The Shanghai Opera Troupe is doing this, and the cultural inheritance and development are in Shanghai | Adhering to tradition and respecting the past without restoring ancient culture | Actors | Troupe
"Through resource exchange and integration, 'Walking Horse and Changing Generals' helps actors broaden their horizons and improve their art. Peers exchange skills, polish their performances, and cultivate tacit understanding, which is both challenging and exciting. Actors can also experience the working atmosphere and watching culture of various theaters. From June 6th to 17th, actor Lan Tian from Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre led the' Jutan Famous Actor · Walking Horse and Changing Generals' series in Beijing, Tianjin, and Qingdao to perform traditional plays such as' Four Langs Exploring Mother ',' Wu Zixu ', and' Zhao's Orphan '. This is also a unique new attempt by Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre to' go out '.".
Traditional Chinese opera records the people and events that have shone in Chinese civilization from ancient times to the present, and the patriotism and heroism always resonate the most with people. In the current era of increasingly diversified entertainment methods, how can traditional Chinese opera innovate and attract young people with an enterprising spirit of staying true to tradition and respecting the past? Shanghai's major opera troupes are not afraid of new challenges, and by creating new brands, cultivating new actors, and collaborating on new platforms, they have written a magnificent chapter on the stage, making contributions to strengthening cultural confidence and self-improvement, and solidly promoting the construction of a modern civilization of the Chinese nation and a socialist cultural power.
Finding Audiences for Good Actors
"The Shanghai Peking Opera Theater has collaborated with the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe to perform" The Legend of the White Snake "in Beijing and Kunming, and collaborated with the Chengdu Sichuan Opera Research Institute and the Zhejiang Wuju Opera Art Research Institute to perform" The Legend of the White Snake "and classic opera performances. Different from previous theatrical combinations, it has added new ideas to the Beijing Opera stage." The head of the "Jutan Mingjiao · Walking Horse and Changing Generals" series stated that the "Walking Horse and Changing Generals" brand has recommended outstanding actors to the audience in batches through stage formation, creating a cultural brand in Shanghai Peking Opera and even the national opera industry. ".
The tour team of Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre is led by Blue Sky and includes actors such as Dong Hongsong and Yu Tonghui. They have exchanged performances with three national level theaters: Beijing Peking Opera Theatre, Tianjin Peking Opera Theatre, and Qingdao Peking Opera Theatre. In the six major dramas of "Silang Exploring Mother", "Wu Zixu", "Zhao Family Orphan" and other three regions, the lineup of "strong and powerful" masters formed a healthy competition, sparking new sparks of collision and bringing a refreshing viewing experience.
Brand marketing lays the foundation for Shanghai Opera Troupe to create a year-round performance season and increases audience stickiness. The resident brand of Shanghai Peking Opera House, "Jingcai Wednesday," visits the small theater Zhou Xinfang Drama Space every Wednesday. The "Prosperity and Prosperity" Top Talent Series is a specially tailored performance for 10 outstanding actors. In 2023, Shanghai Yue Opera House also launched multiple performance brands throughout the year. At the end of May, "The Gentleman in the Flowers", "The Pearl Tower", and "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" made their debut in the "Prosperous Era Yue Zhang" series, featuring three stories about family and love, showcasing the unique characteristics of co starring Uesugi men and women. The audience was immersed in "plot twists" and "sweet and cruel", and they never tire of watching them for a long time. "Shengshi Yuezhang" is a brand customized by the Yueju Theater for the new generation of actors in Jinzhong. It has 12 major plays throughout the year, showcasing the strengths of various genres and linking online and offline activities to expand the audience to more young people. The "More Era, More Beautiful" inheritance series performances are performed by renowned artists and students on stage, showcasing the process of Shanghai Yue Opera people's commitment to innovation in art.
Finding Inheritors for Good Drama
"Throughout the entire process of 'Golden Dragon and Mayfly', two groups of young actors and two groups of main actors, each with their own strengths, went hand in hand. We acted like we had rehearsed two big plays, carefully scrutinizing the actors' eyes, body shape, movements, and singing lyrics. After the premiere of 'Golden Dragon and Mayfly' by the Shanghai Huai Opera Troupe at the Meiqi Grand Theater, on June 2nd, they moved to Ningbo. Art Director Liang Weiping was tired and happy. 'Thirty years ago,' Golden Dragon and Mayfly 'won 43 awards across the country, and 30 years later, we finally welcomed new actors. I stood countless times at the Meiqi Grand Theater, receiving applause as an actor.'" Flowers. Meeting the audience as an experienced teacher this time is incredibly happy and fulfilling. Only by cultivating excellent inheritors can a theater troupe have a continuous stream of audiences. "
2023 is not only the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Huai Opera Troupe, but also an important year for exploring the "urban new Huai Opera" for 30 years. In the 1990s, "Golden Dragon and Mayfly" premiered at the Meiqi Grand Theater, raising the banner of "Urban New Huai Opera". 30 years later, in the same month and location, the inherited version of "Golden Dragon and Mayfly" premiered in Shanghai after six months of polishing. Liang Weiping sighed, "The young lead Hu Sigu, who played several leading roles, is constantly improving. Screenwriter Luo Huaizhen was pleased and moved, and the group leader Gong Xiaoxiong wiped his tears a few times. I believe the audience also saw the hope for the development of Shanghai Huai Opera."
Inheriting high-quality masterpieces can retain audiences and cultivate a brand new team. The 31st China Drama Plum Blossom Awards have recently been announced, and Luo Chenxue is the 14th time Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe has "picked plums". After Hu Weilu won the leading role award at the Magnolia Drama Performance Awards, Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe has achieved another fruitful result in the entire "Peony Pavilion".
The drama received high praise during its premiere in Shanghai in November last year and its national tour in the first half of this year. It is praised by experts as "achieving the contemporary return, creative transformation, and innovative development of classical classics from a modern perspective.". Gu Haohao, Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Head of the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, said, "The performance of the full edition of 'Peony Pavilion' is a grand artistic project, a transcendent return and creation, and an opportunity to cultivate young inheritors in upholding integrity and innovation. The youthful and beautiful full edition of 'Peony Pavilion' has made a brilliant appearance on stage, showcasing the vitality of traditional opera art."
After a 33 year hiatus, the Shanghai Shanghai Opera House has rehearsed the classic Shanghai opera "Love Story", with Shu Yue, a director of the Chinese Theatre Directors Association, serving as the rehearsing director, and the new generation born in the 2000s taking on the main role. "Love Story" is equipped with three main cast groups, and more young actors are trying different roles and genres. The lyrics and singing style have been rewritten to cater to the current appreciation habits of young people. The entire drama can be divided and combined, and the four segmented excerpts can flexibly adapt to various types of performance needs. The creative team hopes that the loyal audience of Shanghai opera will love to watch it and also attract more people who have not been exposed to Shanghai opera.
Find a good platform to break through the circle
In today's increasingly diverse audience demands, cross-border cooperation has become a common choice for Shanghai opera troupes. The Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, in collaboration with the Palace Museum, will launch a selection of "Moonlight Inheritance Drama" from the Qing Palace Drama Collection, classic works such as the "Three Kingdoms", "Water Margin", and "Journey to the West" series, as well as Kunqu Opera "The Golden Sparrow". The Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe will combine the excellent traditional culture carried by the Forbidden City to conduct research and exploration on current opera music, clothing, makeup, props, and cultural creativity. "The Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe hopes to establish a diversified cooperative development model through cooperation with the Palace Museum, so that the theatrical relics in the Palace Museum can 'come to life', traditional culture can be reintegrated into daily life, and the story of Chinese civilization can be told well." Gu Haohao said.
This year, the Shanghai Pingtan Troupe collaborated with the Citizen Night School for the first time to offer the "Jiangnan Impression" Pingtan Performance Class. Registration was open for 6 minutes, and the seats were sold out. The Pingtan Troupe has also created a new space for resident performance in Jinchao Lane 8, the landmark of China-Chic in Shanghai, and has expanded the "Lin Huiyin" and art guide to the Xinjiang market.
The cooperation between traditional Chinese opera troupes and new media platforms has shifted from trial and error to normalcy, with an increasing emphasis on "one troupe, one characteristic". In the Tiktok live broadcast program, "The Celebrity Dou Comes", the special performance themed "Day and Night of Shanghai Peking Opera Theater" attracted more than 5.3 million viewers, 400000 likes, and 4 million videos were played on relevant video stations.
In the live broadcast, there are classic singing segments called "Da Chuan Shao", as well as opera and song works that integrate poetry and online games. Actors joined the topic activity of "Drama Eye Killing Challenge" launched by Tiktok Platform, and the topic directly hit the hot list of Tiktok on the day of live broadcast. During the live broadcast, VR shooting equipment is specially arranged to create an immersive experience for the audience. "The live broadcast room is gradually becoming the second stage of traditional Chinese opera art, and professional theaters should not be absent on this stage," said Zhang Fan, the director of Shanghai Peking Opera Theater
