The star-studded "symphonic Peking Opera" was hugely successful when first staged in Shanghai two years ago during the Shanghai International Art Festival.

This week, the show has also attracted many Peking Opera fans in the capital.

According to show organizers, tickets have been selling well, at prices of up to 1,800 yuan (US$217), a new record for Peking Opera.

The dress rehearsal on Monday night was accompanied by bursts of applause. The audience, mostly journalists and veterans from the Peking Opera circle, sang the praises of the show, calling it "grand and revolutionary."

Star-studded cast

The show has assembled many of the leading Peking Opera actors and actresses from Beijing and Shanghai.

It is a collaboration between the Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe and the country's other art troupes, including China Peking Opera Troupe, Beijing Peking Opera Troupe, Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra.

The work combines "Taizhen Waizhuan" and "Guifei Zuijiu (The Drunken Beauty)," two signature plays of the Mei Lanfang School, a leading theatrical style of Peking Opera performances, playwright Weng Xingzai said.

Mei Lanfang was one of the most important artists in Peking Opera's history. Next year will be the 110th anniversary of Mei's birth.

According to Weng, "Datang Guifei" preserves the very essence of Peking Opera and the Mei School.

It uses 12 representative arias created by Mei Lanfang. Another 30 new arias were also written strictly according to "Mei style."

Mei Lanfang's son Mei Baojiu, 67, who is also a renowned Peking Opera artist, co-stars with Shi Min and Li Shengsu as Concubine Yang, while Li Jun, Yu Kuizhi and Zhang Xuejun co-star as Emperor Li Longji.

"It is a new way to expand Peking Opera's appeal to more people. It is a significant attempt at combining the traditional local opera with symphony, dance and modern electronic technology, and I am willing to go further still in this direction," said Mei Baojiu.

Mei Baojiu, who has continued his father's artistic legacy, said he had for many years wanted to help stage "Taizhen Waizhuan," which is one of his father's representative repertoire. That wish finally came true with "Datang Guifei."

Zhang Xuejin, 60, also comes from a distinguished family. His father, Zhang Junqiu, earned a place in the history of Peking Opera by founding the "Zhang School."

And Yu Kuizhi, 39, is the hottest Peking Opera actor today. Last year, he was named one of the 10 "Most Outstanding Youths" in China, and was the only representative from the arts circle.

New elements

But what makes "Datang Guifei" exciting is the creators' attempt to integrate many new elements.

It is not the first time that traditional local operas have adopted a symphonic orchestra of classical Western instruments.

Peking Opera artists have been trying hard to attract audiences, especially the young, back to the theatre. Traditional operas are being directly challenged by films, television, computer games, live shows in bars and other kinds of entertainment.

Combining the opera with a Western symphony orchestra has been considered a potential solution.

Many of China's local operas, including Shaoxing Yueju Opera which originated in East China's Zhejiang Province, Kunqu Opera which originated in East China's Jiangsu Province, and Huangmei Opera which originated in East China's Anhui Province, have all attempted to do so.

Last year, a dozen of the most renowned performers of Cantonese Yueju Opera gave a symphonic Cantonese Yueju Opera in Beijing.

But few such attempts have received as much attention as "Datang Guifei," not only because of its dramatic content but also because of the elaborate musical accompaniment, sets and costume designs.

"We have been very careful in the adaptation to respect and preserve the traditions of the opera," said playwright Weng.

Yet new and modern elements have still been added to "Datang Guifei." The additions are considered revolutionary in the history of Peking Opera.

Jinghu, which has been the opera's major instrument for hundreds of years, now gives way to oboes.

But the Western-style orchestra has also faced challenges, since Peking Opera is unique in form. The singer is always free to change tempo, and the orchestra members have to play at the same speed.

Through rehearsals, both the orchestra members and actors have found their own solutions.

Another change to the traditional format is the introduction of a chorus. About 50 Shanghai Opera House Chorus members, in traditional Chinese silk robes, accompany the lead singers in key scenes.

The orchestra and the vocal accompaniment jointly create a grand atmosphere.

"The symphony offers a more powerful but detailed backdrop, which fits the complicated plots quite well," said director Guo Xiaonan.

The magnificent stage scenery is another surprise.

A curtain decorated with pear flowers rises and falls in parallel with the various plots.

In one scene "Guifei Chuyu," which depicts Concubine Yang taking a bath in Huaqingchi Pond, light and sound special effects are used.

The show's costume designers must also have had a field day. In the three-hour-long show, a total of 200 sets of costumes are used. Concubine Yang alone has 12 sets.

All these changes, from the musical accompaniment to the costume design, are considered unprecedented in a traditional Peking Opera show.

Although critics argue that the elaborate theatrical production may distract the audiences from the intricacies of the performances, the show organizers hope the changes will help modernize the traditional genre.

While loyal Peking Opera fans may appreciate the pure Mei School style, others who are less familiar with the traditional art should also find something to excite them.

(China Daily April 17, 2003)