Leading figures in the local world of Beijing opera will be teaming up this weekend at Taipei's Novel Hall (新舞臺) for a series of special performances that have been collectively entitled Li Bao-chun at His Best (壓箱寶春戲).
The series of shows, which are all adaptations of classical Beijing opera, will showcase and celebrate the operatic prowess of renowned martial arts opera (武戲) star, Li Bao-chun (李寶春).
Born in Hebei Province in 1950 into a celebrated theatrical family, Li was the first son of the legendary Beijing opera star, Li Shao-chun (李少春). At 10 he was admitted to the Beijing opera school where he studied for eight years. On graduation he was assigned to the Chinese National Opera Troupe -- the only officially sanctioned group allowed to perform Beijing opera in China at that time.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NOVEL HALL
After representing China at the Cologne Arts Festival in 1983, Li was given an honorary doctorate in Chinese Drama and Arts by the Northern Pontifical Academy in Nantes, France. Relocating to the US in the mid-1980s, he was awarded the outstanding Asian artist award by the Chinese American Arts Council in 1987. Li moved to Taiwan in 1989, and has since become one of the nation's most revered performers of traditional Beijing opera.
Although specializing in his formative years in China in the roles of the bearded old man (Laosheng, 老生) and the combat hero (Wusheng, 武生) -- two of Beijing opera's most demanding and physical roles -- it is has been his high-flying martial art-laden portrayals of the Monkey King that have won him so many fans in his adopted home of Taiwan.
Organized by the Koo Foundation (
This weekend's productions see Li taking on martial arts and less highflying operatic roles in reworked versions of the Tang and Song dynasty operas Lu Wen-Lung, the Deceived Hero (
Li Bao-chun at His Best (
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