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Monkey King Makes a Comeback on Stage
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2004-8-2 9:17:00
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According to the Chinese lunar calendar 2004 marks the Year of the Monkey. In the classic fairy tale Journey to the West, the Monkey King is depicted as a mighty and mischievous protagonist and has fascinated people for hundreds of years. Now the brilliant monkey is making a comeback to the stage with Shaoxing opera in the"Real and Fake Monkey King".
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As the curtain lifts, a flock of "monkeys" are seen tumbling and jumping on the stage in their carefree world of peach trees, waterfalls and caves. Then the high and mighty Monkey King, dressed in bright yellow camail and red cloaks makes his appearance, as the actors sing to the accompaniment of the traditional gongs, drums and varied string instruments.
 The opera is based on a story that happens during the four Buddhist disciples' journey seeking sutra. The short-tempered Monkey King is driven away by the Tang monk for killing gangsters, which violates the Buddhist decree. A six-ear-monkey monster takes the advantage of the situation and disguises himself as the Monkey King. The real Monkey King, then finally defeats the fake one and wins the trust of the monk.
"The opera not only told a story but also vividly portrayed the personality of the roles. The characters of the Monkey King and the Tang Monk are very much molded in details. And it's better than other jolly plays. "
Apart from the vivid characters--the devoted Monkey King, the humorous Pig and the virtuous Tang Monk—the arias of the southern opera have also impressed many in the audience.
Shaoxing is a city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The local opera has a history of over 300 years. Chen Weilong, director of the opera and head of local Shaoxing opera troupe, says "The Real and Fake" Monkey King has combined traditional and modern music elements to attract both the young and the aged.
"We used modern symphonies and MIDI techniques in many big scenes. But the play is basically Shaoxing opera. Audience can easily identify this through the playing of gongs, drums, cymbals and other traditional Shaoju instruments in the opera. "
The marvellous stage design also contributes to the success of the opera. In the scene of the sea palace, huge transparent glass tubes are erected to create a verisimilar world under the sea, while in another scene, a real waterfall is used. Together with other special effects like splitting mountains and floating clouds, the stage is made into a dream-like land.
The opera is part of the 2004 Shaoxing Cultural Week in Beijing which will last to next Tuesday.
(Text by Gao Qian)
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