Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe The Purple Hairpin – 10th anniversary of “The Four Dreams of Linchuan”

- About
- Synopsis
- Artist
- Presenter
- Guidance
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About

The first dream in Four Dreams of Linchuan is most brilliant in wording, but it’s the shortest of all the four dreams depicted by TANG Xianzu. It just happens that HUO Xiaoyu, seriously lovesick, has a dream in trance where she sees a chivalrous man wearing a yellow robe and girded with a sword, who gives her a pair of embroidered shoes. BAO Siniang interprets the dream, saying, “The shoes are a sign of harmony, heralding your reunion with LI Yi.” The dream does come true thus later. Yet in the real world of that time, such a dream could barely come true. So for the presence of the chivalrous man in yellow, who is devoted to championing the cause of justice and able to subdue dignitaries, it is merely a social ideal in TANG Xianzu’s mind, a “dream” in his heart. Picking Up a Willow Branch and Seeing Off at the Yangguan Pass is the only Kunqu Opera highlight from The Purple Hairpin. The Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe has rearranged it by making up the main story - it’s about LI Yi and HUO Xiaoyu separating from and reuniting with each other. Notably, all the singing tunes in the opera come from Nashu Studio Theatrical Music, compiled by YE Tang, a musician in the Qing Dynasty.

Synopsis

When enjoying beautiful lanterns on the night of the Lantern Festival, gifted scholar LI Yiyuan meets HUO Xiaoyu, a girl who is as wise as fair. They fall deeply in love with each other at first sight. Inadvertently, Xiaoyu has her purple hairpin caught on the tip of a plum tree branch. The hairpin is seen as a love token by LI Yi, and they get married happily. Before long, LI Yi comes first in the highest imperial examination. However, he offends Defense Minister LU, who intends to choose him for matrilocal marriage. So LI Yi is sent to the Yumen Pass as a military staff member, and he is put under house arrest at the LU Mansion after return. Unaware of the truth, HUO Xiaoyu hates LI Yi bitterly for failing to be loyal to his love for her. With the generous help of the chivalrous man in yellow, they meet again. Thus, the truth comes to light, and they have a reunion.

Artist

LI AnLI Yi

LI An

LI An is a first-class actor at the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, specialising in playing a young male role. He took the Third Kunqu Opera Performance Class at the Shanghai Opera School, once studying under Kunqu Opera artists YUE Meiti, CAI Zhengren and ZHOU Zhigang. His representative works include Kunqu Operas Jingyang Bell, Tale of the Pipa, SIMA Xiangru, The Peony Pavilion, The Palace of Eternal Youth, The Oil Seller and the Courtesan, The Story of Jade Hairpin, Over the Wall, The Purple Hairpin, The Legend of the White Snake, Sequel to the Legend of the White Snake, The Daughter of the Horse Trader and Shirt with Dragon and Phoenix Patterns, as well as experimental Kunqu Operas Regret for the Past and Interrupted Dream in Caoqiao. He won the 26^th Plum Blossom Prize, Best Actor Award at the 15^th Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Awards, Outstanding Young Actor Award (top) at the Fourth China Kunqu Opera Art Festival, Excellent Performance Award (top) at the Fifth China Kunqu Opera Art Festival, Excellent Performance Award at the Tenth China Art Festival, Outstanding Artist Award by the Shanghai Arts Talent Fund‌, Outstanding Artist Award by Shanghai in 2009, and Shanghai Literature and Art Honour Award in 2014. He was selected for the “Young Writer and Artist Training Programme” at the Shanghai Literature and Art Awards, as Leading Talent of Shanghai in 2015, for the National Opera Leading Talents Training Programme by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2022, and as Leading Talent in Chinese Theatre (Young Male Role Player) for the New Era in 2023. He was a member of the 12^th and 13^th Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPPCC.

SHEN YiliHUO Xiaoyu

SHEN Yili

SHEN Yili is a first-class actress at the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, specialising in playing a young unmarried lady role. She holds an MFA degree. She is a disciple of WANG Yingzi’s, and was also personally taught by a number of renowned Kunqu Opera artists, including HUA Wenyi, LIANG Guyin, ZHANG Jiqing, ZHANG Xunpeng, SHEN Shihua, WANG Fengmei, WANG Zhiquan and ZHANG Jingxian. In her repertoire are classic Kunqu Operas including The Peony Pavilion, The Palace of Eternal Youth and The Purple Hairpin, Neo-classical Kunqu Opera Tale of the Pipa, Kunqu Opera commission A Special Dream of Red Mansions, and experimental theatre The Chair, Regret for the Past, The Story of Washing Silk and A Concert Through History, as well as “Musical Theatre: Opera Trio”, and symphonic poem Elegy of Love: Lady YANG’s Farewell Song. She has published a collection of acting essays, Daily Notes of Kunqu Opera. SHEN Yili has garnered numerous accolades including the 28^th Plum Blossom Prize, Best Actress Award at the 11^th Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Awards, Excellent Performance Award at the First China Kunqu Opera Art Festival, Baosteel Elegant Art Award, Woman Pacesetter of Shanghai, Advanced Female Model Worker of Shanghai, and “Opera Star of the East”. In 2002, she won the Award for Promoting the Development of Kunqu Opera Art at the China Kunqu Opera Exhibition for Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Artists by the UNESCO and Ministry of Culture.

Presenter

Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe
Founded in 1978, the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe is a key professional art performance troupe protected and supported by the state. The first head of the Troupe was YU Zhenfei, a great artist at the Beijing Kunqu Opera Theatre, and the incumbent head is young Kunqu Opera artist GU Haohao.

The Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe stands committed to protecting and inheriting the traditional Kunqu Opera art. Since its founding, the Troupe has revived, rearranged and staged an estimated 300 excellent traditional opera highlights and nearly 70 full-length operas. While dedicating itself to inheriting the arts, the Troupe works hard to promote the creation of new operas. Some of its productions have been selected for the National Project to the Distillation of the Stage Art by the Ministry of Culture for four times. Some others have won the Chinese Opera Society Award for three times. For several times, the Troupe has won the “Five-One Project” Award, Wenhua Award and Wenhua Award for Best New Production by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Ministry of Culture and China Theatre Association, the Excellent Opera Award at the China Opera Festival, the Excellent Opera Award at the Kunqu Opera Art Festival and other national art awards.

The Troupe has A-list artists that can play all kinds of roles. 13 of its staff members have won the “Plum Blossom Prize” for 14 times, two have won the Chinese Government Award for Culture and Arts—Wenhua Award for Performance twice, and 23 have won the Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Award for 30 times. In 1986, the Troupe won the First Prize for Kunqu Opera Revitalization by the Ministry of Culture, winning itself a reputation as “a first-class troupe with first-class artists that can perform first-class operas with first-class skills”.

Artistically devoted to performing excellent operas with superb skills, the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe have given performances in the United States, Japan, Britain, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Russia, Albania, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries, as well as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions of China, receiving high praise and a warm welcome from the audiences at home and abroad, enjoying great popularity.

Guidance

*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.
Note

Box officeNorth Gate of NCPA, No. 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, China

Tickets collection hours9:30-19:30 (CST) on performance day
9:30-18:00 (CST) for days without performance

Booking line+86 10 6655 0000

Booking hours9:30-18:00 (CST) Monday to Friday

Seating Chart

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We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information, however the hours, prices, and program details may vary due to last minute changes.
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Box Office HoursPerformance Days 9:30 AM -19:30 PMGap Days 9:30 AM -18:00 PM Tickets Info8610-66550000

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GENRE
Opera Concert Dance & Ballet Theatre
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Box Office Hours
Performance Days 9:30 AM -19:30 PM
Gap Days 9:30 AM -18:00 PM
Tickets Info
8610-66550000

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