Debra Li

debra_lidan@163.com

WHILE traditional Cantonese opera mostly depicts sweet or sad romances, like in “The Purple Hairpin” or “Di Nyu Hua” (“Princess Changping”), Shenzhen Cantonese Opera Troupe is wooing young audiences with an original show telling the thrilling story of an evacuation during the War Against Japanese Invasion in the 1940s.

The show, titled “Legends of the Dongjiang River,” will debut at Shenzhen Grand Theater on Nov. 12 and 13.

The script by Li Xinhua is based on a true story that took place in 1941 when Dongjiang Column, a local guerrilla force against Japanese invaders, managed to evacuate more than 300 authors and artists from Hong Kong. Mao Dun (the pen name of author Shen Yanbing), a famed novelist and playwright who was among the rescued, praised the evacuation as “the most significant effort to preserve Chinese culture since the war erupted.”

Directed by young talent Chen Tao, the show’s original scores are composed by Zhu Lixi and the opera parts are designed by Zou Yuwei, music director of Guangzhou Cantonese Opera House.

Borrowing from the symphonies of Beethoven, Mahler and Shostakovich, especially in the prelude and the finale, Zhu also combines Japanese-style music into his scores. Accompanied by a symphony orchestra as well as Chinese instruments conducted by famed local musician Lei Yu, the show promises to be a totally new experience for Cantonese opera fans.

The lighting by Zhou Zhengping and stage set by Zhang Huaxiang also deviate a bit from traditions with a modern, simplistic style featuring open space that allows attention to focus on the actors’ performance.

The show will star Wu Xiaoyi as Liu Biao, a guerrilla leader and soul of the evacuation, and Tan Lanyan as Xiaoqiuhong, a Cantonese opera singer, in the lead. As Japanese secret agent Taro Yamamoto (Lin Haitao) is a fan of Cantonese opera, Liu has to ask for the help of Xiaoqiuhong. The show also has a story-within-a-story structure at the climax when Xiaoqiuhong agrees to Yamamoto’s request to co-act in “You Long Xi Feng” — a traditional opera show telling of the romantic encounter between Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) emperor Zhu Houzhao and a young woman — with him but ends up playing another show about Song Dynasty (960-1279) heroine Liang Hongyu fighting Jin invaders.

The stellar cast also includes veteran Cantonese opera singer and Plum Blossom Award winner Feng Gangyi and famed singer Huang Weikun in supporting roles.

A major genre in Chinese opera, Cantonese opera originated in southern China’s Guangdong Province. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macao and among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Involving music, singing, martial arts, acrobatics and acting, Cantonese opera was included on the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO in September 2009.

“Unlike Cantonese opera troupes in Hong Kong, whose repertoire is largely composed of traditional shows, we hope to turn out something fresh for local fans,” said Song Tao, president of Shenzhen Cantonese Opera Troupe.

According to his plan, “Legends of Dongjiang River” will play 50 nights and tour to other cities next year.

Priced between 80 yuan and 380 yuan (US$11-53), most of the tickets for the two shows next week have been sold.