On the morning of August 20, the director's briefing and opening ceremony of the opera musical "Mazu" was held in Guangzhou. Relevant leaders from the Propaganda Department of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism and the main creators and cast members of "Mazu" attended the exposition meeting. The main creative staff from Hong Kong also participated in this event through video conference. Guangdong Cantonese Theater Chairman Yu Yong said: ""Mazu" will be created by the original cast of "Madame Xian". The theater will devote all its efforts to creating and staging the play, striving to create another opera musical masterpiece." It is reported that the play will be officially performed in Guangzhou in mid-November this year.
A number of celebrities in the Hong Kong film and television industry co-created
The opera musical "Mazu" was produced by the Propaganda Department of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau. It was created and performed by the Guangzhou Cantonese Theater, and co-organized by Red Line Female Art Center and Chunmei Studio . "Mazu" is another large-scale opera musical jointly created by artists from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, following "A Generation of Goddess" and "Mrs. Xian". The play is co-created by two former mayors of Guangzhou, Li Ziliu and Chen Jianhua, and has specially invited many famous figures in the Hong Kong film and television industry to co-create. The famous director, screenwriter, and actor Huang Baiming serves as the producer, and the famous actor Mai Jia serves as the screenwriter. Director Gao Zhisen serves as the chief director, and the famous lyricist Zheng Guojiang serves as the lyricist. The play also invited Zhang Lei, a well-known young director from the Mainland, to serve as the executive director, national first-level stage design Lan Ling to serve as styling and costume design, and Lu Chiyuan to serve as choreographer. In addition, music director and composer Zou Yuwei, percussion designer Cao Jie, stage design designer Lin Guoming and other creative staff are all outstanding creative talents of Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theatre. The play will be starred by Su Chunmei, a well-known Cantonese opera performer, heir to the Red School of Art, and winner of the Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Drama. Li Weicong, an outstanding young cultural and martial arts student, and all the cast and crew of the Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe will also participate.
Mazu is a folk belief spread in coastal areas of China. Mazu culture originated in the Song Dynasty, developed in the Yuan Dynasty, flourished in the Ming Dynasty, flourished in the Qing Dynasty, and flourished in modern times. It is a spiritual symbol and female representative that integrates traditional virtues such as selflessness, kindness, kindness, love, and bravery. The opera musical "Mazu" is a mythical story based on the Mazu culture of folk belief. The work takes the mythical "Mazu" down from the altar and turns her into a real and touching heroine Lin Mo. By describing her spirit of rescuing people from danger, healing the sick, and sacrificing herself for the people, she promotes the "morality, morality, and virtue" in Mazu culture. The traditional virtues of the Chinese nation are "good deeds and great love".
At the exposition meeting, Li Ziliu, former mayor of Guangzhou and consultant of the Opera and Musical Drama Creation Base, introduced Mazu culture from its historical origins. He said: "Mazu really has a person in history. Her conduct is worthy of praise from the people and she is in the hearts of the masses. "Goddess" has deep cultural and historical roots. The work "Mazu" was created at this important time point of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. The subject matter is very good. I hope to draw on the creative experience of "A Generation of Tianjiao" and "Mrs. Xian". "Mazu culture is a Chinese culture spread all over the world," Chen Jianhua, former mayor of Guangzhou and consultant of the Opera Musical Creation Base, said in terms of ideological value and significance. Introducing the play: ""Mazu" not only fits our spirit of patriotism, but as one of the incarnations of China's excellent traditional culture, Mazu tells Chinese stories to the world through opera and musicals and reflects the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. and the Belt and Road Initiative."
Chen Xiaodan, deputy director of the Propaganda Department of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, has high hopes for "Mazu" from the perspective of humanistic Bay Area construction, and has put forward requirements for the creation and production of the play from the perspective of creating an artistic masterpiece in the Bay Area. Pi Jian, director of the Literary and Art Department of the Propaganda Department of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, expressed congratulations on the opening of "Mazu". He said that Mazu has changed from a human to a god in history, and "Mazu" has transformed a god into a human, focusing on showing this The human side of the character.
"The selling point of the drama "Mazu" is to sell tissues, making the audience laugh and cry at the same time.Screenwriter Mai Jia from Hong Kong said that in addition to using the narrative method of the movie, "Mazu" also uses the film's montage technique and stage play techniques, and then integrates it with the beauty of opera. It will surely surprise everyone like "Mrs. Xian" "This drama will be atmospheric, upright and positive, and I hope it can bring joy and excitement to the audience." "
Chief Director Gao Zhisen from Hong Kong said: "The opera musical is very suitable to express the big character and climate theme of "Mazu". "Director Gao Zhisen introduced that "Mazu" is not just about acting or singing, but a combination of opera performance and musical singing to promote each other and push up the audience's emotions. In addition, the rhythm of the play is precise, lively and watertight. , will create a cinematic feel. In addition, director Gao Zhisen also said that "Mazu" will still respect the tradition and performance rules of opera, and present the unique high-level singing, acting, and acting of opera actors
"Mazu" starring. Su Chunmei said that she was honored to participate in the entire creation process of the work. "My mission is to play Mazu well, to interpret her great love and self-sacrifice character well, and to spread the Red School art well. "She said.
Dialogue -
"If the script is not good, even gods will be hard to save."
Nandu: What kind of story does "Mazu" tell?
Su Chunmei: " Mazu" tells a mythical story , it is said that there is a little fairy in heaven who is very curious. She heard that the human world is the best place to practice Dharma, because in heaven there is only beauty but no ugliness, only good but no evil, while in hell there is only evil but no good, and only ugliness. Beauty, and the human world is a mixture of beauty and ugliness, a mixture of good and evil, full of joys and sorrows, sweetness, bitterness, and spicyness, which is very wonderful. Therefore, this fairy was reincarnated into the mortal world to practice law and save the world. Because of her merits, the world praised her. Enshrined as a god, we call her the Empress of Heaven, also known as the Empress of Heaven. Throughout the play, we emphasize that it is better to ask for help from God than to ask for help from others, and it is better to ask for help from others than to ask for help from ourselves. To lead people to be kind, the whole play promotes positive energy.
Nandu: What do you think is the difficulty in portraying the character of Mazu?
Su Chunmei: In fact, Teacher Mai Jia also said it because we are an atheist. , the difficulty is how to make the audience feel that she is a real historical figure, but not let people feel that she is deified. The difficulty is indeed quite difficult. The difficulty lies mainly in the screenwriter. In fact, let's talk about it. After playing "The Prodigy" and "Mrs. Xian" to today's "Mazu", I feel very strongly that if the script is good, anyone who plays it will be happy. If the script is not good, even gods will be saved.
"The positioning of "Mazu" is a serious comedy"
Nandu: Is there any difference in artistic expression between "Mazu" and the previous "Mrs. Xian"?
Li Weicong: "Mazu" It is positioned as a light comedy or a serious comedy. After all, Mazu is considered by the public to be a god, and of course a god is also a person, but it would not be appropriate to make it a farce this time because it involves heaven and earth. The three realms of human beings, so the performance format may be richer than that of "Mrs. Xian". However, the music, arias, and tunes this time are more Cantonese opera, unlike "Mrs. It will be relatively strong.
Nandu: What do you think of opera musicals?
Li Weicong: opera musicals are a new type of drama and a new form of artistic expression that needs everyone’s tolerance. , criticize and provide opinions, and give it a process of slowly maturing. I think what the public wants to see more is some plays that allow them to enter the performance state happily, so that they can not only appreciate traditional art, but also relax their mood. Relax and enjoy.This may be the demand of people of this era, because everyone knows that in the real world, people are under great pressure from work and life, and they all hope to enjoy the works of art happily, hoping that they will have more laughter and bring them more joy. As the screenwriter said, stories can take many forms. It all depends on how you approach it. It can be performed in many forms, especially words, language, and emotional movements. In fact, it can also be performed in a comedy way. I think this is an opera musical. meaning.
Interview and writing: Nandu reporter Zhou Peiwen, intern, Chen Yue, correspondent, Wen Yao
