential operatic genres in China as it can be found in almost every part of the country. It has its roots in the theatrical system of Anhui troupes and came into its own by assimilating various types of regional theatre. When the Anhui troupes went to the capital of Peking (now Beijing) during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of Qing, many artists who were originally trained in the Qinqiang school joined the visiting groups and so the vocal styles of Anhui and Qinqiang began to merge. There was further assimilation when the Kunqu artists also joined the Anhui troupes. By the Daoguang reign (r. 1821-1850), the vocal styles of xipi and erhuang merged to become Pihuang opera. The vernacular tones of the Peking dialect also exerted its influence on the genre, shaping it into what we know today.In 2010, the UNESCO declared Peking opera was included in the ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’.

Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe was established in 1955 after a merger of the Eastern China Experimental Theatre and the People’s Peking Opera Troupe, and the founding president was Zhou Xinfang, who was a famous Peking opera master himself. The Theatre has been dedicated to building its repertory and grooming talents, at the same time it places emphasis on the popularizing of Peking opera and audience building. Towards such ends, it has staged many performances featuring young artists in the main. The group has won many awards, including the China Xiqu Society Award, the Wenhua Grand Prix, the Gold Award at the China Peking Opera Festival, the Five ‘One’ Project Award, the Grand Prix at the China Arts Festival, the Shanghai Literary and the Arts Award. The Glorious Zhen Guan Years, The Virtuous Yu Chenglong and The Merits and Foibles of Xiao He were among the Ten National Fine Stage Arts Projects.

Shang Changrong
Shang is a National Class One Performer specialized in jing (painted face) roles. He is the first ever winner of the Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre.  Currently he is Chairman of the Chinese Dramatists’ Association and the Shanghai Dramatists’ Association.  Shang’s awards and accolades include the Lead Actor Award at the Shanghai ‘Magnolia’ Awards for Chinese Theatre - Performing Arts and Outstanding Performance Awards at the China Theatre Festival.  With Shang as one of the main cast, the new historical Peking opera, Cao Cao and Yang Xiu and The Glorious Zhen Guan Years, The Virtuous Yu Chenglong came top of the list of Gold Awards at the 1st, 3rd and 4th Peking Opera Festival of China. His stock repertoire includes The Incident on Lianhuan Mountain, The Siege of Luoyang and The Black Cyclone.

Chen Shaoyun
Chen is a National Class One Performer specialized in laosheng (old man) roles of the Qi stylistic school (after the legendary Qilintong), winner of the 11th Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre, Wenhua Award for Performance presented by the Ministry of Culture of China, an Outstanding Performance Award in the China Theatre Festival, an Outstanding Performance Award in Peking Opera Festival of China and Lead Actor Award at the Shanghai ‘Magnolia’ Awards for Chinese Theatre – Performing Arts. He was recognized for his performance in The Merits and Foibles of Xiao He, How a Dead Cat Was Substituted for a New-born Prince and The Hunchback Prime Minister.

Sun Zhengyang
Sun is a National Class One Performer specialized in chou (comic) roles. His teachers included Luo Wenkui, Guan Hongbin and Liang Lianzhu. He has created such new works as Hai Zhou’s Attempts at Getting Through the City Gate and Jiang Ping Retrieves the Seal from the Water, featuring the chou as in a lead acting role. This has won him the accolade as ‘a famous comic role actor in Jiangnan’.  His acclaimed repertoire includes Famen Temple, A Meeting of Heroes and Eighteen Pulls.

Shi Yihong
Shi is a National Class One Performer trained in qingyi (virtuous female), daomadan (‘broadsword-wielding and riding’ female) roles of the Mei Lanfang stylistic school. Born Shi Min, she was a winner of the 11th Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre. Graduated from the Advanced Course for Outstanding Young Performers in Peking Opera in China, her other accolades include the 2nd Chinese Theatre Awards, a Gold Award and Outstanding Performance Award at the All China Playlets Competition, and a Lead Actor Award at the Shanghai ‘Magnolia’ Awards for Chinese Theatre in 2009.  She starred in the symphonic Peking opera, The Royal Concubine of the Tang Dynasty, the new Peking opera production, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, How a Dead Cat Was Substituted for a New-born Prince and traditional repertoire, Princess Baihua and The Phoenix That Rises from the Ashes.

Xiao Runnian
Xiao is a National Class One Performer specialised in chou (comic) roles.  He was born into a family of artists in Chinese opera, his grandfather being the renowned artist Xiao Changhua, and has worked with virtuosi of both the northern and southern artistic tradition, including Tong Zhiling, Li Yuru, Zhao Yanxia and Li Huifang.  An outstanding exponent of the Xiao stylistic school, Xiao is renowned for his performances in A Meeting of Heroes, The Dragon Goblet, Qin Qiong Selling His Horse, and has appeared in the new production Cao Cao and Yang Xiu and The Glorious Zhen Guan Years.

Xi Zhonglu
Xi is a National Class One Performer specialised in wusheng (military male) roles. He holds a graduate degree from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre, and enjoys the reputation of the most outstanding wusheng actor today in the field.  Xi has garnered numerous awards and accolades over the years, including an Outstanding Performance Award at the All China Peking Opera New Repertory Showcase organised by the Ministry of Culture (1988), a Gold Award (Male Actor) at the Mei Lanfang Gold Awards Competition (1993), the title of one of Shanghai’s Ten Most Outstanding Young Actors in the award’s first year.  His stock repertoire includes Eight Mallets, The Single Plank Pass and The Pulley.

An Ping
An is a National Class One Performer specialised in hualian (painted face) roles of the Qiu Shengrong stylistic school, and a graduate of the Advanced Course for Outstanding Young Performers in Peking Opera in China.  His many accolades include a Class One award at the All China Accreditation Showcase of Outstanding Young Performers in Peking Opera, a Gold Award at the CCTV All China Television Grand Prix for Young Performers in Peking Opera, Shanghai ‘Magnolia’ Awards for Chinese Theatre – Performing Arts and an Outstanding Performance Award at the China Arts Festival. His prized repertoire includes The Merits and Foibles of Xiao He, The Red Sand River and The Capture of Lu City.

Li Guojing
Li is a National Class One Performer specialised in qingyi (virtuous female) roles of the Mei Lanfang and Shang Xiaoyun stylistic schools and huashan (a mixture of the flirtatious and virtuous female) roles of Shang school.  She graduated from the Advanced Course for Outstanding Young Performers in Peking Opera in China.  Li’s teachers include Zhang Zhilan, Tian Yuzhu, Liu Yuntong and Yang Ronghuan, and she later also came under the tutelage of Du Jinfang, a renowned artist of the Mei school.  She won a Class One Award with The Cosmic Sword at the 2001 All China Accreditation Showcase of Outstanding Young Performers in Peking Opera, and a Best Performance Award with Losing Her Son and Losing Her Mind at the CCTV All China Television Grand Prix for Young Performers in Peking Opera.

Law Kar-ying (Guest)
Law began receiving formal training in basic stylized movements and routines at age 8 under his father Law Ka-kuen, and in singing and acting with his uncles Law Ka-shu and Law Ka-wui.  During the course of his operatic training he also came under the coaching of Fen Kuk Fa, Lui Kwok-chuen, Liu Xun and Leung So-kam.  He staged a dozen of new productions such as The Story of Liu Yaojin, Dragon’s Prescript, Di Qing, The Immortal Zhang Yuqiao and Cao Cao and Yang Xiu.  Law adapted Shakespeare’s Macbeth into Cantonese opera and also Deling and Empress Dowager Ci Xi in 2010 and set a new trend in the genre.

Host: Tam Wing-pong
Speakers: Law Kar-ying (Hong Kong), Shi Yihong (Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe)

7 April 2011 (Thu)  7:30pm
AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

In Putonghua and Cantonese
Free Admission. Limited seats available on a first-come-first served basis.

6 June 2011 (Mon) 4:30pm
AC1, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Speaker：Shang Changrong

Free Admission. Seats are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Tickets will be available from 8 April onwards at all URBTIX outlets, on Internet and by credit card telephone booking

Half-price tickets available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (Limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients available on a first-come-first-served basis)
Group Booking Discount – 10% off for each purchase of 4-9 full-price tickets; 15% off for 10-19 full-price tickets; 20% off for 20 or more full-price tickets
"Chinese Opera Festival 2011” Package Discount – 10% off on full-price tickets for each purchase of 3-4 different performances; 15% off for 5-9 different performances; 20% off for 10 or more different performances

Patrons could enjoy only one of the above discounts for each purchase, please inform the box office staff at the time of purchase

Programme Enquiries：2268 7325
Ticketing Enquiries：2734 9009
Credit Card Telephone Booking：2111 5999
Internet Booking：www.urbtix.hk

The presenter reserves the right to substitute artists and change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary
The contents of this programme do not represent the views of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department