At Tampines Cultural Centre (Tampines East CC) - 26/03/06
This is quite an unusual story.
One day the Princess and the Prince Consort were on an outing, the clumsy PC fell into a ravine. Everyone thought he would be dead. The Princess, in collaboration with the PC’s mother, did an unbelievable thing. She asked the PC’s twin brother to impersonate him. I think it was to maintain the power and status of her husband and herself. And the stupid brother agreed.
Miraculously, the PC did not die. He returned 3 years later. By then it was too late to switch back as the Princess had bore a child of his brother.
A very tragic ending - the Mother died drinking the poisoned wine which the emperor had decreed for the PC. The PC also died while his brother became insane.
I might have interpreted certain things wrongly as my understanding of Hokkien is less than 50%.
The main cast – the Princess, the PC, the Mother, the official in the ‘Law Ministry’, the court maiden Xiaohui – performed well, especially the lead artistes. The opera is also quite entertaining.
But I felt that the title is not quite appropriate. At first I thought it was about rebellion, revenge and killings. How about Tragedy in the Imperial Palace?
I was rather surprised that the orchestra was quite big. I counted 10 or 11 members.
This is the first time I watched a xiang opera performed by a local troupe.
17 comments:
Actually, the actual title based on the original Shaoxing opera script is "The Case Of The Real And Fake Princess Consort". In 1998, we remade it into Hokkien opera, but with a different ending. In that version, the maid was executed, the mother died of wine poisoning, the real princess consort was beaten to death, both the princess and the fake consort commited suicide on the imperial hall. That's why the name! =)
The ending we have now is the same as that of the Shaoxing opera. When we rewrote the ending for the 1998 version, our audience complained that there's simply too much death for them to take it. Hee...
You wore glasses, frannxis?
I saw someone that I thought might be you but I am not sure...^^
Personally, I think this princess a bit off in the head... I wonder how would a princess of a high status allow herself to get "attached" to the stupid brother? (Faint)
Not that I look down on the younger brother, just that the brother is too "crude".
Guess like what you have mentioned...It's the status and honour that they were after.
Yes,..you were surrounded by a group admirers. I only shook the Emperor's hand.
I think the real prince shouldn't be punished.
"The PC did not die" - for a moment there, I thought your computer crashed on you Frannxis, haha.
When it comes to "Face Problem", the Emperor has to bury dark secrets in order to uphold the Royal reputation and integrity.
The princess consort (Dong Wenbo was married to the princess, not the prince! Hee...) should not have died, but he has to die or else the Emperor will have no face. At this point of time, face is more important than justice. That's why even the straight-faced Kuang Zheng suddenly realised how muddle-headed he was, and resigned out of guilt.
Actually the younger brother didnt agree to impersonate the elder brother. The mum sort of pushed him to it.... xj
The biggest culprit is the mum. (LOL)
But I think Princess got the most blame out of it.
huh?!
hahha, u forget what princess sang yoz?
Princess was the one who came up with the idea, and asked the MIL and brother in law not to disagree with her nah..... xj
Wahahahahahha....
Mum-in-law also in favor mah...
Weren't you? (LOL)
Y were u so unfair to both of your sons...Only let one study and make the other one slog to earn household money.(lol)
From the script, the MIL shd be hesitating when the princess suggested that in scene one. Did i looked as if i was in great favor when the princess suggested that? May be i check my expression again..
Based on the songs and lines, I think its logical that the princes got the most "blame" from audience and termed as the "biggest culprit" lah.. Afterall, the idea came from her mah.
xj
Anyway,
Mai,
By the way, what make u feel that the "biggest culprit" of the tragedy is the MIL? And yet the princess got the "most blame" out of it?
Different from what i interpretated leh..... May be share with me your interpretation.. so that i can correct/ beef up the MIL role in coming CP shw... tks yozz...
xj
depends in how u look at things yozz. Of cos most audience would label the princess as the biggest culprit of blame. But it takes 2 hands to clap...here...3 hands...(LOL)
So mayb i should the term to "The biggest victim" is the older brother. (LOL)
他註定是個悲劇人物唷~~~呵呵ing~~
btw, dun forget our ms director din wan the mum-in-law to be too "innocent" too...
The biggest authority is director mah...I think we din fulfil her "ideas".
Anyway, CP performance we try harder yozz. ^^
Thinking of my watersleeves...starts to perspire "worriedly"...
aiya, take it easy la.
i focus on dan but my sleeves also like sht, cant even ompared to some newbies la.. xj
U must be kidding, can't be compared to newies????
I don't believe it.
U r an oldie now, the newbies at least need more stage experience to improve their skills.
apparently u r much much better than newies...
I salute to all dans. Dan is not an easy role to learn. ^^
Post a Comment