Two styles merge in modern take on Chinese opera

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Peking Opera master Li Baochun recently led the Taipei Li-yuan Peking Opera Theater troupe in performances of their revised version of three classic opera productions at Beijing’s Poly Theater.

One of the productions, “The Palace of Eternal Life," tells the story of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and his favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan.

This Kunqu Opera has been performed for centuries across China, and is as famous as the story itself. But this particular production seeks to update and refresh the performance for a modern audience.

“The way we dress this time is different from the traditional styles. This is a traditional Peking Opera costume, but the one I'm wearing has some new elements,” said Li Baochun, adding that the plot of the opera remains the same.

What is different is the presentation, with Li's troupe attempting to merge Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera, allowing each style to transit naturally from each other during one performance.

Li Baochun as Emperor Xuanzong in “The Palace of Eternal Life”. /CGTN photo

Innovation is what the 67-year-old Peking Opera master is famous for. Li Baochun was born into a respected family of opera performers in Beijing. But he doesn't simply replicate the traditional traits of Peking Opera. He has tried adding magic, dance and even rap and hip-hop into his performances.

Peking Opera combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance, and acrobatics. It was fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century, and is regarded as one of China's most famous cultural treasures.

But like many other traditional art forms in China, Peking Opera is struggling to survive in the face of a fading fan base. As a result, many performers have been trying numerous ways to reform their art for new audiences.

Gu Huaiqun, producer of the Taipei Li-yuan Peking Opera Theater, says she wants to ask the audience to ignore whether it’s Peking Opera or Kunqu Opera, but just judge whether the opera is well presented.

Gu says it is also important to find new ways to perform the classics, as performing according to the same norms again and again will bore audiences.

After years of trials, Gu says, they are bringing more young audience members into the theater thanks to some experimental innovations, while keeping senior fans happy by maintaining the classical elements of traditional Chinese opera.

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