The Wu Opera "Legend of the White Snake" was staged in Hangzhou, led by the winner of the Plum Blossom Award

　　Chinanews.com, Hangzhou, March 3rd (Tong Xiaoyu) Seeing the graceful Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, and the bookish Xu Xian, can you imagine that they can still be both civil and military?

　　On March 2, the 2023 Zhijiang Art Season opened in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

From March to June, Zhejiang will launch more than 30 cultural activities including operas, dramas, dances, symphonies, exhibitions, etc., and the Wu opera "Legend of the White Snake" staged in Hangzhou, Zhejiang on March 3 is one of them.

　　A Wuju opera dances in the south of the Yangtze River, and a good opera is passed down.

Wu Opera, commonly known as "Jinhua Opera", is a national intangible cultural heritage.

　　"The Legend of the White Snake" is one of the house-watching plays of the Zhejiang Wu Opera Art Research Institute. The play is produced by the key innovation team of Zhejiang Province-Chen Meilan's new play creation team. The winners of the Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Drama, Yang Xiayun and Lou Sheng, and the winner of the Magnolia Leading Role Award Starring Chen Lili.

　　The legend of Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen's love across the human-monster world has long been widely staged by other operas such as Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera, and Shaoxing Opera.

How is Wuju different from them?

　　Gong Jianjun, head of the performance department of Zhejiang Wu Opera Art Research Institute, said that the biggest feature is that it combines both civil and military skills.

There is a saying in Wuju opera that goes, "Wenxi opera breaks the stage, but martial opera comes slowly".

　　Generally speaking, literary opera should be delicate, but Wuju opera is different. To make the audience feel enjoyable, literary opera needs to run all over the stage and have emotional ups and downs; but martial opera needs to be quiet. In order to let the audience see the details, it is necessary to increase the action. The shape is sculptural.

　　Wu Opera "The Legend of the White Snake" has a saying that "singing the evil white snake, acting as the evil green snake, and falling evil to Xu Xian".

For example, the "snake step" and "snake shape" of White Snake and Xiaoqing show the dance posture of "god and man as one".

"Broken Bridge" is one of the masterpieces of "Wenxiwuju" in Wuju Opera. Xu Xian, played by Lou Sheng, performed the difficult action "Thirteen Falls" as soon as he appeared on the stage, and was praised as falling out of the strong and rough style of Wuju Opera.

　　The main creative team also made the main drama "Broken Bridge", using a variety of opera performance skills and kung fu, resulting in many thrilling and hilarious scenes.

The biggest feature of Wu Opera is that it has both civil and military skills. Photo courtesy of Zhejiang Wu Opera Art Research Institute

　　In fact, in the early version of "The Legend of the White Snake", there were not so many action designs, and the shapes were not as rich as they are now.

　　In the 1980s, the main creators of the Wu Opera Troupe made major revisions to "The Legend of the White Snake", and made some avant-garde treatments in terms of costumes, music, dance beauty, and performances; now it is the generation of Yang Xiayun and Lou Sheng, which has changed continue.

　　"Traditional opera can only last forever if it is constantly polished." Yang Xiayun said that when "Legend of the White Snake" was passed on to their generation, it incorporated the aesthetic taste of contemporary people on the basis of retaining the traditional background, and reprocessed it according to the artistic expertise of the actors. Refined, the plot is more compact and more watchable.

She said that a good show can only have vitality if it is recognized and liked by the public.

　　It is precisely this change that has been recognized by the public.

It is reported that when the Wu Opera "Legend of the White Snake" was staged, the venue was full.

　　As for how to make Wu opera better pass on, Gong Jianjun said that the development of opera art requires "production of operas" and "production of talents". Talents always come first.

At the same time, we must keep abreast of the times and create high-quality products that keep pace with the times.

　　On March 9th, the new repertoire creation team of Zhejiang Wu Opera Art Research Institute Chen Meilan's newly created Wu opera "Three Beats of the Bone Demon", a project supported by the National Art Fund in 2022, will also premiere at China Wu Opera Theater.

Gong Jianjun said that it's not that young people don't like watching dramas, but whether your dramas can attract them.

This also forces opera creation to continue to innovate in themes and forms.

　　The relevant person in charge of "2023 Zhijiang Art Season" said that the classic repertoire and classic collection section of this event has gathered Yue opera, Kunqu opera, Wu opera, Shao opera and other operas. They take turns to show the prosperity of Zhejiang opera and let people feel The charm of Zhejiang opera, so I fell in love with opera.

　　It is reported that "Zhijiang Art Season 2023" is co-sponsored by the Propaganda Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Zhejiang Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the China Academy of Art, and the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music. Art Vocational College, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Zhejiang Art Museum, Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center, Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Theater, Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center, Zhejiang Performing Arts Group and other units.

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