Talking Entertainment: Zhang Yimou Makes Peking Opera Debut
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Acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou is diving into the world of Peking Opera. His directorial debut of the traditional theater style is scheduled to be performed at NCPA over the National Day holiday.
The play, You and Me, tells the story of a king caught in the political conspiracy arranged by the queen and her prince. This tale, which dates back almost three millennia, is an adaptation inspired by the Spring and Autumn Annals. A leading cast of big shot Peking Opera stars such as Shi Yihong will perform with the minimal set traditionally used in these operas, just two chairs and a table.
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"Performing itself has gone through a rapid development in the past few decades, with more and more sophisticated and innovative methods. But it has nothing to do with Peking Opera. Peking Opera is something pure. Its atheistic value lies in symbolization and conception," Zhang said in Xinhua about the decision to keep the set simple.
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Although this is Zhang’s first foray into live Peking Opera, it is not his first attempt at directing live performances. In 1997, he directed the opera Turandot which premiered at the Florence Festival Opera House, and he is well-known for his direction of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony. One film critic for the Huffington Post even bemoaned Zhang’s use of Peking Opera styles in this scathing review of A Woman, A Gun and a Noodle Shop (2010).
Stripped of film sets, extras, CGI and the rest, it will be interesting to see what Zhang can accomplish with just a table and two chairs. This may be an artistic comeback for the director whose early moving film style has shifted to overblown productions.
“You and Me” will be performed at the National Centre for Performing Arts from September 30 until October 7.
Here are some arts and culture events this week:
Photo: ABCnews.com
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