Qingyin Wu Diyin, soft and charming Jiangnan music. On April 11, Wuxi Xi Theater’s classic traditional Xi opera “Pearl Tower” will be performed at The Parisian Macao. It is understood that this is the first time that Wuxi has promoted a large-scale Xi Opera repertoire to Macau, China and the Greater Bay Area, opening up a new world for the dissemination and promotion of Xi Opera art. During the performance, two special performances of Xi opera excerpts will be performed in local schools. "Taihu Yizhimei" tin opera art is constantly "going out" in various ways to spread the fragrance of art.
The Xi Opera that originated from Yanjiaqiao, Yangjian Town, Wuxi is now over 200 years old, but it is still as vibrant as ever. Many movies based on local operas have been well received. The development of new images of tin operas such as animation, cultural creations, and clay figures are sought after by young people. The creation of large and small plays is flexible, and the stage presentation is rich and diverse... There are n kinds of possibilities for the art of tin opera, she It is active in the hearts of theater fans with its ever-changing "appearance".
△Stills of Xi Opera "Pearl Tower"
A local opera "crossed the border" and gave birth to many movies
Xi Opera is a representative drama in Jiangsu Province and one of the three major drama types in East China. It is also a bright cultural business card of Wuxi, known as "Taihu Lake" Yijimai". Wuxi Xi Theater was founded in 1951 and has produced a large number of accomplished and influential artists over the past 70 years. The director of the theater, Cai Yu, is a native of Meicun, Wuxi. Meicun is the place where Wu culture originated. The Wu rhyme culture passed down for thousands of years and the elegant and beautiful Jiangnan customs have influenced, cultivated and nourished Cai Yu's artistic inspiration.
"My father and uncle are both engaged in musical instrument playing in theater troupes. I have had a strong interest in music and drama since I was a child. In 1990, at the age of 16, I applied for the Xi Opera class of Wuxi Culture and Art School, and since then I have been closely associated with Xi Opera. An indissoluble bond formed. Time flies, and I have been performing in Xi opera for more than 30 years. "Cai Yu said that she has played many roles over the years, but the one she has played the most is Chen Cui'e in "Pearl Tower".
△Stills of "Pearl Tower" in the 1960s, Wang Binbin plays Fang Qing (right), Mei Lanzhen plays Chen Cui'e (middle), Zhang Guifen plays Jiang Caiping (left)
"Pearl Tower" tells the story of generations of people who have worked in Henan The story of the Fang family of an official, who was exiled and demoted due to an investigation. Fang Qing traveled thousands of miles to Xiangyang and asked his aunt Fang Duohua for help. Unexpectedly, her aunt was snobbish, and when she saw Fang Qing's downfall, she made sarcastic remarks. Cousin Chen Cui'e was kind and gentle, so she secretly gave the Pearl Tower to Fang Qing in the name of snacks. Three years later, Fang Qing won the first prize and got married to Cui'e, which became a good story.
Cai Yu introduced that "Pearl Tower" is a classic play that has been performed by Wuxi Xi Theater for a long time, and is also one of the most representative classic traditional plays in the Wuxi Opera world. In the 1950s, the People's Daily wrote a report on Wuxi Xi Opera's performance of "Pearl Tower" in Beijing, saying "Xi Opera has launched its first shot in Beijing."
Over the years, Xi opera has not only been active on the stage, but has also produced many "cross-border" movies. According to reports, Wuxi Xi Theater filmed three Xi opera movies in the 1960s: "Pearl Tower", "Meng Lijun" and "Red Flower Song" , "opera + movie" breeds new classics. In 2020, Wuxi Xi Theater also filmed the Xi Opera digital film "Jiangnan Rain" and screened it in local movie theaters. The interpretation and expression of traditional culture with a contemporary perspective and modern aesthetics have made Xi Opera continue to become popular.
△Xi Opera Animation Characters
△Xi Opera Animation Characters
Animation, cultural creativity, clay figurines, do you like the new image of Xi Opera?
In order for Xi Opera to become more "younger", traditional culture is becoming more and more fashionable. Wuxi Xi Theater designed animated characters of Fang Qing, Chen Cui'e, Fang Duohua, Chen Peide and Caiping based on the main characters in "Pearl Tower", and printed the animated characters on mugs, canvas bags and other supplies. Try more "Xi Drama +" cultural creations. In addition, we also cooperated with Huishan Clay Figures to launch clay sculptures of Xi Opera characters. Various fresh and vivid images have shortened the distance between them and young people, and more and more young people and animation fans have begun to enter the theater.
△Xi Opera clay figures and clay sculptures
In recent years, Xi Opera has also been using various methods to "go out" and continuously expand its "circle of friends."The 4th "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Chinese Drama Culture Festival" will open in Macau, China in April, and the tin opera "Pearl Tower" will be performed at the Parisian Theater.
△National tour site
A reporter from Modern Express learned that this is not the first time that Xi Opera has "traveled far away". In recent years, the National Arts Fund-funded project "Pearl Tower" has toured nationwide and completed performances in 22 large and medium-sized cities across the country, promoting Wuxi's cultural signature opera to the whole country. "Pearl Tower" met the ivory tower and collided with new sparks. "Pearl Tower" went to Tsinghua University to perform, showing the classic value and charm. In addition, he has visited Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan many times to carry out cultural exchange performances.
Major plays and small plays "Walking on Two Legs"
In recent years, Wuxi Xi Theater has created and staged large-scale tin plays such as "Huishan Clay Figure", "Taibo", "Die Lian Hua·Shen Wan", "The Road to Juansheng", "Cai Fengyi", etc. . While creating great plays, Wuxi Xi Theater insists on walking on "multiple legs".
△Stills of "Red Bean"
"In 2022, Wuxi Xi Theater initiated the creation of a small theater Xi opera, and specially invited Luo Zhou, director of the Jiangsu Academy of Drama and Literature Creation, to serve as literary director, and Yu Sihan, deputy director of the creative department of the Jiangsu Academy of Drama and Literature Creation. "He is the screenwriter." Cai Yu introduced that the country's first small theater drama "Hongdou" is based on a classical love story that took place in Wuxi, with Hongdou as the emotional carrier, with Wang Ziyu and Cai Yu as the leading actors.
The creation of small plays in Wuxi Xi Theater is advancing rapidly, and the stage presentation is rich and diverse. The anti-epidemic drama "Car Key" was selected for the National Arts Fund, "I Will Marry You Tomorrow" won many awards such as "Excellent Drama" at the 4th Jiangsu Provincial Drama and Sketch Show, and the red drama "Giving Shoes" starring Wang Ziyu won the provincial award Wenhua Award...
True emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and joy, endless performances in the world. Cai Yuchang said to the actors that the highest state of art requires a lifetime of growth to strive for. “We must promote the creative transformation and innovative development of Xi Opera art and strive to create more stage art works that are strong, moral and warm. ”
Modern Express/Modern+ reporter Zhu Jingrun and Chen Min
(Photo courtesy of Wuxi Xi Theater)
