Xiqu

Nurturing new talent is fundamental to the development of the future Xiqu Centre of the West Kowloon Cultural District and plays a key part in meeting the expectations of a local audience which possesses both a passion for the art of Cantonese Opera and a concern for its future. To this end, the West Kow-loon Cultural District Authority will hold the Rising Stars in Cantonese Opera Showcase at this year’s West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre. The aim of the event is to encourage the professional development of new talent while providing a platform to showcase their artistic performance. You are cordially invited to join and witness the future stars of local Cantonese Opera.

Seven future stars of Cantonese Opera, including Kwan Doris, Lin Xiaoye, Hong Hai, Liu Li, Wong Kit Fong Janet, Leung Suk Ming and Tse Hue Ying Diana will showcase their talents in the West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre on 9 February.

The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom
The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom was the classic written by the famous librettist Tong Tik-sang for the Sin Fung Ming Opera Troupe. This selected scene says that the imperial college student, Pei Yu meets Li Huiniang, the new concubine of Grand Tutor Jia Sidao at West Lake. Li rejects Pei’s love but he can’t forget her. He visits the Shan village with his solitude, he meets Lu Zhaorong, whose beauty bears resemblance to Li’s. Another mirage love story comes. Jia also wants to have Lu as one of his concubines since she looks like Li. Pei suggests way for Lu to get rid of Jia but Pei is trapped in Jia’s mansion and faces fatal disaster. The grieving spirit of Li comes to rescue Pei at night.

Fairy Hongluan
Both the princes of Jin are in love with Liu Hongluan. She fancies Prince Chen, who is handsome, and conceives his child after a drunken rendezvous with him. Prince Hong, the ugly one, thinks of a deceitful plan that will land him Hongluan and leave her ugly sister to Chen. Hong feels guilty and gives up his wicked plan. Hongluan then marries Chen. Later, returning to heaven, the fairy maiden realizes the fact that all love in the world is transient and cannot compare to the eternal bliss of heaven. She descends back into the world, where she delivers her son and, with him, all her worldly emotions.

The Killing of Qin Xianglian in Temple
Scholar Chen Shimei leaves far away for the imperial examination. Accomplishing both success and fame, Chen is so ungrateful that he deserts his wife and children. He gets married with princess and becomes emperor’s son-in-law. So he orders Hanqi to kill his wife and children. Chasing for the foe of the emperor’s son-in-law and arrives the Temple of Three Officials, Hanqi finds that he is ordered to kill Chen’s first wife (Qin Xianglian ) as well as their children (Brother Dong and Sister Chun) . Facing the conflict between loyalty and morality, Hanqi’s decision forces Xianglian to fight for the justice of family love and ethics.

The Reminiscence of Cui
Cui, the wife of Scholar Zhu Maichen can’t tolerate the impoverished life, so she forces him to sign her a divorce letter. Zhu came in the first place in imperial examination and returns. Realizing Zhu is now a man of high rank, Cui blocks his horse’s way and pleads to reunite with Zhu. Zhu asks Cui to splash water in front to the horses. If the splashed water can be retrieved, Zhu would rekindle their relationship. Cui fails and Zhu leaves her.

This selected scene portrays the grief of Cui after she gets remarried with Zhang Xiqiao. Cui eventually leaves home and knows that Zhu passes the imperial examination with honors, Cui thinks about the past and even wishes Zhu will have his courier pick her up so they can approach his new post in court together. She wakes up to find that she has just been daydreaming …

A Sword of Loyalty
Wang Mang overthrows and kills the emperor, as well as murders the loyal official Wu Zhang. When Wu’s child, Wu Han, grows up and is recruited by the new dynasty as a warrior and wins the favor of Wang. The new emperor lets his daughter marry Wu Mang. Liu Xiu, a royal of the previous dynasty, plans to recapture the government and restore the Han dynasty. Liu is caught by Wu when trying to flee through the pass. Wu excitedly tells his mother about capturing Liu, but she orders him to release his captive and tells him about his father’s death at the hands of Wang. Liu’s mother takes out the “sword of loyalty” her husband earned and orders Wu to help restore the Han dynasty and avenge his father’s death. Wu’s mother also forces her son to kill his wife so as to cut off his connections to Wang.
This selected scene says that Wu Han enters the family Buddha hall with the sword, finds his wife is praying for him and his mother. Wu finds himself unable to kill such a kind woman. After knowing Wu’s coming reason, the princess seizes the sword and kills herself.

Waylaying the Horse
In the Song Dynasty, General Yang Liulang finds and reports to the court that the Liao’s soldiers are ready to fight against Song Empire in the frontier region. Unfortunately the Emperor just hears the slanders and believes Yang has got wrong information. She Taijun , Yang’s mother, orders her daughter Yang Bamei disguises herself as a Liao’s soldier to spy out military secrets. Returning to Song Empire and looking afar to her homeland, Yang Bamei sighs that the court is full of crafty and fawning ministers. But it is great that she has gathered the evidence showing that the Liao has invaded the frontier region. So she spurs on her flying horse and accelerates her speed back to Song Empire…