Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Award winners announced
The 31st Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Award announced its winners this weekend.
Kunqu Opera performer Hu Weilu and Shanghai farce actor Xiaowen Shuangjie won the top Best Lead Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards.
For more than three decades, the award has served as an annual celebration of live theater art, honoring the best stage productions and actors since 1989. The last edition was held in 2019.
Making a return this year, the 31st Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Award gathered 118 nominees from 68 stage productions covering Chinese traditional operas, Western operas, dramas, dances, musicals and acrobatics shows.
The ceremony for the 31st Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Award was held at Shanghai Culture Square.
Ten actors won the Best Lead Actor award. Hu Weilu, a Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe performer, topped the list by playing Liu Mengmei in the classic "Peony Pavilion."
"I didn't have the best voice condition to practice Xiaosheng (young male character)," said Hu. "But I insisted on the path, and I'm very much grateful for my teacher Yue Meiti, who never gave up on me."
The top Best Supporting Actor award went to Shanghai Farce Troupe actor Xiaowen Shuangjie, who has been in more than 50 roles in his 40-year acting career. Another nine actors also won the award.
Hu Weilu became the top winner of the Best Lead Actor award, while the Special Contribution Award went to veteran actress Chen Qi.
Young Huaiju Opera performer Gu Xinyu won the top Best New Actor award, while Yi Chunyuan, a Shandong Liuzi Opera performer, became the Best New Supporting Actor top winner.
Veteran actress Chen Qi, 94, was conferred the Special Contribution Award.
According to the organizers, all the 118 nominees are from productions that performed on Shanghai stages from 2020 to 2022. The judging penal held a seven-day close-door discussing and voting before deciding on the award winners.
About 10 productions by the award-winning actors will be featured in a performance showcase in Shanghai from May to June.
