Time: 20:00, September 24 to 26, 2009
Venue: Huang Hua Gang Theatre
Tickets: ￥100/200/300/380
Tel: 020-8776 8099, 8776 8660, 8776 8558, 8776 8806
English and Chinese subtitles
The Peony Pavilion, a beautiful love story which is performed with a traditional Chinese opera, Kun opera, is now prepared to create some buzz in the West. Over the course of the centuries, Kun opera's elegant costumes, beautiful music along with its well written plots have captured the hearts of countless audiences all over the world. Recently, Kun opera was designated by UNESCO as "A Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity." Today, the "young version" of The Peony Pavilion, adapted by Pai Hsien-Yung (Kenneth Pai, 白先勇), has once again surprised the world with its breathtaking storyline and the modified, yet preserving costumes that are designed to accommodate the perspective of the modern day viewers. Due to its popularity, The Peony Pavilion not only has performed 65 musicals in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China; its North American tour is also set to begin September, 2006.
To bring his interpretation of the classic Kunqu Opera, The Peony Pavilion, to life, the producer Kenneth Pai broke the accepted theatrical traditions by picking young, beautiful actors for the male and female lead roles, infusing youthful vigor into the centuries-old story. In previous versions of The Peony Pavilion, veteran actors were given the lead roles because mastering the poetic lines, songs, complex movements required many years to achieve.
Kun opera (Also Known as Kunqu) has been refined over the centuries by writers, musicians, and performers; the result is an art of great elegance and sophistication. Kun opera is exquisitely beautiful, combining great literature, music, dance, and drama, as well as embodying the aesthetic values of Chinese culture. As the most refined and literary of all forms of Chinese opera nothing can be compared to it, for it represents the very best of the Chinese tradition.
Dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a period in Chinese history where art and culture flourished, Kun opera is the essence of China's traditional opera and has influenced virtually all other forms of opera in China, including the better-known and "newer" Beijing (or Peking) opera.
Unlike the past, enjoying Kun opera is no longer the privilege of the elite anymore, yet the opportunity to experience authentic Kun opera outside of China is still quite rare. Currently, there are only six professional Kun opera troupes active in Mainland China. Since it is a difficult art form to master, a Kun opera troupe must be talented and highly trained in order to deliver such a rich and artistic performance, which includes chanting, singing elaborate poems, performing complex movements, and dancing. As with all classical performing arts, Kun opera has the power to transcend culture and the barriers to language.
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