Download Annex 1 - National Arts Council

Annex 1
The Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe of China
Formerly known as Guangzhou Youth Opera Troupe and Guangzhou Experimental
Cantonese Opera Troupe, the Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe of China explores
artistic reforms and innovations in Cantonese opera, while seeking opportunities to
nurture young talents. The Artistic Director of the troupe is renowned Cantonese opera
artist, Hong Xiannü.
The Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe has established a distinctive artistic style in its
pursuit of arts development. It discards outdated repertoires and performing techniques,
while retaining the traditions of Cantonese opera. By injecting modernity, Cantonese
opera classics are adapted to keep up with the times so as to appeal to contemporary
audiences.
The troupe spares no efforts to explore new possibilities, and boasts a rich repertoire of
different styles such as The Legend of the White Snake, The Most Favoured One (adapted
from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice), The Story of Mei Anxiang, Wu Qi and The
Princess and The Wedding Night at Lake Tai. All have been well-received by audiences
in China and abroad, and also given due recognition by the main cultural bodies of China.
Amongst them, The Legend of the White Snake and The Story of Mei Anxiang are the
most popular and have been performed numerous times. Wu Qi and the Princess, which
was presented at the inaugural China Arts Festival (Central and South China), was highly
praised by experts and members of the opera arts community when it was shown in
Beijing in 1988. In 1991, The Queen of Nanyue, staged during the 4th Guangdong Arts
Festival and Guangzhou Yangcheng Month of the Arts, also won praise from the
audiences and arts practitioners alike.
With support from Guangzhou Municipal Government, the troupe underwent two major
structural reforms in 1994 and 2001. It successfully attracted more talents to join the
group and boosted the troupe’s artistic strength. Members of the troupe now include Ni
Huiying, a celebrated National First Class performer and winner of the Plum Blossom
Award. Other Cantonese opera luminaries who have joined its ranks are Li Ziqiang, Li
Junsheng, Sun Yehong, Deng Jieling and He Yuqing.
In 1995, the troupe won nine awards in the Guangdong International Arts Festival with a
grand Cantonese opera epic, Lord Rui and Concubine Zhuang. This opera was also
invited to perform at the 3rd Shenzhou Arts Festival in Hong Kong to much critical
acclaim. In 1997, the troupe staged a modern Cantonese opera Tuyuan, set in the idyllic
rural fields of the south at the 5th China Theatre Festival, winning six awards, including
the prestigious “Cao Yu Drama Theatre Award” and “Outstanding Leading Performer
Award”. In 1999, it was awarded the “Five One Project Award” from the Guangdong
Province. It received another “Five One Project Award” two years later, from the Central
Publicity Bureau.
Annex 2
Production and Cast List
Creative Team
Producer
Scriptwriter
Director
Composer
Stage Design
Lighting Design
Costume and Makeup Design
Vocal Design
Percussion
Orchestration
Dance & Body Forms Orchestrator
Swordplay Dance Choreographer
Opera Instructor
Cast
Du Caiwei
Lin Yuansheng
Xue Laosan
He Zhennan
Yulan
Qutong
General A
General B
General C
General D
General Chen
Songstress
Soldiers
Maids
Orchestra
Ni Huiying
Xie Xiaoming
Liang Yunan
Chen Xinyi
Dong Weijie
Gao Guangjian
Hu Yaohui
Li Ruiding
Bu Canrong
Luo Qiaohua
Dong Weijie
Wu Bei
Yu Hongqin
Zhou Gongjin
Ni Huiying
Li Junsheng
Sun Yehong
Luo Sisheng
Wu Yunfei
Zhu Zhihua
Yu Zhicheng
Deng Jihua
Wen Weiquan
Li Xijian
Lu Minwei
Cui Yumei
He Yuqing
Lin Weimin
Chen Xiaoyun
Chen Xiangbiao
Pang Yaou
Lin Xin
Xie Haitao
Chen Ziqiang
Huang Jian
Huang Jian
Long Yunna
Liang Yanping
Wu Mei
Deng Jieling
Gu Liguang
Lao Jianfeng
Guo Suqing
Deng Suyu
Music Director
Yangqin
Dizi, Seshi
Pipa, Guzheng
Erhu
Houguan, Dadi
Cello
Zhonghu
Dianruan
Zhongruan
Drummer
Bashou
Daluo
Xiaoluo
Production
Publicity & Marketing
Opera Manager
Stage Manager
Stage Design Assistant
Lighting Design Assistant
Sound Design
Visual Art
Stage Technicians
Lighting
Set-up
Props
Costumes
Makeup
Subtitles
Huang Jian
Cai Liying
Zheng Daosheng
Wu Wenqu
Huang Jiangqin
Zhong Weiming
Liang Jieming
Li Guangying
Chen Rucheng
Gan Ruan
Luo Qiaohua
Cao Jie
Liang Wenlan
Ou Biao
Mou Liaochuan
Bai Zhiwei
Xie Haitao
He Qiang
Yu Lingchun
Huang Guihua
Zhang Wei
He Qiang
Yu Lingchun
Wu Yongzhong
Yang Xincai
Liang Weiming
Yu Zhaocang
Luo Guangpei
Feng Manjin
Deng Kanlian
Li Zhiqiang
Zhang Huijun
Liu Bihong
Lin Danhong
Wu Bingshen
Liu Guangda
Gao Guangqing
Ye Guohui
Sun Guo
Liu Jinming
Luo Guangpei
Lin Guoming
Li Gu
Yao Xiulan
Annex 3
Biographies of the Main Cast and Creative Team
Ni Huiying
Du Caiwei
Ni Huiying is a National First Class Performer, winner of the Plum Blossom Award, and
troupe leader of the Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe. She is a highly versatile
Cantonese opera artist who plays a variety of roles. With her lyrical voice and charming
stage persona, Ni Huiying has been hailed as “The Golden Voice”.
After years of hard work in Cantonese opera, Ni has developed a unique artistic style that
is refreshing, brilliant, graceful and expressive. Her interpretation of stage characters
appeals to both popular and refined tastes. Ni, with her rich and extensive opera
performing experience, has produced many impressive works through the course of her
fruitful career.
In the 1970s, Ni made a name for herself in her performance of The Red Detachment
Army. Over the years, she has garnered numerous national and provincial awards. In the
early 1980s, she was conferred the "Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress", together
with celebrated artist, Hong Xiannü. In 1986, she was awarded the First Class
Performance Prize in the 2nd Guangzhou Arts Festival for her outstanding performance
as the Princess in Wu Qi and the Princess. She has also won many First Class
Performance Prizes in subsequent Guangzhou Arts Festivals.
Her recording of “Return of The Sword” in The Story of Mei Anxiang received the
"Golden Album Award" from the 2nd China Golden Album Awards. Other outstanding
achievements include the "Top Ten Most Popular Artiste Award in the Guangzhou
region"; the Stage and Screen Cup Performance Prize in 1994; and the First Class
Performance Prize in the 1995 Guangdong International Arts Festival for her
performance as the female lead in Lord Rui and Concubine Zhuang.
In the modern opera Tuyuan, Ni’s insightful portrayal of the protagonist, Ah Feng, earned
her the "Outstanding Performance Award" in the 5th Chinese Opera Festival and the
Plum Blossom Award in the 1997. Four years later, the same opera won the “Five One
Project Award” from the Central Publicity Bureau.
In recent years, Ni has played leading roles in numerous operas such as The Story of Mei
Anxing, Fan Li and Lady Xishi, The Legend of the White Snake and Moonlight Romance
of the West Chamber and The Queen of Nanyue etc. She has been successful in retaining
the traditions while exploring new ways of performing Cantonese opera. She has also led
the troupe on worldwide tours, performing in the United States, Canada, Europe,
Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Macau.
Li Junsheng
Lin Yuansheng
Li Junsheng, a National Second Class Performer, is a promising young wenwusheng
(scholar/warrior roles) in Cantonese opera. From 1995 to 1996, Li studied performing
arts (opera) at the Academy of Chinese Traditional Opera. Since the restructuring of the
troupe in 2001, Li has become the leading wenwusheng, specialising in playing various
male roles (sheng), from civil to military characters. His repertoire includes Search the
College, Moonlight Romance of the West Chamber, The Top Scholar Reunited with His
Love, Zhong Wuyan, Fan Li and Lady Xishi.
Over the years, he has acquired a vast amount of experience and knowledge in
performing opera. In 1999 and 2002, he won the Golden Award at the 2nd and 3rd
Guangdong Cantonese Opera Performing Arts Competition. In addition, he won the
Performance Award at the 8th Arts Festival in the Guangdong Province for his role of
“Lin Yuansheng” in Hua Yue Ying.
Chen Xinyi
Director
A much celebrated director in the operatic circles, Chen Xinyi’s famous works include
the drama Shangyang, a Beijing opera Glorious Era of Zhengguan, and a Huangmei
opera A Woman of Huizhou etc. Chen has earned numerous Cultural Awards.
Xie Xiaoming
Scriptwriter
A scriptwriter with the Guangzhou Literary Creation Research Institute, Hua Yue Ying is
Xie Xiaomming’s first attempt at scripting Cantonese opera.
Chen Ziqiang
Scriptwriter
Chen Ziqiang is a renowned Cantonese opera scriptwriter who has written and adapted
many well-known opera productions which are part of the main repertoire of Cantonese
opera.
Liang Yunan
Scriptwriter
Also a scriptwriter with the Guangzhou Literary Creation Research Institute, Liang
script’s for the modern Cantonese opera Tuyuan was awarded the “Five One Project
Award” by the Central Publicity Bureau.
Gao Guangjian
Stage Designer
An eminent stage designer who graduated from the School of Stage Design of the Central
Drama Academy, Gao Guangjian’s key works include opera Cangyuan, director Zhang
Yimou’s Turandot and the Huangmei opera, A Woman of Huizhou.
Hu Yaohui
Lighting Designer
A lecturer at the School of Stage Design of the Central Drama Academy, Hu Yaohui has
designed the lighting for almost 100 theatre productions. Representative works include
The Affairs of the Oil Press, King of Music, and the children’s theatre Red Scarves, many
of which have won him honours and awards in lighting design.
Li Ruiding
Costume & Makeup Designer
A well-known costume and image designer who graduated from the School of Stage
Design of Shanghai Drama Academy, Li Ruiding’s works include Butterfly Dreams and
The Butterfly Lovers.
Dong Weijie
Composer
Dong Weijie is a famous composer who has been involved in a wide range of works,
including Old Dreams of Shanghai, The Lotus Lamp, Shangyang, and Beneath the Red
Banner.
Bu Canrong
Vocal Designer
A National First Class Performer, Bu Canrong was responsible for the vocal design for
many Cantonese operas. His work, Tuyuan, was awarded the “Five One Project Award”
by the Central Publicity Bureau.
Huang Jian
Vocal Designer
A National Second Class Performer, under Huang Jian’s music direction, lavish opera
productions such as Lord Rui and Concubine Zhang, Tuyuan etc, have won several major
national and provincial awards.
Yu Hongqin
Swordplay Dance Choreographer
Yu Hongqin is the National First Class Referee of Wushu and the China National Wushu
Champion.
Wu Bei
Dance and Body Forms Choreographer
A lecturer at the Beijing Dance Academy, Wu Bei’s works include A Woman of Huizhou,
Butterfly Dreams and Imperial Lady Crosses the East Ocean.