Learn to fall in love, wash your feet, make firewood... What's the difference between the new version of Luohan Qian? Modern | Performance | Luo Hanqian
"The duration of the new version of" Luohan Qian "has been condensed from three hours to more than two hours. It has increased the singing team and turntable, integrated musical elements, enriched the stage effect, strengthened the drama conflict, and highlighted the theme of getting rid of feudal constraints and striving for human liberation by amplifying the suppression of feudal thoughts on young people's free love." Director Shen Gang explained the changes of the latest version of "Luohan Qian" in this way. On September 8 and 9, the classic work Luo Hanqian rehearsed by Shanghai Shanghai Opera House will premiere on the stage of Tianchan Yifu to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Shanghai Opera House and the 100th anniversary of the birth of performing artist Ding Shi'e.
Luo Hanqian is a modern play created by Shanghai People's Shanghai Opera Troupe in 1952 based on Zhao Shuli's short story Registration. The performing artists are E, Shi Xiaoying, Xie Hongyuan, Shao Binsun, Xiao Aiqin and other leading actors. It has an unprecedented grand occasion and has been performing for a long time. In 1956, it was made into a drama film by Shanghai Film Studio.
Luohan Qian tells that Zhang Aiai, a rural girl, falls in love with Li Xiaowan, a young man from the same village. They give each other Xiaofang Ring and Luohan Qian as keepsakes, which causes gossip in the village. Ai Ai's mother, Little Flying Moth, heard these gossip and remembered her painful union with her husband, Carpenter Zhang, when she was young. She planned to quickly find a mother-in-law for her daughter. Another girl in the village, Ma Yanyan, made progress in her thinking. She convinced Little Moth to obtain the consent of both parents for Ai Ai and Xiao Wan's marriage, but the marriage registration procedures were hindered. Coincidentally, at this time, the Marriage Law was promulgated, and the two finally formed a happy marriage.
Luohan Qian reflects the people's life and feelings in the social change, and vividly portrays a series of rich and fresh characters in the rural areas of Jiangnan after the founding of New China. Ding Shi'e performed the live little moth on the Shanghai opera stage. The play did not treat Zhang Carpenter as the antagonist, but highlighted his personality weaknesses that were difficult to coordinate with the little moth. The roles of matchmaker Wu Auntie were also portrayed quite vividly. Classic singing segments such as "Yan Yan as a matchmaker", "Gifts money", and "Memories" have been passed down to this day.
Shen Gang said that the repertoire of Luohanqian inherits 100% the excellent artistic core of the original work, especially the classic aria, and enriches the repertoire with modern performance concepts based on modern aesthetics, dance beauty, and music packaging, "creating new flowers in old stories."
Shanghai Shanghai Opera House produced and launched Luohan Qian in the "Spring Orchid, Autumn Chrysanthemum, Lingxiu Jiangnan" segment of the series of activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of its founding. Cheng Zhen, Wu Zhengguang, Hong Liyong, Qian Sijian, together with the young actors Zhu Linfei, Qian Ying, Zhu Junyao, Hong Doudou, Han Chaoqun, Lin Jinjie, Shi Jiajie, Lu Min, and the outstanding young actor Pan Zixuan from the Shanghai Language Training Camp, performed on the same stage. Wu Wei, secretary of the General Party Branch of Shanghai Opera Theatre, said that it is of great significance to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Shanghai Opera Theatre to use the rehearsal of Luo Han Qian to inherit and develop Ding Shi'e's reform concept and artistic style of Shanghai Opera, and to highlight the historical position and practical actions of Shanghai Opera in modern drama.
Shen Gang emphasized that teaching should be guided by creation, and "young actors should learn to create themselves." In his view, opera audiences are not simply watching the plot, but watching the performance. "Actors must become actors. Live performances require time, and young actors start by playing with foot washbasins and lighting firewood, feeling the atmosphere of the past era."
Cheng Zhen, who plays the little moth, said that this time, "Luohan Qian" kept its original flavor. "Shanghai opera charmers can sing 'Yan Yan as a matchmaker', but the singing as a performance is different from the singing immersed in the relationship between characters. This time, we are singing in the old play." The young actor Qian Ying, who plays Zhang Ai, said with a smile that everyone is watching the movie Luohan Qian, doing sketch exercises, and learning to fall in love. Hong Doudou, who played Ma Yanyan, sighed. Previously, he pondered how to sing well, but now he focuses on presenting multi-level performances, "making emotions outweigh skills." Qian Sijian, who played the district chief, only had one scene at the end, and he was also infected by the cutthroat atmosphere. "Before each rehearsal, the director analyzed the actors carefully, rehearsing from 1 pm to 10:30 pm every day, and everyone on the crew was fully engaged."
"Keeping this classic aria of traditional Shanghai Opera, we should also make innovative development, retain the old audience and try to attract a new group of young audience." Composer Ru Jinshan revealed that the new version of "Luohanqian" maintains the characteristics of folk music, while using orchestras to play up. "In the new form of singing team, we should creatively join Akabela like singing, which is performed through the pure voice of the actors plus gongs and drums, combined with the traditional Xixiang tune of Shanghai Opera, singing folk songs and other forms."
