Peking Opera Bonanza

Source:Global Times Published: 2014-8-25 20:23:01

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Jingju Theater Company of Beijing, two great opera performances will be presented respectively this September and October.

The upcoming performances are with the participation of some famous actors and actresses of Chinese Peking Opera, such as: Zhu Qiang, Li Hongtu, Du Zhenjie, Chi Xiaoqiu, Wang Yi, Bao Fei, Jiang Yishan, Wang Rongrong and many more.

Below is the listing of the operas that will be presented at the Chang'an Grand Theater this fall.

1. Make The Finishing Point

  

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This story tells how Li Shimin, second emperor of Tang Dynasty (618-907), cracked down on corruption and recruited the officials of virtues and capability. Many comparisons can be drawn between the play and present China.

2. Advance Three Ranks

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This opera is about how a man named Zhang Sihai failed to pass the imperial exam but then turned himself into a "hero." This story shows the ludicrous side of that age.

3. Get Down To Lu City

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This story is set in 202 BC when the warlords of Chu and Han fought against one another. The story tells of the sense of love and generosity of Liu Bang, the head of Han, to the residents of Lu.

4. The Sisters Of Song's Family

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This story is about how Soong Ching Ling disagreed with her sister Soong Mei-ling's marriage to Chiang Kai-shek, who betrayed the "Three Principles of the People" and killed the communists. She broke her relations with her own family due to her devotion to the "Three Principles of the People."

5. Three Times Fighting With Tao

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The story is about a woman named Tao Sanchun who dared to challenge the authority of the emperor as well as her husband.

6. Zhou Yu's Three Misjudgments

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It is a tale about the Three Kingdoms (220-280) when the general commanders of the state of Shu Han and the state of Wu were fighting against one another. The story dramatically describes one episode of the fighting, when Zhuge Liang, the high military counselor of Shu Han, foiled the plans of the general commander of Wu state Zhou Yu three times. Zhou eventually died of anger and frustration.

7. Poetry meeting (Shi Wen Hui)

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The story is based on a father named Shen Zhong choosing his son-in-law by testing them with poetry. This opera is one of the representatives of Zhang Junqiu's style, which requires crisp vocals performing at a random pitch.

8. Shajiabang

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This is a contemporary opera show that is popular for its red classical connection between the Red Army and ordinary people.

9. Over The Cloud

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This is a modern story about the developing path of IT companies in Zhongguancun area in the Haidian district of Beijing.

10. Wu Long Yuan

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Wu Long Yuan refers to one chapter of the classical Chinese novel Water Margin and is considered a classic sample of Peking Opera performing art.

11. Zhuang Yuan Mei

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This story tells of how the second emperor of Song Dynasty (960-1279) found his son-in-law named Yang Yuanshao who saved his daughter's life. The princess later gave a pearl shirt to Yang as a symbol of her love.

12. Legend Of The White Snake

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Legend of the White Snake, also known as Madame White Snake, is a Chinese legend, which existed in oral tradition long before any written compilation. The tale goes that a white snake came to the human world as she was longing for human life, and married a doctor named Xu Xian. Later she was punished by Fahai, a Buddhist monk in Jinshan Temple, who suppressed the white snake under Leifeng Pagoda at the bank of the West Lake.

Many years later, Madame White Snake's son offered sacrifice to his mother in front of the Leifeng Pagoda. God was moved by his action and made the pagoda collapse, which enabled the family to reunite.

13. Lotus Lantern

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The story is based on the traditional Chinese folklore about a boy named Chenxiang. His mother, San Sheng Mu, was a goddess and his father, Liu Yanchang, was a mortal. Since their marriage was forbidden, his maternal uncle, Erlang Shen, who was a god, punished them by killing Liu Yanchang. The story tells of how the boy went through a series of adventures to take revenge against Erlang Shen.

14. Historical Tong Ren Tang

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It is a story about the famous Chinese pharmacy Tong Ren Tang and its ups and downs in the hundreds of years of history.



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