CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- The "youth version" of The Peony Pavilion, produced by Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater of Jiangsu and starring Shen Fengying and Yu Jiulin, the winners of “Plum Blossom Prize” (the highest award of drama in China), was performed at Chongqing Grand Theatre in the evening of March 20. The opera will run for three days and be a great feast of visual and sound effects for the keen theatre-goers in Chongqing.

As a classic Kunqu Opera production by Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater of Jiangsu, the "youth version" of The Peony Pavilion has won many national awards, including the award of the National Stage Art Classic Project, and has clocked in numerous influential arts festivals and important national performances, such as the cultural performances of the Beijing Olympic Games and the Winter Olympics. It enhances the influence of Kunqu Opera.

Young actors staged the first performance of the youth version of The Peony Pavilion to give a rich flavor of youthfulness. This proposal was raised by Bai Xianyong, who sincerely hoped that Kunqu Opera and the brilliant traditional culture of China would attract more young people. It proved to be effective. Young people represent 60% to 70% of the opera’s overall audience. Some of the young viewers said they didn’t want to awake from the beautiful dream of The Peony Pavilion.

This version integrated the traditional style of singing with modern musical aesthetics and added lots of musical interludes and dance music to make the opera production more expressive and present a wonderful feast for eyes and ears.

Both the color and pattern of the performance clothes were designed to be subdued and elegant, which presented the features of Chinese landscape paintings and the classical beauty of traditional Suzhou embroidery. Besides, the innovative use of clothes also made the opera’s youth version a delight to watch. When the goddess appeared on the scene, the traditional floral dance was replaced by embroidered flowers that represented different months to present a unique and amazing performance.

The stage floor was designed to be grey, with ancient works of calligraphy and ink painting displayed on it. The stage perfectly incorporated the classical aesthetics of Kunqu Opera with modern theater to create artistic scenes.

The youth version of The Peony Pavilion was the first cultural performance staged at Chongqing Grand Theatre in 2023. The dance drama Yong Chun starring Han Zhen and Zhou Liya will be performed in July; the Chinese lute concert by Zhao Cong, the director of the China National Traditional Orchestra will be performed in August; Yang Liping's dance drama Peacock will be performed in September; and the poetic dance The journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting will be performed in November. (Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)