Tan Yifan cicitan2011@gmail.com WHILE the guests and audience members are still chewing the jokes and discussing the waggish performers of Thursday night’s show at Futian’s Liu Laogen Grand Stage, comedians and their scriptwriters of the theater have racked their brains to add localized elements into their northern style performance, which mainly consists of errenzhuan, a song-dance performance that originated in China’s Dongbei area (Northeast China). The night’s debut is regarded as a bold trial conducted by famed Chinese comedian and godfather of errenzhuan, Zhao Benshan, and his team, the Benshan Media, whose businesses have expanded to stage shows, teleplays, films, education and charities. As a folk art well received in Dongbei area, the polished errenzhuan now claims its ambition to have a share of the fast-growing stage market of the city. “It is the first flagship franchise theater that opens in South China, which is the most important decision made by Zhao Benshan and will be a turning point of errenzhuan performance,” said Liu Shuangping, the art director of Benshan Media. Facing a saturated market in North China — the existing eight Liu Laogen Grand Stages have received thousands of viewers each night in Beijing, Tianjin, Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin and some cities in Shandong Province, Zhao’s troupe has planned for a long time to open up new markets in the south. “We believe the art will be welcomed by Shenzheners as a large portion of them come from the north and are willing to accept new things,” Liu said. “And if it wins the local market we will consider opening more theaters in other southern cities.” But his confidence may be chilled by residents engulfed by southern culture, especially the Cantonese humor, and challenged by the city’s other successful comedian shows. “I won’t pay for such a ticket. I prefer the humor that generated from Cantonese films such as ‘Vulgaria,’” said Zhu Shuzhen, a Cantonese who works with a local art academy. “Besides, it sounds like a silly offer to Cantonese audience since they [many northern comedians] do not know how to appreciate our culture.” Zhao once portrayed a Cantonese businessman in one of his early skits, who mimicked the awkward Mandarin spoken by a typical Cantonese. “They laughed about our accent then why should we listen to their arrogance?” Zhu added. Du Jingsheng, another Cantonese, agreed with Zhu, saying language and cultural barriers stop him from booking a ticket. “Zhao’s humor is vulgar for me,” said Li Zexi, a newcomer to the city, who comes from Guizhou Province. “He jokes on disabled people and his performers often tell dirty jokes.” Other concerns are about the price of a night’s two-and-a-half-hour show. Pricing the ticket range between 180 (US$28.9) and 600 yuan, the average price is about 50 yuan lower to that in Beijing and Shenyang but doubled the lowest price than that in Jilin Province. Some people said they would love to pay around 80 yuan for a show just as they pay for a movie ticket. Apart from criticisms that Zhao’s humor is based on limited rural topics and poking others’ weaknesses, and the demand of lowering the price, his show business is also challenged by the success made by urban and young troupe like Mahua FunAge, which produced several stage shows a year in the city. Albeit the doubts and rejections, the Liu Laogen stage show will still carry on each night except during the Spring Festival holiday. Stars like Xiaoshenyang, Wang Xiaoli, Yadan, Song Xiaobao and Deng Xaiolin who often appear on Benshan Media’s TV dramas and TV skits will take turns to perform for local audience. They will perform solo or form a two-people group with a female and male comedian, dressing up with props such as fans or red square handkerchiefs telling stories of family lives, anecdotes or ridiculous incidents with dances and songs. “We are in a business of generating laughter. To bring pleasure to audience is our goal, we will make certain adjustments if necessary and are happy to meet any challenges,” Liu said. | 