Stage play marks 130 years since Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang's birth
The award-winning drama "Mei Lanfang" will be staged on October 30 and 31 at New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center, to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the birth of the Peking Opera master.
Some proceeds from the performances will be donated to the medical treatment of children with heart disease.
Drawn from the multiple perspectives of the people around Mei, the drama depicts the Peking Opera artist's legendary life, artistic achievements, and his relationships with his family and friends. It also tells Mei's romance with two beloved women — Fu Zhifang and Meng Xiaodong.
Since its debut in 1994, the drama directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Ng See-yuen has developed varied versions to cater for audiences in different period of time. It received the Excellent Repertoire Award at the 11th China Drama Festival. Last year, the drama amazed a large audience in Hong Kong.
Scriptwriter Gong Xiaoxiong said that it is a play with a strong flavor of Peking Opera. The lines of some characters in the drama are also Peking Opera dialogues.
Though there have been many stage and screen productions about Mei's life and career, the master's son Mei Baojiu, who is also the drama's art director, once regarded the play as the best way to portray his father's tumultuous life and artistic exploration.
In his view, by using many different means and techniques on the stage, the drama showcases the beauty of Peking Opera through the scenes of "play within play."
Bai Yongcheng, the leading actor and the drama's producer, spent much time learning to sing Peking Opera excerpts from Mei Baojiu to accurately portray Mei's father.
"In the future, we hope to bring the drama to a vast overseas audience in the United States and Europe, just as Mei Lanfang spread the art of traditional Chinese theater in his era," Bai said.
If you go:
Date: October 30-31, 7:30pm
Venue: New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center 前滩31文化演艺中心
Address: 777 Gaoqing Rd W. 高青西路777号
Tickets: 120-1,880 yuan
