Heroines: Opening Dialogue with Wu Zetian

Chapter 28 Gone with the Wind, Uprightness and Innovation in Peking Opera

Su Qingyue waved again and came to a classroom where opera actors were rehearsing. A woman with white hair was standing inside. She was Liu Xikui.

Su Qingyue showed her figure and walked towards Liu Xikui.

"Comrade, where are you from? Are you here to learn drama?"

"Teacher Liu Xikui! My name is Su Qingyue, and I come from 70 years later."

"After 70 years?"

Liu Xikui looked at Su Qingyue with a puzzled expression.

"Teacher Liu, please look here."

As she said that, Su Qingyue waved her hand lightly, and a huge screen appeared, a large theater was displayed on the giant screen, and there were dense crowds of people standing on the theater stage.

"This is...the Grand Theater of Prince Gong's Mansion?"

"That's right! Teacher Liu, look, those stages are all opera actors from more than 70 years later!"

"Hello Mr. Liu!"

"Hey, hello!"

Liu Xikui looked at these young people and felt a surge of emotion.

"Yeah, the clothes on them look quite expensive, and they really don't look like those of our era. That's great! That's great!"

Su Qingyue continued: "Mr. Liu, I know that you are rehearsing modern operas now. Do you have any opinions on the future of our Chinese operas?"

"The future? I'm really not sure about that, but I hope opera will become more and more popular!"

"Ms. Liu, it's a pity that opera is no longer popular now. People have more entertainment methods, and opera has become a marginal culture."

After finishing speaking, Su Qingyue took out a tablet and walked to Liu Xikui.

"Ms. Liu, look, this is a new movie, this is a short video, this is music, this is an e-book, this is live shopping..."

"It's amazing! It's amazing! I didn't expect our Huaxia's technology to be so advanced!"

"Ms. Liu, if opera wants to improve, it must follow the pace of the times. Do you think I'm right?"

"Yes! Comrade Su Qingyue, what you said is really good."

Liu Xikui nodded and continued: "Peking opera itself is an innovative product after absorbing a large number of tunes from Kunqu Opera and Qin Opera, so our Peking Opera in the new era must continue to innovate!"

As soon as these words came out, the barrage was launched crazily.

"Nonsense! Peking Opera cannot be innovated! This is destroying the culture of our ancestors!"

"This show is too bad, how dare you use the pretext of historical figures to talk nonsense!"

"Why can't Peking Opera be innovative? Why can't it be innovative?"

"That's right, Beijing opera doesn't innovate, does it depend on state subsidies every day?"

"Look at other people's cross talk! How popular it is now! Why doesn't Peking Opera think of a way?"

……

A pear garden forum.

"Speaking of innovation, I have heard some electronic Beijing operas, but I think they are nondescript. Without the traditional soundtrack, can it still be Peking opera?"

"Yes, the current innovation has gone wrong. Peking Opera is a combination of fiction and reality, exaggerated and freehand! Now the sets are getting more and more realistic. If I want to watch this, why don't I go to watch TV dramas and movies?"

"Yes! Innovation should not be put on any set, but more good scripts should be written!"

……

"Mr. Liu, I know you are rehearsing modern dramas. Do you have any suggestions for the development of modern dramas?"

Liu Xikui was silent for a while, and said seriously: "Four words. Be upright and innovative!"

"Staying upright and innovating..."

"That's right! The so-called uprightness refers to the sets, outfits and facial makeup in our Peking Opera!"

"First of all, it's the set and outfits. The sets in modern dramas are too realistic. This is not good. It should be fake, and the outfits are too straight. It looks too real. It should be fake, and the styling can be more exaggerated."

"Then there is the facial makeup. The makeup on the faces of modern dramas is too light. I think the colors should be more intense. After all, it is singing, as long as the outfit can tell who it is!"

……

"Wow! Teacher Liu Xikui said it so well, I just said that I always feel strange when I watch modern dramas!"

"That's right, what you need to sing in an opera is fake! If it's too real, it will become a drama or an opera!"

"Support! I think the face can be redrawn, the more exaggerated the better!"

"As expected of a master, what you said is amazing!"

……

"Teacher Liu, what is innovation?"

Liu Xikui smiled, pointed to the TV series and movies on the tablet and said, "Isn't this innovation? Movie scripts can also be made into opera scripts! As long as it is a good work, it can be expressed in various forms!"

Su Qingyue nodded, and turned to look at the opera performers on the stage of the Grand Theater of Prince Kung's Mansion in the giant screen.

"Next, you can ask Teacher Liu a question? Please choose a representative!"

All the opera actors looked at each other, and a tall and thin male actor came out.

"Ms. Liu! I am the head of the Peking Opera Performing Art Troupe of Jinghai City. My name is Liu Bo! I want to ask you, why did you give up being with Mr. Mei Lanfang?"

……

"What? Why is this person so gossip?"

"Is it permissible to say that?"

"No, I asked you to ask a question about opera, and you asked this!"

"Hahaha……"

"What kind of guest is this! Can you say such things!?"

"Whoa! I actually want to know too!"

……

Liu Xikui froze for a moment, then smiled, lost in thought.

"Mr. Mei Lanfang and I met in a church party. At that time, we were similar in age, and we performed in reverse on the stage. He played the female role, and I played the raw role... There was also some mutual admiration for each other."

"I was in my 20s at the time, and when I was young and beautiful, I had some achievements in art. Those warlords and wealthy young men all came after me. If you don't want to sacrifice your body, you have to sacrifice your art."

"Mr. Mei is a genius of Peking Opera. His achievements in art are immeasurable. I can't delay him because of my affairs, so I gave up. Later, he grew a beard and showed his ambition, and I knew that I was right! Now I think about it. , it’s also embarrassing.”

……

"Wow, in the troubled times of the Republic of China, children love each other. This is really a heart-wrenching relationship."

"Unexpectedly, Mr. Mei Lanfang would have such a past with Mr. Liu Xikui."

"The beauty of a woman is indeed a sin! Teacher Liu Xikui was harassed by these warlords. She obviously gave up singing for Mr. Mei Lanfang!"

"Ahhh, I'm so touched! Why is this happening! For the sake of Peking Opera, Mr. Liu Xikui was tricked into getting married, and even became a widow for life. It's really sad!"

"I think Mr. Mei Lanfang must also be very heartbroken. Although he has made achievements in troubled times, he can't protect the people he loves!"

"At that time, the status of actors was too low, and many people could only be reduced to concubines of warlords!"

"Thanks to the ancestors! Thanks to the liberation! This is what made these artists stand up successfully!"

"grateful!"

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(End of this chapter)