Local Chinese Opera groups put up good showing in December

Er Woo Amateur Musical & Dramatic Association 馀娱儒乐社 celebrated its 101st Anniversary with the performance Xi Pei Yuan Yang 喜配鸳鸯 at the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre.  It was a light-hearted comedy where the tight script is suitable for the modern audience.

The cast put up a good performance:  Lim Siew Hong 林秀凤 played the role of widow Tian Gui Xiang 田桂香 with conviction.   Shen Jun Xiang 沈俊祥 played the money-seeking Cai Lao Mi 蔡老咪 and he had good comic- timing on stage. He was aptly supported by Yang Yu Ying 杨玉莹 and Chen Wei Zhen 陈美珍, who played his daughters. 

The first half of the performance was a bit slow moving, but the pace picked up in the second half, especially when the character Ma Yuan Wai 马员外 , whom Cai Lao Mi tried to marry his daughter to, was introduced. Yang Rui Xiang 杨瑞祥 portrayed this character with hilarious results.

This is a commendable effort by Er Woo Amateur Musical & Dramatic Association.

Tian Yun Youth Kaleidoscope was a platform by Tian Yun Beijing Opera Society
to showcase its young talents.  The evening's performance featured 3 excerpts.   In Romance of the Wooden Chest, I liked the stage presence of Feng Ting 冯婷 and Zhou Hao Yu 周昊宇.  Xu Yan 许燕 won applause playing the old role in Patrolling the Camp (from Female Warriors of the Yang Family).   The cast of Madam White Snake was good: Li Mo 李茉 as the Green Snake, Ma Biao 马标 as the boat owner, Yang Tian Xi 杨天熙 as Madam White Snake and Ru Yi 茹易as Xu Xian.

The showcase allowed us to see the newer generation of Beijing Opera actors, and from the audience response, they put on a good show.  Let's hope that they would blossom and act alongside their more senior actors in the near future.


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The Singapore Hainan Society put up The Kingdom and the Beauty at the Esplanade Theatre.  A familiar story with most audience.   Good performances from the cast: Lin Shi Ai 林师爱 as Li Feng Jie, Song Ai Ling 宋艾玲 and Chen Ming Feng 陈明峰 as Emperor Zheng De, Lin Shi Hao 林师灏 as Da Nu, and Wang Kang Zhuang 王康壮 as the teacher.   China's Huang Qing Ping 黄庆萍played the role of the Dowager.

The production standards were high, with beautiful sets and costumes.  What was impressive was the cast who played the soldiers, eunuchs and the villagers - they were disciplined!

The script however was a bit draggy, and some plot developments did not flow well.  Nonetheless, the audience enjoyed the performance and gave the cast and crew a warm reception.