The grand opera "Sister Jiang" was staged at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center on Aug. 29. Celebrated vocalist Wang Li, who is the fifth-generation actress playing the role of Sister Jiang (Jiang Jie in pinyin), together with renowned director Wang Xiaoying and conductor Xu Zhijun, recreated the classic Chinese opera in Beijing.

Jiang Zhuyun, also known as Sister Jiang, an underground member of CPC and revolutionary martyr, is a well-known name in China. Her story has been adapted into various art forms.

The opera was selected as part of the "Stage Art Boutique Creation Project in Celebration of the Centenary of the Communist Party of China," overseen by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and was keenly supported as one of the "100 Productions of Classic Restage Project."

In a recent interview, Wang Li said director Wang Xiaoying strived to realize the creative transformation and innovative development of the classic work on the basis of adhering to the spirit of the original version. The whole play, with a focus on removing stylized aspects, seamlessly connected the songs, dialogue, and performance to ensure a smooth representation of the opera.

"Tonight is the 100th time I have performed in the opera," said Wang Li. She added that it was of great significance to act as Sister Jiang on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

"I have more confidence this time, because my identity has changed. My accumulation of experience through participation over the years has brought me closer to the role of Sister Jiang," she said.

Wangmade efforts to explore the spiritual essence of Sister Jiang when she began performing the role at the age of 25, ten years ago. Now, as a wife and the mother of a five-year-old child, Wang says she can better understand Jiang's responsibility and dual identity as a wife and mother.

Wang revealed that the film version of opera "Sister Jiang" would begin shooting in October and be released before next year's Spring Festival, passing down and carrying forward Sister Jiang's spirit. Meanwhile, the musical feature film "Sister Jiang" is also in production.

The first version of national opera "Sister Jiang" was created by Yan Su, a famous Chinese playwright and songwriter. It was based on the novel Red Rock and features a score composed by Chinese musicians Yang Ming, Jiang Chunyang, and Jin Sha. In the 60 years since its creation, the opera has had five separate productions and has been performed more than 1,000 times. As a milestone in the history of Chinese opera, it is considered a classic with far-reaching influence and has attained wide praise.

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