The dan (旦), or female role, in Beijing opera has traditionally been played by men, but with the inclusion of female performers, men who play the part are increasingly rare on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The presence in Taiwan of 93-year-old dan actor Lee Yi-ching (李毅清), the only male actor in the role over the age of 90, is all the more precious.
Although the quality of his voice is far from when he was in his prime, and he can no longer perform more difficult moves, Lee said that he is still able to alter his voice to one octave above and below his normal range for the part.
Photo provided by Lee Yi-ching
“Even I find it amazing that I can still perform,” Lee said in an interview.
Born in China’s Hubei Province, Lee attended Beijing operas when he was between five and six years old, and went on to be an accountant for the Hankou Performance Hall when he was 18 and 19.
The exposure to actors and watching the senior actors train new ones, in both action and reciting dialogue, gave him a solid foundation in the “four basics” of Beijing opera: singing, chanting, expression and dancing, he said.
In 1949, Lee followed the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government to Taiwan, where he was unexpectedly tapped by Hu Shao-an (胡少安), then considered the “premier Lao Sheng (老生) actor across the Taiwan Strait,” to join the former Hai Kuang Opera Troupe (海光劇團), after Hu watched Lee perform at a Beijing opera club, he said.
Like Zhang Zhunqiu (張君秋), a renowned dan actor in China who founded the “Zhang school” of performing, Lee also possessed a sound range one octave above and below his normal voice.
On Oct. 27 last year, Lee performed in Los Angeles for the Chinese Opera Association.
At the performance, Lee performed snippets from all four major schools of Beijing opera — the Cheng Yanqiu (程硯秋) school, Mei Lanfang (梅蘭芳) school, the Xun Huisheng (荀慧生) school and the Zhang school.
Hong Kong Traditional Chinese Culture and Art Research Society head Yang Ming (楊明) said that it was “quite rare” for people like Lee, who did not have “proper” training, to become famous.
Lee’s imitation of Zhang and Mei was “incredible,” Yang said, adding that his ability to still perform at his age is remarkable.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday hosted a reception to celebrate Double Ten National Day. Conservative Canadian lawmaker Marc Dalton called Taiwan a “beacon of courage and resilience in the face of rising authoritarianism,” according to a post on the Taiwan in Vancouver Facebook page. Also in attendance were fellow conservative caucus members Tako Van Popta and Chak Au, who said that Taiwan plays an “indispensable role” in ensuring global peace, prosperity and stability due to its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Canadian lawmaker Michael Cooper also recorded a message wishing Taiwan a
RSS