Kungfu Theatre: Tales from the Beijing Opera is April 17, 2009 at The Moore Theatre, presents a selection of comic and dramatic scenes from some of China’s most popular stories. The stories are drawn from Chinese history, mythology and folklore, and are performed using English and Chinese dialogue, music, dance, mime, acrobatics, stage fighting, and singing.
It will prove to be as visual and exciting as it is cultural and educational.
The performers are professionally trained Chinese Beijing Opera actors, most of whom began performing before the age of ten. Now living in the U.S. the ensemble is looking to create art that is relevant to American culture while remaining true to the rigorous standards of Chinese theatre.
The performance will include:
AutumnRiver is a romantic tale of a nun who escapes from her convent in order to pursue the young scholar whom she loves. This episode consists of comic dialogue and mime as an old boatman helps her across AutumnRiver.
Fighting in the Dark uses mime and stage combat to illustrate the comic episode of an innkeeper’s attempt to kill one of his guests in the darkened room.
Monkey and Pigsy is a selection from China’s most beloved story, Journey to the West, about the naughty Monkey King, gluttonous Pigsy and their master, the monk Tang Sheng who leads them to enlightenment. In this scene Monkey and Pigsy’s crimes against Heaven lead them to banishment on earth where they continue to make trouble by stealing a magic weapon from a dragon.
Tickets to Kungfu Theatre: Tales from the Beijing Opera range from $22 – $28. Visit www.themoore.com/ for more info.
