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Monkey King fights devil in Peking Opera
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THE third episode of the “Monkey King” Peking Opera series will be shown at the Yifu Theater on September 3-4.
The first two episodes tell about the birth and adventures of a rebellious Monkey King, the main character in the Chinese literary classic “Journey to the West,” as he escorts Buddhist monk Xuanzang on a sutra-seeking pilgrimage to India.
The third episode, "The Real and Imposter Monkey King," has several versions in Peking Opera. “We will present a different version with new elements and some twists," says Yan Qinggu, producer of the opera series and one of the performers.
In this episode, a six-eared Macaque disguises himself as the Monkey King and tries to cheat the monk. When he encounters the real one, everybody, including those in the audience, feels confused.
Shen Ying, the playwright, says the new episode is not just about the fight between the Monkey King and the imposter. It tries to convey some philosophical thinking to the audience. “The imposter has a subtle connection with the Monkey King who needs some courage to find his true self,” she explains.
Yan, 46, the third-generation student of the Zheng school of Peking Opera, will play the real Monkey King in the show. His student, Hao Jie, will play the imposter. They will impress the audience with their somersault stunts as they jump from a 3-meter-high platform.
The Zheng school of Peking Opera was founded by the late master Zheng Faxiang, who turned the Monkey King into a lovely and powerful character on stage. Few Zheng school students are still performing because it means a lot of sacrifice to practice every day to maintain martial arts skills. The opera series offers people a rare opportunity to appreciate the Zheng school of singing, acting and martial arts.
The series features beautiful stage sets and costumes. The scenes of Monkey King and the imposter chasing and fighting in clouds in the Heaven are fascinating in visual effects.
Many types of roles in Peking Opera can be found in the series, including laosheng (old male), wusheng (male warrior) and hualian (clownish role).
The “Monkey King” series will run at the Yifu Theater until December 31 because 2016 is the Year of the Monkey in Chinese culture.
Date: September 3-4, 1:30pm
Venue: Yifu Theater, 701 Fuzhou Rd
Tickets: 50-580 yuan
Tel: 6322-5294
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