From March 16th to 19th, "Grand Opera in Beijing - Yu Opera Jinjing Exhibition and Performance Week" will be unveiled at the Mei Lanfang Grand Theater, bringing Yu Opera dramas "Qingfeng Pavilion", "Saving Orphan", "Sanshangjiao", "Golden Cicada" and "Chunman Liyuan - Concert of Famous Opera Masters". This is also the collective feedback of Yu opera people to the audience in the capital after three years of absence.

The performance week was hosted by Beijing Mei Lanfang Grand Theater, Henan Dramatists Association, Xi'an Performing Arts Group, Henan Li Shujian Opera Art Center, and jointly performed by the No 2 Theatrical Troupe of Yu Opera Henan Province and Xi'an Yu Opera Troupe. At the media meeting on February 11, Du Yongzhen, an outstanding young actor of Henan Yu Theater, Xie Yanqiao, an outstanding young actor of Yu Opera and a disciple of the Ma Jinfeng faction, Hou Hongqin, a famous Qinqiang performance artist, and Li Shujian, vice chairman of the China Theater Association, sang classic opera parts successively.

As a leading figure of Henan Yu Opera, Li Shujian has spared no effort for many years to call for solving the problem of "three more and three few" in the development of Yu Opera: more elderly audiences and few young audiences; more performances in rural areas and few performances in cities; more performances that are chartered and free and few performances that sell tickets. Faced with this dilemma, Li Shujian strives to achieve new dissemination of old opera through centralized performances and promotion on the Internet to popularize and inherit traditional opera.

The Yu opera "Qingfeng Pavilion" starring Li Shujian has been performed by more than 300 theaters across the country for more than 300 years. On March 16, Li Shujian will lead the outstanding young actors of the Xi'an Yu Opera Troupe to perform on the stage. On March 18 and March 20, Xi'an Yu Opera Troupe will also perform the Yu operas "Sanshangjiao" and "Golden Cicada " starring China Plum Blossom Award winners Xu Junxia, Li Pengfei, Li Lijun, Li Longhui and Jia Yanni.

On March 17 and 18, as a project funded by the Beijing Performing Arts Service Platform, Li Shujian will lead his disciples Shao Fufu, Lian Caifen, Zhang Yage and other outstanding actors to perform the classic Yu opera "Saving Orphan". The troupe has performed on Broadway at the Drama Center in New York and the Dolby Grand Theater in Hollywood in Los Angeles and will perform twice at the Mei Lanfang Grand Theater.

Famous artists gather to sing classics, "Chunman Liyuan- Concert of Famous Opera Masters" will be held on March 19. At that time, Yu opera masters will perform classic parts. The list includes Li Shujian, Hu Meiling, Jia Wenlong, Li Jinzhi, Wang Hui, Meng Xiangli, Shen Xiaomei, Jin Buqian, Fan Jing, Yang Hongxia, Yang Shuaixue, Xu Junxia, Bo Qing, Quhu player Zhang Fuzhong, outstanding young actors Wang Kai, Du Yongzhen, Li Jinghua, Xie Yanqiao and Liu Yichen. Cantonese opera masters Zeng Xiaomin, Qinqiang masters Hou Hongqin and Qi Aiyun, Shangdang Bangzi famous master Chen Suqin and other Plum Blossom Award winners will also take the stage to sing their best performances with the aim of helping to promote Yu opera.

Translator: BAO Minmin

Reviewer: ZHANG Ruochen