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Presenter: Peking Opera House of Beijing, Beijing Guolian Symphony Orchestra, etc Production: National Centre for the Performing Arts Coproduction: National Centre for the Performing Arts, Peking Opera House of Beijing Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts - Opera House Dates: September 21 - 28, 2009 19:30 Lead Cast: Yu Kuizhi, Meng Guanglu, Li Hongtu, Li Shengsu, Zhang Jianfeng, Wang Yue, Wang Yan, etc. Price: VIP 500 400 300 200 100 RMB
Programme Introduction Producer: Chen Ping Supervisor: Wang Yuzhen, Deng Yijiang Playwright: Cai Fuchao Chief Director: Zhang Jigang Composer: Zhu Shaoyu Stage Designer / Supervisor: Gao Guangjian Executive Director: Shi Hongtu
The Battle of Red Cliff, a legendary battle over a thousand years ago, is an epic of fight among three states as well as magnificent heroic scenery. Last year, a Peking Opera representing the history of that battle was on the stage, showing the famous event happened over 1,800 years ago to today's spectators.
For the past 30 performances, the Peking Opera Red Cliff all played to the full house, showing the classical charm of Peking Opera and the quintessence of Chinese culture. With the theatre packed, it has been greatly received since its debut, causing a fad for Peking Opera, the quintessence of Chinese culture, with its great epic charm.
From September 21-28, this great epic Peking opera will return to the stage; 8 perfect performances will be contributed to the 60th anniversary of the foundation of People's Republic of China.
Programme Introduction Producer: Chen Ping Supervisor: Wang Yuzhen, Deng Yijiang Playwright: Cai Fuchao Chief Director: Zhang Jigang Composer: Zhu Shaoyu Stage Designer / Supervisor: Gao Guangjian Executive Director: Shi Hongtu
The Battle of Red Cliff, a legendary battle over a thousand years ago, is an epic of fight among three states as well as magnificent heroic scenery. Last year, a Peking Opera representing the history of that battle was on the stage, showing the famous event happened over 1,800 years ago to today's spectators.
For the past 30 performances, the Peking Opera Red Cliff all played to the full house, showing the classical charm of Peking Opera and the quintessence of Chinese culture. With the theatre packed, it has been greatly received since its debut, causing a fad for Peking Opera, the quintessence of Chinese culture, with its great epic charm.
From September 21-28, this great epic Peking opera will return to the stage; 8 perfect performances will be contributed to the 60th anniversary of the foundation of People's Republic of China.

The success of this play relies on a powerful lineup for the creation: it was adapted by Cai Fuchao, a famous playwriter; chiefly directed by Zhang Jigang, the assistant chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and executive chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies of Beijing 2008 Paralympics; Zhu Shaoyu, a famous composer with a variety of 40 compositions as well as Shi Hongtu and other well-known Peking Opera artists joined in this opera. Major performers are from Peking Opera House of Beijing. Zhang Jigang has directed many plays, such as A Handful of Sour Dates, and it was his first time to direct a Peking Opera; however, he succeeded in mixing the charm of dance and the appeal of Peking Opera and showing it perfectly on the stage.
The coming performances of Red Cliff will again be played by a lineup of prestigious artists and promising rising stars. Leading Peking Opera artists nowadays including Yu Kuizhi, Meng Guanglu, Li Hongtu and Li Shengsu will play in all 10 performances, and popular young artists who have given wonderful performances earlier on including Zhang Jianfeng and Wang Yan will bring artistic enjoyment to the spectators once more in their own ways.
"Respect tradition and dare to innovate" is the artistic idea upheld throughout the creation of Red Cliff. Different from other traditional operas, TV programs and films with the same subject, the new epic Peking Opera Red Cliff shows great innovation both in story line and characterization. Some major plots, such as "A Verbal Dispute with Some Idea-men for War", "Borrowing Arrows by Scarecrow-soldiers on Boats" and "Battle of Red Cliff", as well as heroes and Xiao Qiao are all performed in a new artistic expression. Just as what dramatist Xu Chengbei said after watching it, "This is a successful play, with beautiful lyrics and compact plots, representing original historical facts and showing a new image of Zhou Yu, meanwhile, Zhuge Liang gets off the "alter" and acts like a ordinary people, so it more caters to the taste of modern people. "

There is a slight difference from the traditional expression with "One table and two chairs", Chief Director Zhang Jigang and Stage Designer Gao Guangjian made bold innovations and created several marvelous scenes, such as "Borrowing Arrows by Scarecrow-soldiers on Boats" and "Battle of Red Cliff", all of which present a unique romantic appeal of Peking Opera. Meanwhile, by inheriting traditions, Costume Designer Song Li and Aria Designer Zhu Shaoyu have both made successful exploration in their fields respectively.
As a unique treasure in Chinese culture, Peking Opera has particular national value and aesthetic value. NCPA, a national for performing arts centre, has committed itself to promoting art treasures of our nation and carrying forward our traditional culture. The grand new epic Peking Opera Red Cliff has catered to the taste of youngsters by expressing the charm of Peking Opera in new forms, and thus opened a new era of Peking Opera.

Schedule Lead Cast Sept. 21 19: 30 Yu Kuizhi, Meng Guang Lu, Li Hongtu, Li Shengsu Sept. 22 19: 30 Yu Kuizhi, Meng Guang Lu, Li Hongtu, Li Shengsu Sept. 23 19: 30 Yu Kuizhi, Meng Guang Lu, Li Hongtu, Li Shengsu Sept. 24 19: 30 Yu Kuizhi, Meng Guang Lu, Li Hongtu, Li Shengsu Sept. 25 19: 30 Yu Kuizhi, Meng Guang Lu, Li Hongtu, Li Shengsu Sept. 26 19: 30 Zhang Jianfeng, Meng Guanglu, Li Hongtu, Wang Yan Sept. 27 19: 30 Zhang Jianfeng, Wang Yue, Li Hongtu, Wang Yan Sept. 28 19: 30 Yu Kuizhi, Meng Guang Lu, Li Hongtu, Li Shengsu
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