Zhao Kaisheng, 87 years old, has been working on the orchestration for "Liu Laolao Lies Drunk in the Yihong Courtyard"

Zhao Kaisheng, who has been working at his desk for many years, has poor eyesight at the age of 87. On September 12th, the inaugural ceremony and reader meeting for the biography of "A New Life Book: Suihua Zhao Kaisheng" was held at the Shanghai Literature and Art Hall. Zhao Kaisheng walked up to the podium wearing sunglasses and said, "I love Pingtan. It's not just about supporting my family, but also about my lifelong struggle. I don't have any earth shattering works, no ups and downs in stories, just an ordinary and ordinary actor. I didn't need to write a book or write a biography, but after multiple communications with comrades from the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, I came to an understanding. In my decades of career in the arts, I have experienced many failures and successes. Summarizing these lessons and experiences, I hope to inspire future generations."

"The New Life Book of Suihua Zhao Kaisheng" is one of the "Record of Art Talks on the Sea" series, divided into two parts: "Art Commentary" and "Art Interview". Nine chapters, including "Growing up with a Widow Mother", "Meeting a mentor and rising to fame", "Rising to fame in Suzhou and Shanghai", "Devoting new creations in the new era", "Passion for creation by Guan Zhao surged", "After darkness, there is always light", "New achievements are brewing in a new stage", "Not bound by the difference between Jiangsu and Shanghai", and "Writing and passing down the" Zhao's Pearl Pagoda ", showcase the artistic life of the famous Pingtan artist Zhao Kaisheng.

Zhao Kaisheng is a representative inheritor of the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage projects, Suzhou Pingtan. At the age of 14, he studied under Zhou Yunrui and the following year, he collaborated with Rao Yichen to rap books such as "Pearl Tower," "Qin Xianglian," and "Chen Yuanyuan.". In 1959, Zhao Kaisheng joined the Shanghai Long March Pingtan Troupe and adapted it into a performance with the same name based on the novel "Song of Youth". In 1960, he joined the Shanghai People's Pingtan Troupe and also served as a teacher at Suzhou Pingtan School and the Shanghai Pingtan Troupe School.

Performed "Song of Youth" in the 1960s

Zhao Kaisheng's speech is delicate and friendly, his language is concise and humorous, his characters are vivid and in place, and his singing style can take advantage of the strengths of various genres to shape characters comprehensively. He organized and revised the bibliography of the traditional long danci "Pearl Tower", spending 30 years performing and revising it, "old books are new, often said is always new", achieving "simplifying the three autumn trees by deleting complexity, and setting new standards for February flowers". He has appeared in various films such as "Shuang Yin Yuan", "Xi Xiang Ji", "Flower of the Battlefield", "Nanjing Road", "Xing Yanzi", "So In laws", "Sea Stars", and "Twelve Hairpins of Jinling". He has also created opening works such as "Butterfly Loves Flower: Answering Li Shuyi", "Returning to Jinggangshan", "Red Women's Army: Evergreen Guide", short works such as "Xu Xuehui", long works such as "Song of Youth", and "Wen Zhengming". He has also participated in the creation of medium length works such as "Rain Over the Sky", "Empress with Big Feet", and "One Thought Difference".

Young Pingtan performer Tao Yingyun performed on site Zhao Kaisheng's poem "Butterfly Loves Flower: Answering Li Shuyi", which was created using Suzhou Tanci melody and composed for Mao Zedong's poetry. As a classic representative of Pingtan art innovation, "Butterfly Loves Flower: Answering Li Shuyi" expands the influence of Pingtan to the north and south of the country.

Zhao Kaisheng and Jiang Wenlan perform "Siblings Meet" in "Pearl Tower"

Zhao Kaisheng and Yu Hongxian are backstage at the art theater

Zhao Kaisheng gives a lecture at Suzhou University

Zhao Kaisheng's participation in the creation of the medium length danci "Empress Bigfoot" also won the New Program Award, Creation Award, Collective Performance Award, and the Program Award of the 4th China Quyi Peony Award at the 11th Wenhua Awards. After retirement, Zhao Kaisheng compiled his practical experience into an article and recorded the first 13 chapters of the extinct "Pearl Tower" on the bookshelf, allowing future generations to see the full picture of the long storyline "Pearl Tower". In September 2022, Zhao Kaisheng was awarded the honorary title of "Lifetime Achievement Quyi Artist by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles".

On September 16, 2022, Zhao Kaisheng was awarded the honorary title of "Lifetime Achievement Quyi Artist of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles"

On the 14th, Xu Mengdan, a longtime friend and Pingtan performer of Zhao Kaisheng, commented, "After retirement, we had dinner together, and Zhao Kaisheng even talked about creation during meals." Sheng Xiaoyun, Vice Chairman of the China Quzhou Association and Chairman of the Jiangsu Quzhou Association, once collaborated with Zhao Kaisheng on "Empress with Big Feet". She still remembers Zhao Kaisheng strictly, "He is really stingy and never slacks off." Wu Xinbo, Vice Chairman of the China Quzhou Association and Chairman of the Shanghai Quzhou Association, said, "Every Pingtan performer should thank Zhao Kaisheng."

"Maintain a rhythmic rhythm, avoid ups and downs, distinguish between 'singing hard' and 'passing by', and satisfy various emotional needs when singing and speaking. I also absorbed some elements of Pingju..." This was the brief opening speech of the biography, and Zhao Kaisheng said that Pingtan couldn't stop the car. When it comes to the adaptation and creation of "Song of Youth" and "Pearl Tower", Zhao Kaisheng took off his sunglasses and vividly explained the plot. For nearly 20 minutes, he demonstrated while explaining, immersing the on-site readers in it as if they had listened to a book.

Zhao Kaisheng wearing sunglasses on stage is very cool

Speaking of the rise, Zhao Kaisheng took off his sunglasses

Zhao Kaisheng also revealed to the Shangguan News reporter of Liberation Daily that he is still working hard and has just completed the opening piece of the commentary "Liu Laolao Lies Drunk in the Yihongyuan". "I have a special preference for" Dream of the Red Chamber ". When people mention" Dream of the Red Chamber ", they think of Lin Daiyu, Jia Baoyu, and Xue Baochai for the first time. There are too many stories about these three people. I think Liu Laolao is very cute, so I want to write her. The lyrics have already been written, and now I am thinking about orchestration."

In an interview with Shangguan News in Liberation Daily, Zhao Kaisheng talked about the latest creations and reflections.

How do young Pingtan actors create their own works like themselves? Zhao Kaisheng said, "Young people cannot go through the process of 'forcing themselves to Liangshan' like me again. If they are interested in creating, they must have enough background, constantly self-study, read more books, and have more exposure to society. They must be down-to-earth."

This event is hosted by Shanghai Academy of Literature and Art, Shanghai Quyi Artists Association, and Shanghai Cultural Publishing House.

Passionate readers queue up for signatures from renowned Pingtan artists such as Zhao Kaisheng

Passionate readers queue up for signatures from renowned Pingtan artists such as Zhao Kaisheng

Zhao Kaisheng, along with Shen Wenzhong, the full-time vice chairman of the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and biographer Fu Nan, presented a unique book called "Suihua Zhao Kaisheng" to young actors and audience representatives.

Group photo of guests participating in the event