At the 9^th anniversary of NCPA own inception on December 22^nd, NCPA will offer all children a visual feast - Effendi in addition to “Public Open Day”. This original opera, based on the tale “Planting Gold”of Effendi series, may take away their breath through fascinating story and absorbing music unfolding on a flamboyant stage. In this way, the glorious opera will be less high-brow.

And on December 6^th, a press conference brought together NCPA leaders, the main crew and the main cast for revealing the highlights of this opera. WANG Hongwei, a famous singer in China, even appeared along with his daughter and told her the funny tale.

Press conference Photo by NIU Xiaobei

Effendi has been regarded as a paragon of wisdom in China. He shows enormous compassion for the lower class and mocks at nobs and snobs with his razor-sharp wit wherever he goes. Shanghai Animation Film Studio’s puppet cartoon Effendi has left a generation with indelible memory.

After The Fisherman and the Goldfish in 2015, NCPA will release its second children’s opera Effendi from December 22^nd to 28^th, which finally comes out after one-year-and-a-half effort. This time it will uncover how Effendi tricks Master Bayi, an avaricious guy who bullies the people all the time, into believing the delusion of “sowing and reaping gold.” Such despicable daydream gets Bayi nowhere except a sheer loss of all his gold.

Set Designer DING Ding and costume designer WEI Chunyan will bring us a cartoon pageant 
Photo by NIU Xiaobei

 

This children’s opera makes alive witty Effendi, greedy Master Bayi along with his ignorant wife, and naïve girl Anarhan, such that children can take delight in being vicarious. As director TANG Juanjuan said, the opera will include two new roles—Moon Fairy and Red Willow Elf. As he saw many Xinjiang people work under the moonshine, screenwriter HAN Jianguang suddenly got an idea to create the fairy. As night draws in and a crescent hangs above the treetop, the Moon Fairy comes to sing her “Ode to the Moon”. That’s the most romantic moment indeed. Yet the elf, starring a little dancer, makes its appearance and begins to act comically while Effendi, Bayi and his wife are sowing gold under the desert-dwelling willow. So, this little spirit will add much fun to the entire opera.

Effendi’s attire will be white, greenish Photo by NIU Xiaobei

The ingenuity of choreographer DING Ding and costume designer WEI Chunyan will bring us a cartoon pageant, which is home to rotating houses, smoking chimneys and budding giant flowers set against the backdrop of a surreal ancient town. The petals there in can give rise to gold coins as well. Costumes will be splendid enough to please the little audiences. Above all, costume design will be centered around desert-based Xinjiang, where many natives often wear white clothes. And green is a token of life and hope for them. For these reasons, Effendi’s attire will be white, greenish. Those guys in purple, of course, would hold high status, such as portly Master Bayi.

At the 9^th anniversary of NCPA own inception on December 22^nd, NCPA will offer all children a visual feast - Effendi Photo by NIU Xiaobei

Young conductor LAI Jiajing will be at the helm this time, and a chamber orchestra will perform accompaniments. YIN Qianwen, a young composer, has composed awesome composition for all the characters. Effendi’s theme “To Ride My Little Donkey” portrays a carefree wanderer with the help of rhythmic gaiety indigenous to Xinjiang.

“I accept this offer partly because I’m hoping my daughter will go to watch the play.” Said Mr. WANG 
Photo by NIU Xiaobei

WANG Hongwei, in fact “Effendi” in the childrne’s opera, spent 30 years of his life in Xinjiang. So, he has full confidence in himself this time. “I accept this offer partly because I’m hoping my daughter will go to watch the play.” Said Mr. WANG. And HUANG Xunguo, another actor for the protagonist, is a young, handsome tenor. Yet Master Bayi will come alive thanks to interpretation by bass GUAN Zhijing and baritone HAO Xiaohui, both of whom are strong, tall guys. His wife would be played by national soprano MENG Meng and soprano XU Qian. At last, Anarhan will be LIU Yueyang and WU Peizhen, two kids from Beijing-based Jinfan Chorus. And Saibina, a cute Uygur girl, will play a cameo, too.