"La la la, la la la, I am a little expert in selling newspapers..." Accompanied by the clear and loud singing of newspaper sales, "Listen to the 'Little Newsboy' singing about the feelings of home and country" - Puppet from Shanghai Puppet Troupe The "July 1" special performance of the musical "The Voice of the Newsboy" was held on June 30 at the Xianles Shanghai Puppet Performance Center. On the occasion of the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, "The Voice of the Newsboy" is a red stage production of the "City of Glory" 2024 Shanghai Red Culture Season, leading the audience to relive that glorious history.
Shanghai is the birthplace of the Communist Party of China and the cradle of red culture. Countless people with lofty ideals have fought for Shanghai's freedom and liberation. The puppet musical "The Voice of Newsboys" tells the red story of a group of newsboys on the eve of the liberation of Shanghai in 1949: Under the guidance of teacher Ai Kexin, a young communist member of the newsboy school, these street children who made a living by selling newspapers worked hard to grow into members of the party. A reliable helper, he constantly delivered intelligence to the underground party, figured out the enemy's situation, and made special contributions to the liberation of Shanghai.
"The Voice of Newsboys" takes the classic red story as its core, uses a children's perspective and a lively and lively performance form to fully demonstrate the smart appeal of puppetry skills, vividly reproduce the scenes of the witty struggle of newsboys, and convey the message to children. For the courage to overcome difficulties and challenges, we pay tribute to the little heroes and revolutionary history.
This special event revolves around the performance of the puppet musical "The Voice of the Newsboy", and is also supported by the "Light of China: Inheriting the Future" puppet exhibition hall public welfare tour and the theme activity of "Dialogue with the Newsboy". Before watching the show, the audience visited the Xianles Puppet Exhibition Hall. As a patriotic education base, it is a natural place for the inheritance of red culture. Through the lecturer's explanation, children of all ages had an in-depth understanding of the traditional history of puppets and fully felt the atmosphere of red culture.
In the dialogue activity, the actors who played Pumpkin and Teacher Ai in the play had a "crossing time and space" communication with the audience. They told the story behind "The Voice of the Newsboy". It is worth mentioning that Yan Banzhi, the son of Yang Bijun, the prototype character of "The Song of Selling Newspapers", also came to the event and shared the story of his mother and "Song of Selling Newspapers" with everyone. Finally, the children came to the d3 space and sat together to complete the production of the "Voice of Newsboy" poster using stickers. The pieces of colored paper represent the children's admiration for the newsboys, and the collages symbolize the inheritance of patriotism from generation to generation. The newsboys’ qualities of firmness, bravery, perseverance, and patriotism are like seeds planted in the hearts of children and slowly sprouting.
Author: Wang Xiaoli
Text: Wang Xiaoli Pictures: Pictures provided by the performer Editor: Li Ting Editor: Xing Xiaofang
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