Coming Performances

Just added a 85-sec clip by Jeong Mun Tuin


Cantonese opera performances by The Guangdong Cantonese Opera Theatre at the Esplanade Theatre.
Tickets : SISTIC
31 March 2006 @ 8pm - A Gentleman's Bridge ( Details: click here )
01 April 2006 @ 8pm - The Origin of Dreams (Details: click here )

Below is a 63-sec clip by the two lead artistes, Jeong Mun Tuin and Ting Fan, of The Guangdong Cantonese Opera Theatre.

Bloodshed in the Imperial Palace

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.

Macpherson Constituency

I live in this constituency. Before the last or second last election Macpherson was in Marine Parade GRC (Group Representative Constituency). Then someone in the opposition said that he wanted to contest in Macpherson as he felt he had a good chance. So you see, Macpherson was taken out to be a single-seated constituency.

It is the second smallest constituency in terms of population.

This time round it was reported that two opposition parties are interested in Macpherson but they have yet come to any agreement or compromise. If both of them come in and one or two independents also join in, there would be 4 or 5 candidates. That would be some excitement. Unlikely to happen though; most likely two candidates only.

Near my block is a hawkers’ center and a wet market. These are the places where politicians usually go around shaking hands. So far none has come. Anyway they only appear during the election period. Then there will be a lot of zap, zap, zap….

Macpherson once had a minister MP many years back He was one Mr Chua. I think he was Minister of the then Ministry of Interior.

Now my MP is Mr Yao Chih.. I met and talked to him twice but not during meet-the-people sessions. I find him an amiable man who listens to you.

At Thien Hock Keng Temple

It was still early after dinner at Chinatown. I had bought ticket for the China Quyi Concert at the Singapore Conference Hall. The show would only start at 8pm. I remembered Miko’s Troupe had a performance at Thien Hock Keng Temple at Telok Ayer Street which is quite near. I decided to go have a look.

This temple, also known as Temple of Heavenly Happiness, is the oldest and most important Hokkien Temple in Singapore. Hee..hee.. not that I know a lot about temples. I read it in a friend’s blog. If you are interested, click here: http://chinesetemples.blogspot.com/

I reached the temple after seven. A young man was talking to an audience in the temple courtyard. Show started already, I thought. I sat down and looked around. Those sitting at the front were mostly tourists while the locals were behind. The young man looked a bit familiar. He was telling the audience about the history of Nanyin and Liyuanxi. He also mentioned about the Goddess of Mercy Festival.

Then three pretty young ladies and a handsome lad dressed in Tang costumes appeared. Each of them was holding a different musical instrument and they gave a demonstration of Nanyin. I find the scene has a sort of ancient oriental charm and beauty. You can imagine yourself transported back in ancient time to the imperial court of the Tang Dynasty.

I realized that this was a talk-cum-demonstration show mainly for tourists. I asked a man selling vcds at a table. He confirmed what I thought. He said the actual show would start at about eight.

Next, a handsome young man dressed as a scholar (a sheng) demonstrated some movements and expressions of emotions as well as how to use the sleeves.

Finally some tourists were invited to put on a piece of costume and to follow the movements of the sheng.

I left after 7.30. Hope I will be able to see the artistes perform in Tang costumes or in Qipao another time.

China snapshots

Journey to the West Park - the monk, Xuan Zang, with his 3 disciples

Street entrepreneurs in China

A few weeks ago there was a report with photos in the papers of how our foreigner workers were trying hard to adjust to life in Singapore. And hard work for many of them – labouring at the worksite for 8 hours, clearing garbage for 12 hours or a maid at her employer’s beck and call for the whole day and only one off-day each month.

The report somehow prompted me to look at my photos to see if any are suitable to post here. My photos are not kept systematically in albums with headings, captions and dates. I put most of them in envelopes and some were spoilt because they stuck together. Found some photos taken during my travels in China. They are not pictures of breathtaking sceneries or magnificent tourist sites, just pictures of ordinary folks going about their daily activities.


two hands also not enough


meditating? fortune-teller? no lah, he repairs shoes, a cobbler


This person sharpens knives. Sharpener, right?


Wu Song selling tiger skins.


Can you see the man in the green light?


Beep ! beep! this is the whistle-blower.


dry-cleaning?


choose your faithful companion (the puppies, not the girls)

Two Shows

Friday night I was at Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre to watch Zhu Zhi San chooses a son-in-law. Saturday night, some opera friends were performing at Victoria Theatre; so I was there. Otherwise, I think I would have gone to Joo Chiat C C. Just read Miko’s entertaining report on her show. There were some unexpected hitches during the show but they handled the situation very well.

Zhu Zhi Shan is a good comedy but I wouldn’t rate it too highly. The ‘dan’ (lead female artiste) was very pretty. The ‘sheng’ (lead male artiste) was tall and thin. I think he was slimmer than the dan. I took this picture after the show. Actually I would like to take the performing artistes only but the officials joined in. The dan is in the red costume, The sheng is behind her, partially blocked by Dr Chua of the COI.



The 6 opera excerpts at VT were not new and I have seen all the artistes, except one, perform before. This one looks new and young. She was acting the Green Snake in an excerpt Flooding the Jinshan Monastery. She looked quite tense but she could remember all her songs and actions in the 30-minutes excerpt. Not bad.

During interval I went backstage to try to take some pictures. The backstage is quite vast. There are makeup rooms on both sides. I think upstairs also got. Everyone seemed to be occupied with something. Then I went onto the stage behind the closed curtain. This girl was carrying a stick-like thing with a basket at one end and walking about. So I asked her permission and took her picture.

She is Chung Wai Ling. She would be acting a peasant girl in a popular excerpt from the famous Reincarnation of a Beauty. Her acting and singing resemble Mui Suet See, a Hong Kong artiste.

Pekin Opera

Saturday evening I was at the food court at People’s Park Centre for dinner. After dinner my friends remained behind for other activities. I went to develop some photos using the auto-printing machine at one of the shops. Then I intended to visit some vcd shops in the vicinity.

On the way I met a friend. I asked if she was going for a show. No, she said, going to attend singing class. I didn’t know she had class on Saturday. So I asked how many singing classes she had in a week. Three, she said. I don’t know if they include opera class. How come she not tired, I thought – she has to go to work early in the morning and works till 5 or 6pm (off on Saturday) and she got family chore to do.

Went to the vcd shop on the first level at the end of Smith Street. This shop is always crowded. There is a wide range of vcds and dvds. Spent some time looking but bought nothing. Then went to Chinatown Food Centre to eat Chee Cheung Fun. This stall is also always crowded.

I walked down to Chinatown Square, just in time to see the last few minutes of a Pekin Opera performance by the Pei Yen Ling Opera Arts Troupe. It was just past 9pm. The last minutes were all fighting and acrobatics – there were the monkey king, 4 little monkeys, 2 painted faces, a prawn soldier, a turtle soldier and a ‘dan’ (female artiste). The audience liked the turtle with his cute face and comical actions. Here are 2 pictures I took when they were ‘undressing’.

This is the 'dan', behind her is the Prawn.


This is the Turtle.

The Chinese Cultural Festival 2006 (16/2 - 19/3)

For more information, click on this link:
http://www.chineseculturalfestival.com.sg/

Some Highlights:
click on pictures for larger versions

A Xiang Opera artiste

"Welcome to frannxis' home
I'm his page boy, Zhen Zhen."


Hi Amai, recognize me?

Xiang Opera - final night

It was the last night for the Zhangzhou City Xiang Opera Troupe. They performed for 17 nights. It must have been quite exhausting for them. It would be nice if the organizers had put a rest day in between.

It was full-house tonight. I came early as I expected more people. The hall was already half-filled. At the row in front of me a woman was showing her neighbours a stack of photos of ZZ opera artistes. Like a busybody, I went forward and asked to see some. She said 1 for 50 cents. Oh, she was selling them. I looked through and bought two.

Later everyone in the audience was given a little red bag with two mandarin oranges. I ate one. The orange was easy to peel and very sweet.

Before every performance, there was a simple ceremony. A lady in opera costume came to the edge of the stage and a man below handed her some oranges and other things. She squatted down to receive them, stood up and made a few bows before walking backstage.

The opera was one I have seen before. It didn’t matter much. There was one stunt I have not seen performed in cantonese opera before. This actor wanted to kneel down to apologize to his wife. But he did not kneel the way you and I would do. He jumped high into the air, bent his knees and then landed with both knees hitting the hard wooden floor with a loud thud. I thought it was quite dangerous - very painful and might dislocate his knees.

Just before the last scene Lin Xiuzhen came on stage and gave a short speech thanking the audience.

After the show the artistes and some other troupe members gathered on stage for a photography session. Then it was photography time for the fans. It was a joyous occasion for everyone. I took a few photos and then sat down to watch others taking pictures. Zhang Yaling, Xiuzhen and ‘The Twins’ all were smiling happily taking photos with their fans. I felt happy for them too.

I sounded like a Xiang opera fan now. Hahaha…

The empty opera stage.... what emotions does it evoke in you?
Miko : "人去楼空"
Amai : "曲終人散"



bye-bye!

Xiang Opera 3

To Paya Lebar, To see opera, La la la la
Lebar rhymes with opera, hee hee!

Tonight – a short opera and a few excerpts

The two leading artistes were not performing. It looks like the second-generation artistes are a talented lot whether in acting or singing and the stars are the female artistes.

They are Pang Jin Lian, a female Ghost, a Woman Warrior and the Spiderwoman in the excerpt The Cave of the Silken Web.

Pang Jin Lian manipulated her extra-long water sleeves with much grace and beauty which was a joy to watch. The Ghost executed several difficult operatic moves and stunts. The Woman Warrior and the Spiderwoman displayed some excellent martial and acrobatic skills.

The first time I saw Lin Xiuzhen perform and she was a ghost! But a pretty and graceful one, hahaha.

The short opera was about an unfilial son. Though comical I feel this opera drags a bit and is unconvincing. One moment the son behaved as if his mother was nonexistence and the next moment, out of sudden realization, he became very filial.



This is the actress who played the adulterous Pang Jin Lian. Actually I had no intention of taking her photo. When I walked out after the show, a crowd was mingling outside trying to peep into transparent door of the makeup room. Maybe they were waiting for their idols to come out. Then I saw this actress signing autographs and chatting with her fans. So I just took out the camera and click!

Xiang Opera 2

Friday. After dinner at Circuit Road I walked to Seng Ong temple. It took about 20 minutes. The temple was a hive of activity. Some people were praying and some were viewing the exhibits. Tens of tables had been laid in the courtyard as there would be a feast for temple devotees. The caterers were preparing the dishes and roasting some piglets in the compound.

The opera was a comedy and much of the music was very chirpy. The story goes like this. A princess swooned over a young handsome man who was actually a lady in disguise and wanted to make her the prince-consort. Then a real handsome man appeared and the princess also swooned over him and decided to make this man the prince-consort instead. When she asked for his identity, the lady’s maid, also disguised as a man, tricked the princess and gave her the identity of a very ugly man. And so weaved a story of coincidence, mistaken identity and comical errors.

The opera is entertaining. Scenes 2 and 3 were hilarious as the court officials and then the emperor, the empress and the princess herself got to see the face of the ugly man. Also another scene in which the half-drunk princess mistakenly took the ugly man to bed.

Anyway, a happy ending. Despite her reluctance and resistance, the willful princess married the ugly man. The beautiful lady got the handsome man.

I only know the beautiful lady and the handsome man, but not the princess or the ugly man. I also can’t recognize Lin Xiu Zhen even if she was in the cast.

Xiang Opera

After watching the 6.30 mandarin news, I decided to watch a Xiangju (a type of Chinese opera) performance. I think Amai’s enthusiasm is infectious and A.C. said the Zhangzhou City Xiang Opera Troupe is a well-established troupe with several award-winning shows to its credits. Amai and A.C. are Xiangju artistes; A.C. also writes reviews of operas he has watched.



So I went to Arumugam Road, the venue of the show. The road was very clean and red cloths with auspicious words were hung all along the road. The Seng Ong Temple is at the end of this short road which is off Paya Lebar Road. Outside the temple was a row of hawkers. Just behind the hawkers was a courtyard and there was a stage for a sort of variety show or concert. Many people were already seated on the chairs in front. I thought I had come to the wrong temple. Then I saw two aunties looking at a poster of the opera shows. I asked one of them where the opera show was. She pointed inside.





The opera performances from 26 January to 11 February are part of the Temple’s spring festival activities.

I went in and I saw a make-up room. Some troupe members were powdering themselves. Just then a female artiste was walking towards the room. I looked at her. I don’t know who she is. She gave me a smile. I asked if I could take her photo. She was affable and said can. When I was taking her photo she gave me another smile. After taking the photo I said thank you and she gave me a smile again. So I collected Three Smiles. It made me think of the opera Three Smiles. Hahaha! This encounter gave me a good impression of the troupe.



I bought a ticket and went inside. It was a spacious well-ventilated quadrangle roofed over with canvas. There were more than 600 seats. On both sides of the stage were two vertical electronic boards for Chinese subtitles. As at many Chinese opera shows, the audience consisted mainly of uncles and aunties.

The performance started punctually at eight. The scenes were short and there were no breaks between them. The two artistes performing the lead male and female roles are slim and beautiful. The story was about a fairy who came down to earth and fell for a prince and so on… …

My initial observations:
The artistes do not paint their faces as red as they do in cantonese opera and their costumes and headgears are not so elaborate. But the performance style is very similar to Cantonese opera.

There were few props and backdrops. Maybe it is not the same if they perform in a theatre.

At Hong Kong Airport

I just watched a Hong Kong drama serial. In this episode, a lawyer (a character in the story) said that it was an offence in HK to utter vulgarities in a public place; and the more public and international a place was, the more serious the offence.

This brought me back to last December. We were waiting in a holding area in Hong Kong International Airport waiting for a Jetstar flight back to Singapore. A group of male airport employees were not far away near the wall talking among themselves. Suddenly one of them uttered quite loudly a four-word Cantonese phrase ‘dew ……’ It means screw your mother. Later we heard another 4-word phrase also starting with ‘dew’. I did not know what it meant. Neither did my friend who is a Cantonese.

I don’t know if these words are vulgar under HK laws but certainly this incident didn’t give a good image of HK.

Appreciating of Chinese Opera without knowing the Language

Last Saturday, I attended a Cantonese opera excerpt performance at the Esplanade Recital Studio. There were a number of foreigners, several of whom indicated that it was their first time watching a Chinese opera.

There was a pre-performance talk on Chinese opera by Mr Leslie Wong, chairman of Chinese Theatre Circle.

One point mentioned by Mr Wong was that was that you can still appreciate Chinese opera even if you do not know the language or dialect. Quite true.

But, I feel that in this case your appreciation is not complete and your enjoyment is limited. You would miss out on the beauty of the language or dialect, the poems and songs, the metaphors, the humour,…. You can only appreciate visual parts - the gestures and movements, dances - and maybe the music.

Subtitles only help you to follow the story line. The subtleties of the language are lost in the translation.

I am sure a Chinese opera lover would feel the joy and exhilaration when a good song is well sung by a competent artiste. Would someone not knowing the language have such emotions?

I think the decades-old no-dialects policy is bad for Chinese opera. It makes it difficult for Chinese opera groups to recruit youths to train as opera artistes. It is also hard to increase the pools of Chinese opera fans


KIDS' PERFORMANCE



One of the excepts was performed by a group of 12 children from the Chinese Theatre Circle’s Children’s Opera Class. They performed an excerpt from Madam White Snake – Stealing the Magic Herb.

They looked cute in their costumes and slight makeup. It was quite funny watching the younger ones tottering around the floor and the older one trying nervously to recite their lines. And there was one kid dressed as an elderly saint complete with a long white beard.

Considering their young age, short training period and lack of performing experience, they performed creditably.

Unfortunately, taking photos is not allowed.

Hope the kids’ interest in Chinese opera can be sustained when they enter secondary school and later.

Blogs on Chinese Opera

Singaporean blogs:



1. Opera Fanatic Blog by Miko - “Chinese opera is so beautiful.. I want to cry!”
(http://liyuanxi.blogspot.com/)
Miko performs Ge Zai Xi and Liyuanxi.

2. Kirk’s Passion by Amai - “ I belong to the stage, I belong to my Chinese Opera”.
(http://amaiopera.blogspot.com/)
Amai performs XiangJu.

Their enthusiasm and passion in Chinese opera are reflected in their writings.

3. A.C.’s World of Thoughts (http://aycee78.blogspot.com/)
He is a member of the Bukit Panjang Hokkien Konghuay Opera Troupe. (The only Xiangju troupe in Singapore.)


Other blogs:



1. A blog by a Hong Kong girl, Apple, who performs Cantonese opera.
(http://spaces.msn.com/members/panpancheekgroups/PersonalSpace.aspx?_c=)

2. Cantonese Opera’ by a Malaysian.
(http://cantoneseopera.blogspot.com/)


Others:

This Singaporean wrote about her experience watching a Cantonese opera performance for the first time.
(http://yvonne-ng.blogspot.com/2005/10/cantonese-opera-for-first-time.html)

Another Singaporean says Chinese opera needs to be preserved.
(http://thelittlereddot.blogspot.com/2005/09/chinese-opera-needs-to-be-preserved.html)

Fish Porridge and Wanton Mee

These two shops in Hong Kong specialize in fish porridge though they also sell beef and pork porridges as well as ‘see yau lor mee’, ‘fun cheong’, ‘yau char kuai’ etc. They have porridge with fish mouth, fish bone, fish slices and other parts of the fish…. I prefer the yu larm chook. I like the thick chunks of fish that come with the porridge.

If you want plain porridge (but chook in cantonese), you must tell them not to add anything. Otherwise they will give you porridge with salt, monosodium glutamate and whatever spices they normally use.

The eateries are in the Jordan area; one is in Ning Po Street and one is in Woosung Street. There is another one in Woosung Street. All three are within one minute’s walk from each other.

I would say ‘wanton mee’ is the most common hawker food in Hong Kong. I read about one wanton mee shop in Leonard’s blog (http://leonardpng.blogspot.com) and decided to try it. It is in Hau Fook Street in Tsim Sha Tsui. The mee came with big shrimp-filled wantons. There were no char siew. I think they only have the soup version, not the dried version. The wantons were good but not outstanding. I also tried their octopus balls (mak yu yuen in Cantonese). I think they were better than the wantons.

I think we in Singapore have a wider variety of food. It is difficult to find char kuay teow, laksa, prawn mee, fish-head meehoon or mee rubus in Hong Kong. Our chicken rice tastes better too. I also prefer our wanton mee to Hong Kong’s.