From "Wukong" to "The Empress of the Southern Tang Dynasty" to "Yang Jian", director Liu Xiaoyi, known as the "treasure dramatist", has joined hands with the Drama Music Company to launch a series of well-received "New Country Music" in recent years. The musical "Wind" explores classic characters in traditional culture and ancient mythology, and gives them contemporary aesthetics and thinking perspectives, reconstructing the "Oriental mythological universe" belonging to contemporary China. Recently, the "New National Style" musical "Yang Jian" was staged in Beijing. Whether it is the protagonist's struggle between "humanity" and "divinity" or the story of "becoming a god because of love, becoming a man because of love", it makes people fascinated. Refreshing.
Discover the inner strength of "splitting a mountain to save his mother"
In many people's minds, Yang Jian is an unkind moralist who prevents his nephew Chen Xiang from saving his mother. He is even portrayed as a villain in some works. But in Liu Xiaoyi's mind, "Yang Jian was a little boy from a single-parent family when he was a child. He lacked love, had no sense of security, and wanted to work hard to change his destiny. Compared with divinity, he was more full of complex humanity." And in myths and legends, Yang Jian He also had the act of splitting a peach mountain to save his mother. The repetitive fate of him and his nephew Agarwood has become a dramatic element worth pondering and deconstructing.
"The stories of these two characters are very tragic, and at the same time they are of great practical thinking value. It can be passed down to this day because it belongs to everyone and every era." The musical "Yang Jian" combines "Journey to the West" and "Journey to the West" Well-known stories in myths such as "Fengshen Yanyi" and "Baolian Lantern", such as the Erlang God splitting the mountain to save his mother, the Three Holy Mothers and Liu Yanchang, Agarwood saving his mother, and the Tengu Eclipsing the Moon, have been re-integrated, and given a broad perspective and innovative narrative, The characters have more diverse personalities and explore the spiritual dialogue between traditional ancient myths and contemporary people. As the plot unfolds, the audience follows Yang Jian as he grows up in the wilderness of mountains and seas, splits mountains to save his mother, and slays demons. Every time Yang Jian overcomes doubts, birth defects, past sins, and fears about the future in the play, the audience can feel the hero's powerful values, beliefs and ideal spirit.
"In my understanding, splitting a mountain to save one's mother is a powerful belief inherited from ancient times. It is the determination that 'man can conquer nature' and an inheritance of the continuous and endless life." Liu Xiaoyi said that Yang Jian's confusion about the way of heaven, The questioning of fate and the persistence of family affection intertwined with each other to form a huge tragic force, inspiring the admiration and sympathy of the audience. "The hero eventually leads to tragedy, but the audience can feel the nobility and greatness from it."
"Half Man and Half God" Constructing a dramatic conflict
Yang Jian is known as the God of War in the Three Realms. The contradictory duality brought about by his "half-human and half-god" identity is what attracts Liu Xiaoyi the most. Therefore, he designed body movements that switch back and forth between fragility and strength for the complex "yin and yang" in Yang Jian's heart, and used a group dance chorus to amplify the inner struggle of dual opposition. The flowing clouds and flowing water of martial arts and the agility and lightness of dance presented freehand brushwork. Beauty.
"Yang Jian's complex contradictions between man and god are also his tragedy." Liu Xiaoyi was full of sympathy for this character and even burst into tears during the rehearsal: "Yang Jian has sacrifices and responsibilities; he has faults and helplessness; He has low self-esteem and arrogance. "
" If you look past Yang Jian's persistence, you will find that he needs to be forgiven and understood. Everyone should have the opportunity to be forgiven. The moment of being understood." Liu Xiaoyi once sent this message to the cast and crew late at night: "Not everyone in life can reconcile with themselves, forgive others, and help others. So in this play, we create. It is a dream that transcends life and contains ideals. "
"New National Style" pursues the core of oriental culture.
The "new" of "New National Style" is a new aesthetic expression with Chinese culture as the core. It has the unique charm of oriental culture and philosophical speculation from a contemporary perspective. Liu Xiaoyi applied the incubation mechanism he learned in the UK in his early years to his creations, spanning different art fields and integrating multiple art forms. He also integrated classical and modern styles in dance and songs, and focused on rendering a freehand atmosphere.The extensive use of images such as red silk and falling snow has become its unique cultural symbol, which not only impresses people visually, but also carries rich connotations emotionally. Liu Xiaoyi believes that freehand expression is the unique aesthetic charm of Chinese culture. "Such freehand expression is so beautiful that it can only be realized in our culture."
The musical "Yang Jian" directed by Liu Xiaoyi
presents a Yang Jian who is very different from the traditional image. Give the characters a richer emotional layer, allowing the audience to establish a dialogue with the work in thinking and criticism. This kind of creative technique is exactly what Liu Xiaoyi, who used to pay more attention to personal expression, now understands theater art - it is no longer a one-way indoctrination by the creator to the audience, but a creative process in which the audience participates together. Even in musicals with a strong storyline, Liu Xiaoyi leaves blank space for the characters, allowing the audience to find their own understanding.
