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The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War. The NCPA national opera commission, The Red Sorghum, will have its premiere to carry forward the fine traditions of heroism and patriotism. Based on Red Sorghum Clan, a full-length novel by MO Yan, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, the opera, set during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in Gaomi Town, Shandong Province, tells a legendary story about DAI Fenglian, YU Zhan’ao and other villagers. It depicts how the common people agonise over human nature in the old society and how they awaken with determination to fight when the nation is in peril. Since its publication, the novel has been adapted into multiple forms of art, such as film, TV drama, dance drama and Peking Opera, which are highly popular with the public.
Produced by a top-class creative team, the NCPA version will soon present this classic on the opera stage for the first time. Written personally by MO Yan, the original author, the libretto features impressive opera characters. During the creative process, GUO Wenjing, a famous composer, fully utilised the regional style and national character of the opera, composing it if it were a grand opera, thereby making the musical language both symphonic and dramatic. Directed by WANG Xiaodi, the opera will have its premiere under the baton of LÜ Jia, Music and Artistic Director of the NCPA. He will work with the creative team, including the set designer JI Qiao, costume designer CHEN Tongxun, lighting designer XING Xin and video projection designer HU Tianji, to tell this touching story set in the sorghum field to write an endless epic about the people.
Composer: GUO Wenjing
Librettist: MO Yan
Adapted from MO Yan’s novel
Red Sorghum Clan
Conductor: LÜ Jia
Stage Director: WANG Xiaodi
Set Designer: JI Qiao
Costume & Hair Style Designer: CHEN Tongxun
Lighting Designer: XING Xin
Video Projection Designer: HU Tianij
Prop Designer: WANG Weijun
Chorus Master: JIAO Miao
Cast
Jiu’er: SONG Yuanming / WU Liere
YU Zhan’ao: WANG Chong / ●GUO Zizhao
LIU Luohan: WANG Hexiang● / ZHANG Yang●
Fengxian: ZHAO Lili / ZHANG Wenqin●
●NCPA Resident Singer
▲China NCPA Chorus
Presenters: China NCPA Chorus & Orchestra, Qingdao Symphony Orchestra
Scene I
Jiu’er is forced by her father, DAI Laosan, who is greedy for money, to marry the owner of the SHAN’s Winery, who suffers from tuberculosis. On the wedding day, her lover, YU Zhan’ao, comes to carry the bridal sedan chair. On the way to the groom’s home, Jiu’er is harassed by a Japanese sergeant named Kameo. YU Zhan’ao steps forward bravely and kills Kameo. At this juncture, Staff Officer REN and the guerrilla fighters turn up and run into YU Zhan’ao. They disarm the puppet troops and take the long-barrel guns away. Jiu’er is rescued, but she is still compelled to return into the sedan chair and carried to the groom’s home.
Scene II
On the wedding night, SHAN Bianlang intentionally tried to match up LIU Luohan with his daughter-in-law Fengxian, but LIU Luohan, who has a deep love for Jiu’er, refuses to accept Fengxian. To cut off LIU Luohan’s attachment to Jiu’er, Fengxian puts knockout drops in the liquor for YU Zhan’ao, in the hope of helping her father-in-law SHAN Bianlang to consummate his marriage. Failing to have YU Zhan’ao come to rescue her, Jiu’er picks a pair of scissors up to defend herself. Seeing Jiu’er risk her life to resist him, SHAN Bianlang finally relinquishes his attempt to consummate the marriage that night.
Scene III
Three days later, Jiu’er returns to her parental home with her father DAI Laosan. When they walk by the sorghum fields, YU Zhan’ao, who is just waiting in ambush there, intercepts Jiu’er. After pouring out their hearts in the sorghum fields, they pledge to marry each other.
Scene IV
At the Double Ninth Festival, new liquor is made in the SHAN’s winery, where workers talk about rumours that Jiu’er is pregnant and YU Zhan’ao has been kidnapped by bandits. The winery flourishes under Jiu’er’s management. At this moment, YU Zhan'ao suddenly returns to the winery and publicly admittes that he was not the one who killed SHAN Bianlang, and SHAN Bianlang has actually died of anger upon learning that Jiu'er and YU Zhan'ao has a private engagement. He then declares his intention to stay at the winery to help Jiu’er.
Scene V
Seeing the love between YU Zhan’ao and Jiu’er, LIU Luohan makes a resolve to leave. Upon hearing that Luohan is leaving, Fengxian shows her love for him. At the moment, Luohan receives a message that the Japanese army is storming the winery to capture YU Zhan’ao. So he returns to the winery to cover YU Zhan’ao and Jiu’er. Fengxian gets shot while saving LIU Luohan, who is ultimately captured.
Scene VI
On the execution ground, LIU Luohan, who would rather die than surrender, bitterly rebukes the Japanese invaders. Japanese soldiers force DAI Laosan to flay LIU Luohan alive. Encouraged by LIU Luohan, DAI Laosan, who is timid, kills LIU with a thrust of the knife, sparing him from suffering torments. Then DAI Laosan rushes to the Japanese officer with the knife, only to be shot dead by Japanese soldiers.
Scene VII
Three years later, YU Zhan’ao sets an ambush on the bridge near the sorghum fields, with “jars of liquor piled up” for an attack on the Japanese forces. Staff Officer REN reports the Japanese army’s movements and deploys troops for a battle. He encourages them to fight for the national dignity and their deceased loved ones. YU Zhan’ao makes a firm decision that he will join the Eighth Route Army after the battle.
Scene VIII
In the village, Jiu’er is leading other women in preparing meals for the guerrilla fighters, while YU Zhan’ao and Staff Officer REN are working with others to blow up the Japanese military vehicles. On their way delivering meals, Jiu’er and Mrs. WANG see Japanese soldiers launching a sneak attack from the rear, so Jiu’er shouts loudly in the sorghum fields to alert the guerrillas. As the Japanese soldiers close in, Jiu’er risks her life to throw a grenade at them. Failing in the sneak attack, the Japanese soldiers shoot Jiu’er dead.
*Please purchase tickets through authorized channels to avoid counterfeiting. Before completing your purchase, please verify the performance date, time, venue, and seat number carefully. Performance tickets are time-sensitive and limited in availability. Once a transaction has been completed, tickets are non-exchangeable, non-refundable and cannot be reissued if lost. Please double-check all ticketing details and securely retain your physical ticket or electronic order. If you are unable to attend due to personal reasons, please make your own arrangements regarding the use of your tickets. We appreciate your understanding as any inconvenience caused.
*The cast, programme, or other performance details are subject to change and shall be based on the live performance. In the event of major adjustments - such as changes to the performance date or lead cast - please refer to the official announcements issued by the NCPA and follow the relevant procedures as instructed.
*The NCPA opens 90 minutes before performances, and 60 minutes before art education lectures and similar events. Auditorium entry begins 45 minutes before performances. For all performances and events, the Northern entrance serves as the sole public entrance. Please ensure that ticket scanning and security screening are completed prior to entry, and allow sufficient time to avoid delays.
*Tickets must be retained in their original, intact condition. Admission will be denied for tickets lacking a stub, or bearing any alterations, obscured information, or defacement. Each ticket is valid for a single entry on the date of the performance. For certain performances, presentation of original valid identification documents is required. Admission will be granted only when the ticket information corresponds with the presented identification.
*Recommended admission height: 1.2 meters and above. Special provisions may apply to certain performances or events, as indicated on the corresponding ticketing page.
*All attendees are required to undergo security screening upon entry. Smoking and open flames are strictly prohibited within the NCPA premises. Prohibited items include, but not limited to, firearms and replicas, controlled knives, flammable or explosive substances, toxic or hazardous materials, corrosive substances, and radioactive materials. Any prohibited items discovered will be handed over to public security authorities.
*For safety and hygiene reasons, the NCPA does not provide storage services for food, beverages, or similar items. The following items are not permitted inside the NCPA: food and drinks, flags & banners, electronic cigarettes, power banks exceeding 20000mAh, flowers, recording or photography equipment, and oversized luggage.
*Attendees are requested to address appropriately. Admissions will be denied to individuals who are improperly attired or under the influence of alcohol.
*If you are late, please wait quietly in the audience waiting area. Entry will be permitted under the guidance of ushers during appropriate intermissions or between movements, and you are requested to take the nearest available seat with minimal disturbance. For concerts consisting of a single piece - either for the entire performance or a complete half - late arrivals and audience who leave midway will not be admitted.
*All attendees are requested to observe proper performance etiquette. Please keep quiet and remain seated throughout the entire performance. Mobile phones should be turned off or set to silent mode, and calls should not be made in the auditorium. Photography, audio, or video recording of the performance is strictly prohibited without prior permission. The use of flashlights, including phone flashlights, is not allowed.
* After the performance, please exit the auditoriums in an orderly manner. Loitering is discouraged.
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