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Singing for their supper with tradition and innovation
By Xu Wei |
April 30, 2009, Thursday
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THE Hangzhou Yueju Opera House is a performing troupe which has made a remarkable effort to make its traditional art form popular with younger audiences. Xu Wei turns a spotlight on the troupe. Yueju Opera, a popular traditional musical art form, is mostly favored in southern China. The century-old stage art originated in Shengzhou, Zhejiang Province, but it flourished in Hangzhou and Shanghai.
However, like many other traditional theatrical arts, the opera is facing a decline in the number of young people wanting to enjoy it. There is a lot of competition from other modern entertainments.
As industry insiders say, it is time for Yueju Opera to reposition itself in modern society, a step towards its rejuvenation.
The Hangzhou Yueju Opera House is one of the performing troupes which has made remarkable efforts in this regard.
Last month, Zhou Yujun, a young artist from the troupe, was named Best Leading Performer at the 19th Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Awards for her impressive acting in the Yueju Opera "Jane Eyre."
The awards covered 12 theatrical genres, including opera, dance drama, children's drama and various traditional Chinese operas.
Zhou is the first Yueju Opera performer from Hangzhou to garner the Best Leading Performer award. In the past two years, no Yueju Opera performer has received such an honor.
"Compared with traditional Yueju Opera performances which convey implicit and restrained emotions, 'Jane Eyre' requires the performers to intensify the emotion of the role and grasp the dramatic changes in the plot," Zhou says. "This is where both the challenge and fun lie."
This performance is also a bold and creative attempt for the troupe to attract today's audiences, as the opera usually focuses on Chinese folk romances like "Butterfly Lovers" and "The Legend of the White Snake."
According to Hou Jun, the director of the troupe, it cannot now rely on its past glories. Ever since 2000 when the troupe presented its first-ever children's drama "Winter-Wailing Bird" which starred only Yueju Opera performers, it has not stopped innovating and fostering young talents.
"Zhou is such a gifted performer who can depict Western characters in her own natural and romantic style," says Hou. "In our former Yueju Opera work adapted from Henrik Ibsen's 'Hedda Gabler' her in-depth portrayal of the role's complex personalities was also amazing."
In fact Yueju Opera fans have recently witnessed the possibilities and the emerging trend for this old art form to tell stories from other countries.
One of the more innovative shows is "The Story of Chun Qin," an ancient story set in Japan. The performance boasts a unique Japanese flavor from its story telling technique and costumes to the stage design.
Yet the story of "Jane Eyre," based on the novel by Charlotte Bronte, is more familiar to Chinese audiences. While keeping the traditional singing of Yueju Opera, the show also includes elements from Western opera and musicals.
"I think it is one of the best ways for an age-old art form to revive and attract young crowds," Hou adds. "As well, the Western story can better promote Yueju Opera at the international level."
When the troupe staged "Hedda Gabler" in Norway in 2006, it won huge acclaim from critics and the Norwegian royal family. Though many foreign audiences had little idea of this virtually all-women art form, they were enchanted by its charm, romanticism and subtlety.
In Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, Yueju Opera has undergone rapid development over the past decades. The city plays an important role in promoting this regional opera to the whole country.
Today, Yueju Opera and Peking Opera are two of the most popular Chinese traditional theaters. To the excitement of many, older people are no longer the majority of the audience.
When Hou and her team present their original works, they see many young faces in the theater, from university students to white-collar workers - a positive sign of the renaissance of the opera.
"In my eyes, the future of traditional theater will not be bleak as long as we can nurture our large base of young fans," Hou says. "This group can easily be attracted by productions which have a youthful, fashionable and entertaining style."
However, like domestic films and TV dramas, the lack of good original scripts is a problem in the development of Yueju Opera.
Hangzhou Yueju Opera House now presents three or four original performances every year. Their next show is a modern play entitled "Ladies' Street." The play, set in the backdrop of Hangzhou's famous women's fashion area, reflects the tremendous changes in the city since China's reform and opening-up policy was carried out in 1978.
Chen Daming, a famous scriptwriter and critic in theater arts says that he can feel the strong desire and passion of the Yueju Opera troupes in Hangzhou to renovate this art form.
"They have keen eyes for the demands of today's audiences," Chen says. "They do not fear to be the first crab eater. This creative exploration process is full of vitality and energy. It will also serve as good inspiration for other theater genres."
However, like many other traditional theatrical arts, the opera is facing a decline in the number of young people wanting to enjoy it. There is a lot of competition from other modern entertainments.
As industry insiders say, it is time for Yueju Opera to reposition itself in modern society, a step towards its rejuvenation.
The Hangzhou Yueju Opera House is one of the performing troupes which has made remarkable efforts in this regard.
Last month, Zhou Yujun, a young artist from the troupe, was named Best Leading Performer at the 19th Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Awards for her impressive acting in the Yueju Opera "Jane Eyre."
The awards covered 12 theatrical genres, including opera, dance drama, children's drama and various traditional Chinese operas.
Zhou is the first Yueju Opera performer from Hangzhou to garner the Best Leading Performer award. In the past two years, no Yueju Opera performer has received such an honor.
"Compared with traditional Yueju Opera performances which convey implicit and restrained emotions, 'Jane Eyre' requires the performers to intensify the emotion of the role and grasp the dramatic changes in the plot," Zhou says. "This is where both the challenge and fun lie."
This performance is also a bold and creative attempt for the troupe to attract today's audiences, as the opera usually focuses on Chinese folk romances like "Butterfly Lovers" and "The Legend of the White Snake."
According to Hou Jun, the director of the troupe, it cannot now rely on its past glories. Ever since 2000 when the troupe presented its first-ever children's drama "Winter-Wailing Bird" which starred only Yueju Opera performers, it has not stopped innovating and fostering young talents.
"Zhou is such a gifted performer who can depict Western characters in her own natural and romantic style," says Hou. "In our former Yueju Opera work adapted from Henrik Ibsen's 'Hedda Gabler' her in-depth portrayal of the role's complex personalities was also amazing."
In fact Yueju Opera fans have recently witnessed the possibilities and the emerging trend for this old art form to tell stories from other countries.
One of the more innovative shows is "The Story of Chun Qin," an ancient story set in Japan. The performance boasts a unique Japanese flavor from its story telling technique and costumes to the stage design.
Yet the story of "Jane Eyre," based on the novel by Charlotte Bronte, is more familiar to Chinese audiences. While keeping the traditional singing of Yueju Opera, the show also includes elements from Western opera and musicals.
"I think it is one of the best ways for an age-old art form to revive and attract young crowds," Hou adds. "As well, the Western story can better promote Yueju Opera at the international level."
When the troupe staged "Hedda Gabler" in Norway in 2006, it won huge acclaim from critics and the Norwegian royal family. Though many foreign audiences had little idea of this virtually all-women art form, they were enchanted by its charm, romanticism and subtlety.
In Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, Yueju Opera has undergone rapid development over the past decades. The city plays an important role in promoting this regional opera to the whole country.
Today, Yueju Opera and Peking Opera are two of the most popular Chinese traditional theaters. To the excitement of many, older people are no longer the majority of the audience.
When Hou and her team present their original works, they see many young faces in the theater, from university students to white-collar workers - a positive sign of the renaissance of the opera.
"In my eyes, the future of traditional theater will not be bleak as long as we can nurture our large base of young fans," Hou says. "This group can easily be attracted by productions which have a youthful, fashionable and entertaining style."
However, like domestic films and TV dramas, the lack of good original scripts is a problem in the development of Yueju Opera.
Hangzhou Yueju Opera House now presents three or four original performances every year. Their next show is a modern play entitled "Ladies' Street." The play, set in the backdrop of Hangzhou's famous women's fashion area, reflects the tremendous changes in the city since China's reform and opening-up policy was carried out in 1978.
Chen Daming, a famous scriptwriter and critic in theater arts says that he can feel the strong desire and passion of the Yueju Opera troupes in Hangzhou to renovate this art form.
"They have keen eyes for the demands of today's audiences," Chen says. "They do not fear to be the first crab eater. This creative exploration process is full of vitality and energy. It will also serve as good inspiration for other theater genres."
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