With the words "Here comes my grandson," the six-year-old boy in the iconic red costume jumped onto the podium of the East Wing Theater in the picture above. On the afternoon of July 14th, this special event "Everyone Talks about Classics" was themed "Promoting Classics and Promoting Opera Culture". Although there were tables and chairs on the stage, the 90-minute lecture and performance did not last for a moment for six-year-old children. Didn't sit down.
As soon as he came on stage, the six-year-old boy greeted the audience in the posture of Sun Wukong. Photographed by Shi Chenlu
Liuxiaolingtong, whose real name is Zhang Jinlai, was born in Shanghai. He is the fourth generation descendant of Zhang's monkey opera. He starred in the 86 version of CCTV's "Journey to the West", which made him "grow" together with the character Sun Wukong.
"There are 11 brothers and sisters in our family. My father was probably the first person to know about the talent show in the entertainment industry. He had to find one or two successors among so many children who could inherit the Monkey Opera career." Talking about the fate of the Monkey Opera, Liu Xiaolingtong joked. "Why should you choose among your own children? Not everyone is willing to play the role of a little monkey without lines."
Shao Opera is a local opera in Shaoxing. "Everyone knows that Mr. Lu Xun has an essay "She Opera". She Opera is Shao Opera after the founding of New China. "The predecessor of Shao Opera." Liu Xiaolingtong said that the birthplace of Shao Opera is Shangyu, Shaoxing, which has a history of about 400 years. From social drama to Shao opera, the key turning point is in Shanghai. Zhang Yisheng, the grandfather of the six-year-old boy, is known as the "Saihuo Monkey". In the 1920s, Zhang Yisheng took a borrowed 5 silver yuan and led a theater troupe to Shanghai and founded the "Laozha Theater". The theater became more and more popular. , attracting more rural opera artists to join, thus creating the "Tongchun Stage" and becoming a well-known opera troupe, also known as the "Shaoxing Troupe".
Liu Xiaolingtongâs father, Liu Lingtong, whose real name is Zhang Zongyi, started acting at the age of six and performed on stage at the age of twelve. At the end of 1947, a 36-part Shao opera "Journey to the West" starring Zhu Bajie and Liu Lingtong was officially born in Shanghai, marking the official establishment of "Shao Opera Monkey Opera" (Zhang's Monkey Opera).
Among the brothers and sisters, Liu Xiaolingtongâs second brother Xiao Liulingtong is the most talented in acting. He started acting at the age of three. When he was eight years old, he took a famous photo, "Premier Zhou Enlai is holding a little monkey in his arms and he is so happy." "Smile, that kid playing the little monkey is my second brother," Liu Xiaolingtong recalled. Xiao Liulingtong was 12 years old when he was filming the movie "The Monkey King Three Fights the Bone Demon". He died of acute leukemia at the age of 16. The burden of inheriting Zhang's monkey opera fell on Liu Xiaolingtong's shoulders.
Liu Xiaolingtong
"I am 65 years old, my waist is not good, my legs are not good, my eyes are 600 degrees myopic and 200 degrees astigmatism." Liu Xiaolingtong said. "Is there anyone in the audience who has never watched any episode of "Journey to the West"?" No one raised his hand, so he took off his hat and bowed to the audience, "Now everyone calls me Grandpa Six and Uncle Monkey. When you grew up watching "Journey to the West", it was Monkey King who watched you grow up. I have also played some other roles, but Monkey King is the one that everyone remembers the most." He explained that he was wearing a hat because he was filming the Shanghai director in Hengdian. A new play by Zheng Dasheng tells the story of seven generations of Peking Opera artist Tan Yuanshou. "I played the role of the enlightenment master of Tan Xinpei, a generation of Peking Opera masters. Although there were not many roles, the director asked me if I wanted to shave my head, and I said it was necessary."
Liu Xiaolingtong
shooting should be done realistically. This is what "Journey to the West" teaches children as young as six. "Nowadays, filming has high technology, but I can't give that feeling. Back then, the four of us, masters and apprentices, went to various locations. In the first episode, Sun Wukong jumped up and down. It was at Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou. It was fine during the rehearsal, but when we arrived at the actual location When I saw the camera, I couldn't think about anything else. I couldn't control my jump and fell headfirst. I quickly grabbed the vine and hooked it with my feet. In the end, my head was less than half a foot above the ground. "The audience. Exclaimed, Liu Xiaolingtong said that looking back at the filming of these thrilling stories at the time, it was not to complain, but just to show that the reason why "Journey to the West" has become the TV series with the highest replay rate is inseparable from the dedication of director Yang Jie and the whole team. "At that time, there was only single-camera shooting. One episode was shot in four months, and 25 episodes of "Journey to the West" were filmed for six years with more than 2,000 people."
Liu Xiaolingtong demonstrated to the audience the scene of accidentally falling during filming. .Photo by Shi Chenlu
In the eyes of six-year-olds, the spirit of the Monkey King is optimism, enterprising, hard work, and never giving up. "There is no perfection in life, only perfect imperfections. After passing one mountain after another, there is no Flame Mountain that cannot be passed. Everyone has his own way to learn from the West. This is the wisdom and charm of life taught to us by "Journey to the West" . Practice hard for the seventy-two changes, and laugh at the eighty-one difficulties. The so-called "seventy-two changes" are everyone's profession. Choose a career and make your profession better and stronger throughout your life. "
and The young audience put on the Sun Wukong pose together. Photographed by Shi Chenlu
At the end of the lecture, two children were invited to the stage to pose as the Sun Wukong holding a golden hoop. After signing autographs for them, the six-year-old children invited the entire audience to sing the opening song of "Journey to the West" Wait a moment. After a while, the "Sun Wukong" who was spinning the golden hoop vigorously came on the stage, and disappeared behind the stage while the audience cheered.
