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Traditional opera, trendy changes
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ONE of China’s oldest traditions is teaming up with one of its newest trends to advance the cause of artistic performance.
Pingtan, an art form of storytelling set to musical lyrics in the Suzhou dialect, dates back nearly 400 years. While still performed in some teahouses and in some opera troupes, the tradition hasn’t captured the imagination of young people addicted to pop music and other faster-paced forms of entertainment.
The Shanghai Pingtan Troupe, trying to broaden the appeal of the art form, is turning to the new business model of crowdfunding to finance its new production.
Crowdfunding is a form of alternate finance that seeks to raise money by soliciting contributions from a wide range of people, typically over the Internet. The fundraising bypasses the traditional financial system by linking projects or causes with grassroots supporters. In 2013, by one estimate, crowdfunding raised more than US$5 billion.
Alibaba’s Yulebao, a crowdfunding site, allows movie buffs to make investments in movies and TV series, giving investors access to fan accessories and shooting sites.
Insiders expect the business model will be tapped by more traditional theaters in the future.
The Shanghai Pingtan Troupe is seeking to raise financing for its staging of “Lin Huiyin,” a tale based on the legendary life of the famous poet and first female architect in modern China.
The troupe didn’t reveal how much it is hoping to raise but said a production like “Lin Huiyin” can cost between 100,000 yuan (US$15,310) and 200,000 yuan to produce and promote. Those interested in the project can visit the website www.sh-pingtan.com to find out more details.
“Crowdfunding can narrow the distance between traditional theater and audiences, and it also allows for their feedback on the Internet about performers and tales they would like to see staged,” said Wu Xiaoming, producer of the show.
Operas going faster
The Shanghai troupe, he said, is trying to stage faster-paced, shorter stories to make shows more appealing to younger audiences. For example, some shows have been presented in bustling Metro stations to give stories a more modern feel.
The production of “Lin Huiyin,” is planned for at least 50 performances, including tours to local colleges.
Lin is perhaps an ideal subject to capture the imagination of a younger generation. She was born in Hangzhou in 1904 in an era when educational opportunities for women were limited. However, she was not deterred, earning university degrees in Britain and the US. Her romance with Chinese poet Xu Zhimo while studying at St Mary’s College in London provides some spice to her life story. She later married Liang Sicheng, who is considered the “father of modern Chinese architecture.”
Lin, whose poems and prose were published to acclaim, helped establish the architectural department at Northeastern University in Shenyang and designed a railway station in Jilin. Hailed by history a pioneer who lived on the cultural frontier, she died in 1955 of tuberculosis in Beijing.
Equally pioneering, it might be said, are the efforts of Chinese opera troupes to embrace the modern age. Long traditional classics are being rewritten into shorter performances with simpler lyrics and lavish stage settings. Contemporary elements such as New Age, jazz, electronic music and rock ‘n’ roll are being added to traditional opera scores.
Among the new productions, the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe will stage a classic episode of the 600-year-old operate “The Peony Pavilion” at Beaufort Terrace, a newly upgraded cultural landmark in Yuyuan Garden. Starting March, in tandem with the troupe’s “Miaoyu and Baoyu,” the show is scheduled to run weekends for a year in a condensed one-hour format.
The opera, listed by UNESCO as a “masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity,” was originally performed for wealthy, noble and royal families in their private gardens, including Yuyuan.
After an absence for decades, the art form returns to the garden, hoping to provide a nostalgic, elegant and special experience for today’s audiences.
Not to be outdone, the Shanghai Peking Opera Company is collaborating with film studios to put classic Peking Opera plays on the wide screen.
The 3D Peking Opera film “Farewell My Concubine,” the first movie of its kind in Chinese cinema, will be screened at local cinemas throughout March.
It stars veteran Peking Opera artists Shang Changrong and Shi Yihong in the roles of the tragic lover Xiang Yu and his beloved concubine Yu Ji.
This year, the company also plans to work on new film adaptations of Peking Opera classics “Cao Cao and Yang Xiu” and “The Legend of Xiao He.”
With all the razzle-dazzle and new gimmicks, will traditional opera find a new foothold in cultural appreciation?
Divided views
“I have heard that some Peking operas are adding 3D and water-curtain effects to the performances,” said Amy Wang, a 20-year-old Shanghai Normal University student. “This idea is quite attractive to me since nobody has done it before.”
She said adding celebrities to such programs could attract more viewers. “For example, the troupes could invite entertainment stars to join the performances or let them promote the shows on their social networks,” Wang said.
Theater traditionalists aren’t so sure about all the innovations, worrying that the push to go modern will stray too far from the essence and character of the original art forms.
Chen Daming, theater critic at the Shanghai Dramatists Association, said preservation of some tradition should not be ignored.
“More and more traditional theater producers are latching on to the tastes of the young when creating shows,” Chen said. “However, it is important for traditional theaters in China to develop more young talent in scriptwriting and stage direction to protect cultural integrity.”
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