Debra Li

FIVE Beijing opera shows, including four full-length operas and a collective gala of excerpts from classical operas, will be presented on the local stage starting today.

Hubei Beijing Opera House, headed by leading chou (mime) actor Zhu Shihui, will give two performances of their new play “Zenghou Yi” to open the opera week.

Partly funded by Shenzhen’s cultural-minded government, the weeklong event will also include repertoires like “Legend of White Snake” and “Xie Yaohuan.” The latter tells of the adventures of Xie, a woman official under Tang (618-907) Emperor Wu Zetian, who fought corrupt court officials and found her love during a visit to the Yangtze River Delta.

A total of nine performances, to be staged at theaters and in Shenzhen University as well as outdoors at community plazas, are expected to arouse public interest in the Chinese cultural gem — Beijing opera.

Shenzhen, a city of migrants, has fertile soil for the traditional art, said Shen Hongguang, a senior cultural official from Hubei during a news briefing last week. Beijing opera, a traditional art shared by all Chinese, has its market in Shenzhen like Mandarin.

To satisfy the needs of fans, local performance companies invited the National Beijing Opera House to give several shows last year, including “The Brocade Pouch” and “Beyond the Xikou Pass.”

“The box office of Beijing opera shows has not been satisfying, however,” said Zheng Weiqian, general manager of the Shenzhen Performance Company.

She believed the fast pace of life and comparatively expensive tickets have deterred potential theatergoers.

With government subsidies, the shows offered this time will be cheap — best seats sold at 60 yuan (US$8) each — and some even free.

“The feast, especially the opening show ‘Zenghou Yi,’ is certain to draw big crowds,” Zheng said.

Zhu Shihui, who plays the part of Zenghou, is the best contemporary mime actor in China with two Plum Blossom Awards. Star director Chen Xinyi, playwright Hu Yingming, composer Zhu Shaoyu and choreographer Huang Kaifu all contributed to the play. Young actress Zhang Huifang will sing the leading female role of Yu Ji.