Xiqu

“Meeting at the Pavilion from The Butterfly Lovers”
The Butterfly Lovers is a perennial favourite enjoying enduring popularity. This excerpt contains a number of classic Baizi singing parts which demonstrate the traditional vocalization style. Rich Zhu Yingtai disguises herself as a man to go to study in Hangzhou and become the best of friends with Liang Shanbo after three years of study but Shanbo is unaware of her gender. At the meeting at the pavilion Shanbo finally realizes she is a woman but she has already been betrothed to the Ma family. The original good match is rendered hopeless. Shanbo is ridden with guilt and frustration and departs in bitter regret.

“Interrogating Tao from The White Gauze Robe”
Adapted from the Ming chuanqi play Tale of the Gauze Robe; this excerpt tells of how Tao explains the background story to Xu which is characteristic of the traditional style in Baizi Opera.
Su Yun was killed by Yangzhou rogue Xu Neng but Su’s wife was rescued fortunately and gave birth while fleeing on the way. The baby boy was picked up by Xu who named him Jizu and brought up by the servant Tao Dai. Eighteen years later Jizu is named Top Scholar and appointed as the Inspector of Justice in Jianan. Hearing Jizu’s reputation of being just and clean, Su’s wife risks her life to file a suit. After listening to the story related by Tao, Jizu obtains the hard evidence. The wrong done eighteen years ago is finally redressed.

“The Escape from Helping Zeng Rong Escape”
A sequel to the Ming chuanqi play Wreaking Havoc in the Yan Residence; this excerpt demonstrates traditional vocalization style and rich stylized moves and routines. It won the Performance Award and Outstanding Repertoire Award at the National “No. 1 Theatre Troupe” Spectacular in 1992. The Zeng and Yan families are rivals for generations. Zeng Rong changes his name to become the adopted son of another family and marries the Yan family daughter Lanzhen but his identity is exposed by her grandfather, Song and father, Shifan who strive to exterminate him. Fortunately with Lanzhen’s clear sense of right and wrong and Madam Yan’s chivalry, Rong is able to escape the doomed fate.

“Murder at the Temple from Qin Xianglian”
Han Qi is ordered by Chen Shimei to kill Qin Xianglian and her children at the broken temple but after listening to Qin’s story, Han is torn between the dilemma of loyalty and righteousness. The excerpt displays drastic emotional changes in the characters; sadness, surprise, delight and anxiety, filling the drama with tension. After being named Top Scholar, Chen Shimei is greedy for prosperity and fortune and lies about his being unmarried and becomes the imperial son-in-law. His first wife Qin Xianglian brings along their children to go to the capital to find him but Chen declines to recognize her for fear of being accused of deceiving the throne. Qin files a suit to Justice Bao in Kaifeng. To avoid the truth being exposed, Chen
orders Han Qi to kill Qin and the children to silence her.