Hefei, 7 July (ZXS) -- Topic: Anhui Huangmei's Drama Rhymes Overseas Will Continue the "Frontier"
Written by Zhang Qiang Ding Menghan
In the past few days, He Yun, winner of the Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award and vice president of Anhui Huangmei Drama Theater, has been busy performing while rehearsing the classic excerpts of Huangmei Opera "Heavenly Lady Scattered Flowers" and "Who Expected the Emperor to be the champion", and she will follow the performance troupe formed by Anhui Performing Arts Group to Portugal in September to carry out cultural exchange performances.
Huangmei opera is one of the five major opera genres in China, the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage in China, and is known as "China's most beautiful country music". Over the years, with the blessing of Anhui culture's "going out" strategy, Huangmei opera has not only appeared on the world stage and rhymed overseas, but also "taken root" in many countries and regions with its simple and smooth singing voice and rich expression.
As one of the key units of Huangmei opera "going out", Anhui Huangmei Drama Theater has performed in nearly 20 countries and regions such as the United States, France, Germany, and Russia.
"Before, when we performed abroad, it was a sold-out venue with rave reviews." He Yun said that after China implemented the "Class B and B tube" for the new crown virus infection, the Anhui Huangmei Drama Theater actively contacted and negotiated with relevant parties such as Anhui overseas Chinese groups and Anhui sister cities, striving for opportunities to perform abroad, continuing to promote Huangmei opera to "go global" and help expand the international influence of Huifeng Wanyun.
"Through online channels, the pace of Huangmei opera 'going out' has not stopped in the past three years. But as a stage art, online can never replace offline. He Yun said, "What we pursue is not only to let Huangmei opera 'go out', but also hope that Huangmei opera can 'go in' and truly enter the hearts of foreigners." ”
Also busy recently is Chen Xiaofang, a Huangmei opera performance artist in the United States and head of the North American Xiaofang Huangmei Art Troupe, who is busy rehearsing Huangmei's opera "Chinese Opera Hometown" and plans to launch a special performance in the United States in the second half of this year.
"This will be a cross-state and even transnational 'conference division' for North American Huangmei opera lovers." Chen Xiaofang said in a recent telephone interview with a reporter from the China News Agency.
Born in Anqing, Anhui Province, Chen Xiaofang founded the North American Xiaofang Huangmei Art Troupe in New Jersey in 2015 and currently has more than 50 members. With the development of online education and performance, the troupe has attracted many Huangmei opera fans from other parts of the United States, Canada and Australia.
Over the years, Chen Xiaofang has led art troupes into libraries, universities, museums, train stations, homes for the elderly and even large shopping malls in the United States to hold lectures and special performances; Adhere to art training, and use the Internet to teach Huangmei opera lovers in many parts of the world. At the same time, through the Internet, it cooperated with Anhui Huangmei Drama Theater and Anhui Overseas Chinese Federation to hold online performances and the first international Huangmei Opera selection activities.
"Among the Huangmei opera fans in North America, there are adults and teenagers, and the youngest student is only 3 years old. New Jersey also supports the development of our arts troupe, and the special performance in the second half of this year received support from the New Jersey government. Chen Xiaofang said that American audiences are very fond of the art form of Huangmei opera singing and dancing, comparing Huangmei opera to "Oriental Broadway".
How can Huangmei Opera better "go out" and "take root" overseas? Chen Xiaofang said that the way that can play a role in promoting in the short term is to invite high-level Huangmei theater troupes and famous artists overseas, enter internationally renowned art halls, interact with Chinese and even theater lovers of various ethnic groups, show the charm of Huangmei opera, and expand its influence.
Chen Xiaofang believes that in the long run, Chinese domestic troupes and famous artists should help overseas cultural associations and jointly organize online and offline art training; Organize professional forces to compile Huangmei opera lesson plans for foreigners; Organize multi-faceted theatrical and musical exchange meetings, and exchange with foreign professionals in academic or artistic practice; When conditions permit, create and draw on transnational stories, such as the story of Chennault and Chen Xiangmei, through a play, to narrow the distance between countries and people. (End)