The Cantonese opera "Cheng Ying Saves the Orphan" is transplanted from the Henan opera "Cheng Ying Saves the Orphan". The story takes place in the Jin State during the Spring and Autumn Period. More than 300 members of the loyal Zhao Dun family of the Jin State were killed by the traitor Tu'an Gua, and only one person survived. Posthumous orphan. Revolving around the life and death of Zhao's orphans, Cheng Ying and others risked their lives and generously went to justice, and started a contest between justice and evil, kindness and cruelty with Tu Anjia. The story is full of twists and turns, moving and majestic, vividly showing Cheng Ying's danger of rescuing an orphan, the difficulty of raising an orphan, the pain of losing a child, the humiliation of being reviled, and the pain of being misunderstood. It demonstrates the brilliance of Cheng Ying's deep humanity and his fearlessness. The outstanding Chinese national spirit of being strong, upholding justice, and tenacious. On the eve of the
drama, Xian Jiantang, who plays the male protagonist Cheng Ying in the drama, accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from Nandu, talking about his deep insights from 30 years of acting and the process of creating the character "Cheng Ying". "This is the first time I have played the leading role in a creative and rehearsed play. It is both pressure and motivation. With the master of Yu Opera performing arts Li Shujian in front of me, I hope to work together with the crew to create a drama that will deeply touch the audience and be full of Cantonese opera characteristics. "Cheng Ying Saves Orphans"
01: Atypical entry experience
Xian Jiantang's experience in Cantonese opera is unexpected and reasonable. He was born in a Cantonese opera family in Guangxi. Although his father was the stage props captain of the Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe, he never thought about inheriting his father's business until his son graduated from junior high school. "When I was 15 years old, the Guangxi Art School came to the middle school where I was studying to recruit students, so I took the exam." Xian Jiantang told a Nandu reporter that he did not have a deep understanding of Cantonese opera at the time. In order to cope with the exam, he improvised I learned a song "Shan Bo's Death" and a few simple performances. "This is the first time in my life that I have learned to sing Cantonese opera, and I got the second place in the re-examination. This gave me a lot of encouragement."
The Cantonese opera class of Guangxi Art School that Xian Jiantang applied for can be called the "Whampoa" of the Cantonese opera industry in Guangxi. "Military Academy", from which many big bosses in the Cantonese opera industry came out, such as the winner of the "Second Plum Blossom" of the Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award and the famous Cantonese opera literary and martial arts student Ou Kaiming, and the national first-class actor Li Hongtao who is a veteran in the Cantonese opera industry. .
Xian Jiantang, who entered the industry at the "advanced age" of 15 years old, was admitted to his favorite Cantonese opera class as he wished. Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, another difficulty was placed in front of him. "In the first year of school, we learned the basic skills of Cantonese opera, and the teacher formally taught songs. The first song was 'Shilao Yong' from the famous traditional Cantonese opera excerpt "Fang Pei", and I suddenly turned into a male duck's voice, do re mi Fa sol, fa can't be sung. I have no choice but to sit in the classroom and watch other students practice. It's very uncomfortable and frustrating." In order to cure his voice, Xian Jiantang often took time off to go to the hospital for medical treatment and insisted on going to the treatment room. He sprayed his throat and spent a lot of money, but the effect was not satisfactory. After going to the hospital for a long time, he realized that he had entered the period of voice change.
At this time, the teacher from the art school comforted him and said, Ah Tang, it doesn’t matter if you can’t sing well, and you will have a future if you can do somersaults well. Therefore, on days when he could not sing high notes, Ah Tang devoted all his energy to practicing other basic skills. I get up at six o'clock every morning and practice until nine or ten o'clock in the evening. He must be the first to do the actions that others cannot do, and do the actions that others can do better. Several times when he was studying late at night, he also sweated a lot during practice, which caused an electrolyte imbalance in his body and caused cramps in his calves. "Despite this, I never thought of giving up Cantonese opera. As for when I started to really fall in love with Cantonese opera, I think it was the moment when I couldn't sing the music and I was secretly competing with myself."
As the saying goes, what is lost is lost in the east, and what is gained is lost. Ah Tang, who has made no progress in singing skills, ranks among the top three in other basic skills such as waist and leg skills, body posture, blanket skills, and barre skills.At the end of the second semester of the first grade, Ah Tang, who had been "dormant" for nearly a year, finally opened his voice and sang the entire "Ode to the Stone Lao" as soon as he started singing, and won the praise of the teachers: "Already It’s a caged bird, it’s hard to fly with spread wings..."
Ah Tang, who successfully passed the period of changing her voice, quickly stood out in the class. In the second grade, she even won the National Children's Opera "Little Plum Blossom Collection" competition with her excerpt "Pei Pei". Won the third prize.
plays Liu Yanchang in the Cantonese opera "Lotus Lantern".
02: I have the habit of thinking about roles
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, three years have passed quickly. Xian Jiantang, who graduated from Guangxi Art School, officially became an actor in the Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe. "To be honest, three years is too short for learning drama. Guangdong Cantonese Opera School takes six years to graduate, and Peking Opera requires eight years. In comparison, my foundation is too weak. If time Looking back, I wish I could have entered the industry when I was eight or nine years old." In order to make up for his son's "shortcomings", Xian's father tried his best to find two retired veterans of the troupe - Huang Qiu Ming and Li Wenguang. One taught singing and the other taught posture. From then on, Ah Tang went to work during the day and practiced singing at night until late at night, day after day, for several years.
In addition to practicing diligently, Ah Tang also has a habit of thinking about characters, and he often gets immersed in them and cannot extricate himself. "I will first understand the identity, background, cultural level, age, etc. of the character. Only after grasping these main factors can I create a good character. In the process, I will constantly convince myself that I am no longer Xian Jiantang, but that I want to shape the character. "That" character. How to "act" the character to the audience and arouse the audience's resonance is another topic that requires continuous accumulation in life. Learn the performance techniques of famous actors and refine them for your own use." Xian Jiantang said that if the character played by an actor has no thoughts and his words and deeds are not from the heart, he will appear dull and inadequate on the stage. vivid.
Hard work pays off, and the sweat that went through those years finally paved a road leading to flowers and applause. In December 2004, Xian Jiantang won the gold medal in the second "Chinese Opera Singing Red Plum Competition", achieving a breakthrough for young and middle-aged actors in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the national "Red Plum Award" competition. In 2005, Mei Xiao, the then director of the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Theatre, extended an olive branch to him and invited him to join the newly established Guangdong Cantonese Opera Youth Troupe.
plays Bian Yixiao in the Cantonese opera "Promotion".
03: You can still get applause without playing the leading role
The Guangdong Cantonese Opera Theater has always been known as the highest palace of Cantonese opera art. Many famous opera performers who have gone down in history were "rooted" here. After joining the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Youth Troupe, Ah Tang was positioned as a backbone actor in the troupe. He received guidance from Cantonese opera seniors such as Guan Guohua, Liang Jianzhong, Xiao Shenying, Liang Songfeng, and Ding Fan. He successively won the "Fifth Guangdong Province Drama Performing Arts Competition" "Gold Medal, "The 12th Guangdong Arts Festival" Performance Award and other awards, and starred in "The Legend of White Snake", "Red Silk Mistake", "Mrs. Flower Stamina", "The Unruly Princess Defeat the Prince Consort", "Promotion" and "Guangxu Emperor's Night Sacrifice to Concubine Zhen" " and other plays. "I am very lucky to be able to grow up under the love and care of many artists. Every time I rehearse, seniors like Uncle Feng (Liang Songfeng), Lang Bo (Tan Langbiao) and Uncle Zhong (Liang Jianzhong) are all concerned about my growth and take care of me. "Teach me the truth."
Ah Tang is known as the "all-rounder" in the troupe. He was originally a job student, civil and military student, but he can also be a handsome student, a flower-faced student, and even an ugly student. Before taking on the leading role this time, Ah Tang played supporting roles in many creative plays, such as Wang Mazi in the Cantonese opera "Repay the Money", the county magistrate Wang Luzhen in the Cantonese opera "Zhang Jiuling", and Shui in the Cantonese opera "Sanshui Daughter: Red Turban". Guest, but no matter which role, Ah Tang's performance is eye-catching and can be called a golden supporting role.
plays the role of County Magistrate Wang Luzhen in the Cantonese opera "Zhang Jiuling".
What’s the secret to being a prime supporting actor? The answer is to know how to "set off the show". “There is an old saying that goes, there are only little actors, not little people.Even if you are playing a small role as a foil on the side, you should treat yourself as the leading actor, and your performance on the stage will be smart if you are fully involved in the scene. You have full communication with the protagonist, and everyone supports each other. Only in this way can the rivalry play have sparks and the play will be more exciting. As long as you play the role well, you don't have to worry about no one knowing about it. My master Peng Chiquan accepted me as his disciple because he recognized a supporting role I played.
It is said that in 2006, a group of Guangdong Cantonese Opera Youth Troupe went to Hong Kong to perform the classic Cantonese opera "The Young Lady". Ah Tang wore a white beard and played the role of Kou Zhun. The performance of "Loyal Minister" was vivid. During the intermission, Cantonese opera performing artist Peng Chiquan left the auditorium and walked backstage. He asked Liang Songfeng who was walking towards him, "Sir, who is the handsome guy who just played Kou Zhun?" Come on! Liang Songfeng replied: "It's Ah Tang, Xian Jiantang." "As he talked, he led Brother Peng to Ah Tang. At that time, Ah Tang was changing out of his costume and resting. He was unexpectedly praised by his two uncles. He was surprised and happy at the same time. "The sense of accomplishment at that moment cannot be described in words. When I was in school, I loved listening to the songs sung by Sun Ma Si Tsang and Peng Chi Kuan, especially "Lying on the Fire and Tasting the Guts", which I never tire of listening to. I like the New Horse accent very much. Although my voice is not good enough, I am very yearning for it. I have been thinking about how to sing so high and loud without any effort. Ah Tang still remembers the situation at that time, "Being recognized by my idol made me believe that I can get applause even without playing the leading role." "Two years later, Ah Tang officially became Peng Chiquan's teacher.
He played the role of Wang Mazi in the Cantonese opera "Repay the Money".
Of course, a hand-in-hand drama does not mean "stealing the scene". This principle is explained by another Cantonese opera veteran. Pan Chuhua taught Ah Tang. In the second year after joining the Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe, Xian Jiantang finally had the opportunity to share the stage with Pan Chuhua, the eldest opera aunt whom he had loved since childhood. At that time, he performed in Aunt Hua's specialty - the Cantonese opera " "Meng Lijun". In "You Shanglin", Auntie Hua plays Meng Lijun, and Xian Jiantang plays Emperor Chengzong. The whole scene is a rivalry between the two, which makes Xian Jiantang very excited. In order to show what he has learned in front of his predecessors, After the show ended, Ah Tang walked up to Aunt Hua, expecting to be praised, but Aunt Hua said calmly, "Ah Tang, you are really messing around." , Don’t fight when you are acting. Aunt Hua’s tone was not harsh, but it was like a wake-up call, which made the 20-year-old Ah Tang think deeply - "Stealing the scene" regardless of rhythm or situation must not be done. There is no second drama in the stage, and the supporting role is very important. You can't move around when you're not supposed to be performing, otherwise even a small sleeve will have a bad impact, destroying the beauty of the picture and disrupting the opponent's rhythm and mood. "
played the role of Emperor Guangxu in "Emperor Guangxu's Night Sacrifice to Concubine Zhen".
04: Every character must have a "game"
The master who convinced Xian Jiantang, Peng Chiquan, has the reputation of "the old man with a thousand faces". He successively studied under Luo Pinchao, Wen Jue Fei and Xinma Shitsang, and absorbed the essence of singing and acting from various schools of Cantonese opera, formed a performance style that "combines civility and martial arts, integrating hardness and softness"
Peng Chiquan is very interested in this apprentice, and only Ah Tang. Whenever there was a performance, he came to support it and even gave me advice after the show. "After becoming a master, I was scolded almost every time I performed. The one that impressed me the most was the starring role in the traditional drama "The Unruly Princess Conquers the Prince Consort" in 2012. The master gave me a lot of advice. He made a lot of comments, but he felt that my performance was not comfortable enough, that the character's personality was not distinctive enough, and that my understanding of the character was not deep enough. He said that the male protagonist Meng Feihong's "cowardice" is reflected in the conflict with the princess's personality. If you don't let me, I won't let you, but he is not a ruthless person. However, the Meng Feihong you played is standing firm. It's completely wrong to look like he wants to hit someone. This prince-in-law is not cute at all. "When talking about the master, Ah Tang's joy was beyond words. As he talked, he imitated Peng Chiquan's actions of "vilifying" himself. "After the master's guidance, I felt that I was enlightened when I played Meng Feihong again a few years later. After understanding what Master said about having a distinctive personality and being versatile, I became more comfortable performing Meng Feihong's heroic, face-saving, macho, and straightforward personality."
played the role of the consort Meng Feihong in the Cantonese opera "The Unruly Princess and the Prince Consort".
Among the many teachings given by Peng Chiquan, the one that Xian Jiantang remembers best is what his master said about the unique skill of acting - every role must have a "game", That is the aura. "It is not easy to form this 'game'. The actor needs to fully understand the character before shaping it, and then present this understanding through the flexible use of hands, eyes, body and steps. In short, the actor must not only give the character Flesh and blood, but also give it a soul. "
played Cheng Ying in the Cantonese opera "Cheng Ying Saves the Orphans".
"In the new Cantonese opera "Cheng Ying Saves the Orphans", I played Cheng Ying, a doctor in Caoze, Jin State. In order to save orphans, he sacrificed his own son. In exchange for the price, he implemented a subcontracting plan, and amidst humiliation and abuse, he committed himself to the treacherous family and endured it for sixteen years. He is upright, calm, full of wisdom and perseverance, embodying a majestic and high-spirited spirit of justice. In my opinion, he is a small person but has a great personality - this is Cheng Ying's 'game'. Xian Jiantang told a reporter from Nandu, "In my opinion, the most difficult scene to perform is the 'Orphan Presentation' scene. Not only did Cheng Ying witness his own son being killed by Tu Anjia as an orphan of the Zhao family, but he also had to personally give away the only child in his life." My close friend Gongsun Chujiu died. I cried as soon as I entered the scene, and my vocal cords became congested when I cried. It was very hard to sing and it didn’t sound good. But in order to sing well and not cry, director Xu Guanghua felt that I was not into the role, which was very difficult. Many years ago, I asked Sister Qin Cao Xiuqin for advice on how to perform a tragic drama well. When she sang the song "Dreams Broken and Fragrances Sold for Forty Years" and "Weeping Notes at the Remaining Night", even if tears fell like beads, her singing was still beautiful. She said that you must get into the scene, wait for the tears to flow out completely, and then immediately close them, let them go and then close them. You have to practice a lot of skills. If you practice a lot, you will naturally be able to close and release them freely. Sister Qin taught me the method, and I tried to improve it while performing. I hope I can deliver a satisfactory answer this time. "
Performance -
Cantonese Opera "Cheng Ying Saves the Orphan"
Time: June 18th - 19th 19:30
Location: Guangdong Cantonese Opera Art Center
Ticket price: vip280/180/120/80
Written by: Nandu reporter Zhou Peiwen internship Sheng Ma Yuchen Correspondent Lin Kaihong
Pictures provided by Guangdong Cantonese Theater
