For all the contemporary additions, the mood of the production is nostalgic for what has become a very uncool style of popular music — huangmei was the pop music of a previous generation, and nothing is more uncool than that. But Spring Sun seems happy enough to play with this material without any very specific agenda of creating some highbrow species of artistic fusion, and the troupe’s light-hearted approach gives the music additional appeal.
Shan said that he hoped the production would give those familiar with earlier huangmei productions or with Love Eterne a chance to relive the experience of this popular classic, while providing a younger generation with a new style of Chinese musical that could be enjoyed on its own terms.
The cast is made up largely of veterans of television soap opera and variety shows, who manage the transitions between contemporary humor and romantic tragedy with considerable confidence. In addition to Lang, who leads the cast as Liang, young Beijing opera performer Huang Yu-lin (黃宇琳) is impressive as Zhu — and also shows the kind of elegance and poise that only a rigorous classical opera training provides — and Tu Shih-mei (杜詩梅), a veteran television comedienne, plays the role of Zhu’s maid with energy, charm and just a hint of the salacious. The presence of a live orchestra and choir give the musical passages wonderful oomph and create an appealing contrast with the rather improvisational nature of the dialogue and stage business.
The nostalgic tone and hummable tunes are an especially appealing way for Spring Sun to say goodbye.
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