Rising Stars Pass on the Cantonese Opera Heritage, Offering an Ensemble of Action, Romance and Comedy

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) will present the fourth edition of ‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera’ (‘Rising Stars’) from 28 July to 1 August, 2017. Under the lead of Cantonese opera maestro Law Ka-ying, eleven Rising Stars will gear up to showcase their talent and artistry in five shows, featuring three full-length Cantonese opera productions.

The eleven Rising Stars featured in the programme－Wang Zhi-liang, Dianna Tse, Lao Yu-fung, Janet Wong, Cannon Au, Juliana Kwan, Man Lai Ha, Ruan Dewen, Li Pui-yan, Alan Tam Wing-lun and Zeng Su-xin, will perform for consecutive five nights at the Auditorium of Ko Shan Theatre New Wing. The performances include three full-length productions, ‘Mu Guiying Routing Hongzhou’, ‘Forty Years of Cherished Love’ and ‘A Perfect Match’ .(Please refer to appendix for details).

This is the fourth edition of the ‘Rising Stars’ programme. While the first edition was action-oriented, the second romantically inclined and the third classically comedic, this fourth edition consolidates all of the above through the story of the legendary Mu Guiying, who led the army as Commander-in-Chief and fought enemies together with her husband, Yang Zongbao, ‘Mu Guiying Routing Hongzhou’ delivers a vivid portrayal of the heroic loyalty of the Yang family. Based on the frustrating and unfulfilled life of patriotic poet, Lu You and his tragic love story with Tang Wan, ‘Forty Years of Cherished Love’ depicts an intense emotional outpour. Speaking of a grand finale, there is nothing more anticipating than the return of the romantic comedy ‘A Perfect Match’. These three productions are indeed good opportunities for the Rising Stars to demonstrate how adept they are in singing, acting and acrobatics, bringing to audience a refreshing opera appreciation experience.

Louis Yu, Executive Director of Performing Arts of WKCDA said, “The West Kowloon Xiqu Centre is devoted to developing, promoting and sustaining opera culture. With this fourth edition of ‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera’, we are delightful to see that the scheme has successfully provide a platform for opera actors to perform and exchange, whose performances have received accolades from the industry and the audience. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Law Ka-ying for his patient guidance and invaluable contribution in sharing his knowledge and expertise with the younger generations. We hope with the opening of Xiqu Centre next year, the rising stars will continue to shine on stage, playing their role in the sustainable development of Cantonese Opera Art.”

Law Ka-ying, Artistic Curator of ‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera’ also said, “We all know that Cantonese Opera is a traditional art form, difficult to groom emerging talents and develop a younger audience group. We are glad to see that ‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera’ is able to bring in much vitality. As a four-time Artistic Curator, I am pleased to see that the young actors are constantly improving their craft, and capable of managing action, emotion or comedy scenes.”

Organized by WKCDA, ‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera’ has established itself as a unique platform for coaching emerging talents since 2015. Led and trained by Law Ka-ying, the programme Artistic Curator, the young artists are given the chance to perform in carefully selected plays and learn from each other. All these contribute to portfolio building and help fostering the next generation of Cantonese Opera maestros.

Tickets for ‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera IV’, priced at $200, $150, and $80* (*seats with sightline restriction), are available at URBTIX from today. Half price for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their accompanying caregivers, Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients and full-time students.

For programme enquiries, please call (852) 2200 0010, or visit www.westkowloon.hk/RisingStars. For credit card telephone booking, please call (852) 2111 5999. Online booking can be made at www.urbtix.hk.

Remarks

Law Ka-ying
A renowned Cantonese opera maestro dedicated to the preservation, promotion and development of the art form. He received the Medal of Honour from the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2012, and World Outstanding Chinese Award in 2013.

‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera’
The first ‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera’ was presented in 2015, with twelve young talents presenting two full-length masterpieces – ‘Madame She’ and ‘Island of Farewell’ – in addition to two excerpt performances. Performed during the Lunar New Year for ten days, the programme received an overwhelmingly positive response. The second edition took place in August 2016 showcasing acclaimed renditions of three full-length plays – ‘Loyal to Love’, ‘The Lady's Sash’ and ‘The Immortal Zhang Yuqiao’. The third edition was performed during Lunar New Year from 3 to 8 February, 2017, featuring fourteen rising stars. Again, performances of ‘A Marriage of Confusion’, ‘A Perfect Match’ plus a selected excerpt were received with rave reviews.

West Kowloon Cultural District and the Xiqu Centre
The West Kowloon Cultural District is the largest cultural project in Hong Kong. Its vision is to create a vibrant cultural quarter, a vital platform where the local arts professionals can interact, develop and collaborate, as well as a place to host and produce world-class arts events. The Xiqu Centre, which will open in 2018, is one the district’s major venues. Specifically built as a traditional Chinese performing theatre, it will also serve as a production, education and research centre of this unique art form.

‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera IV’