China News Service Yulin, February 12 (Xinhua) -- Cantonese opera "spring class" went to the countryside to "make trouble" for the New Year.
Written by Zhang Guangquan.
On February 12, the third day of the first lunar month, the "Spring Class" of Guangxi Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe went to the countryside and walked into Wucun, Beiliu City, Yulin, to send New Year blessings to the local people, and opened the stage to premiere the classic Cantonese opera "Female Patrol According to the Trial of Marriage".
That night, the gongs and drums in Wucun were noisy, the sound of firecrackers was everywhere, and the fireworks were reflected in the sky, men, women and children gathered in front of the village square, and the stage of the performance site was surrounded by water.
The crescent moon shines on the flower path, what a fortune to meet tonight, the auspicious omen descends on the lucky stars, and a red light leads the way. As soon as Yuan Jun, a national first-class actor of the Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe, opened his voice, he won full applause. Since he entered the industry at the age of 16 to learn Cantonese opera, Yuan Jun has been engaged in art for 29 years. From an alternate actor to a pillar of the family, Yuan Jun has always insisted on starring in the "Spring Class", and has not stopped for 29 years.
The Cantonese opera "Spring Class" is one of the highlights of the Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe every year. During the "Spring Class", the troupe will go into battle with the strongest lineup, and the actors will also sacrifice the opportunity to reunite with their families, and it is common for them to be busy and not at home for a whole month.
Since the third day of the Lunar New Year, Yuan Jun has gone to the countryside, "Compared with theater performances, rural performances have more traditional festivals and traditional performances, and the actors can not only experience the primitive state of existence, but also accumulate experience in the interaction with the audience." ”
On February 12, the "Spring Class" of Guangxi Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe went to the countryside to send New Year blessings to the local people. Photo by Liang Xiangguang.
Cantonese opera, known as the "Red Beans of the Southern China", is a performing art that combines choral singing, recitation, music, stage costumes, and abstract shapes, and is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong and Macao.
Although it is a performance in the countryside, there can be no mistakes in the lighting, costumes, props, sound, etc. During this year's "Spring Class", the Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe performed its best, and many young actors also began to "emerge", which was popular among fans.
I grew up with the Cantonese Opera Troupe, and I have made leaps and bounds in singing and acting through repeated performance opportunities. Shi Yongxi, a young actor of the Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe, said that the Cantonese Opera has a tradition of famous artists taking rookies to perform rival plays, and this kind of "passing on the band" makes newcomers grow up rapidly. Shi Yongxi is the twentieth time participating in the "Spring Class" to perform in the countryside. After the performance in Wucun, Shi Yongxi will also follow the troupe to Huazhou, Guangdong, where he will stay for nearly a week, "In this place alone, from the eighth to the fourteenth of the new year, there are six big operas performed in local villages and towns."
In our place, if there is no Cantonese opera spring class, this year will not be lively. 74-year-old Liang Jiahai is a senior Cantonese opera fan, and every year in the "Spring Class", he and his family come out to watch the big opera, "Such a primitive opera art should be passed on." Leung Ka Hoi looks forward to the future of Cantonese opera to become famous overseas and contribute more beauty and surprises to the world.
Every year into the village have different feelings, some places have built new cultural buildings, new stages, some have built new roads, new archways ......Liang Xiangguang, the former deputy head of the Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe, said that in his impression, every time he went to the countryside, he had to bring his own luggage and daily necessities, and most of them slept directly on the stage during the performance. Nowadays, as long as the performance is within a radius of 100 kilometers from the city, no matter how late the show ends, they will have a bus back to the county seat to stay, which is much more convenient.
Founded in 1951, the Wuzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe has a high influence in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia. The troupe's classic repertoire such as "The Female Concubine", "Nine Treasure Lotus" and "The Flower Girl" has been performed and enjoyed. Among them, "The Female Horse" is often performed in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and there has been a scene of "thousands of empty alleys competing to see the horses".
The people of Guangxi and Guangxi love and understand opera, and when they learned that the 'Spring Class' was opened, they learned about the performance itinerary early, and chased them to Beiliu, Huazhou, Wuchuan and other places to watch the big operas, and they were reluctant to leave after the show. Looking forward to Cantonese opera performances in the new year, Liang Xiangguang introduced that in addition to performing in rural areas, he will also carry out in-depth cooperation with major theaters and cinemas to launch Cantonese opera resident performances and create celebrity dramas. (ENDS).