Third edition of Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera Showcases New Generation of Cantonese Opera Artists in February 2017 at Lunar New Year

To welcome in the Year of the Rooster, the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District will present the third edition of the ‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera’ programme from 3 to 8 February 2017.

The fourteen Rising Stars featured in the programme – Wong Hai-wing, Man Lai-ha, Ruan Dewen, Li Pui-yan, Lin Xinling, Lao Yufung, Chan Kei-ting, Liu Hong-wah, Janet Wong, Zeng Suxin, Cannon Au, Doris Kwan, Alan Tam Wing-lun and Juliana Kwan Wai-sham – will perform for six consecutive nights at the Ko Shan Theatre New Wing. The performances include two full comedy productions, A Marriage of Confusion and A Perfect Match, and an evening of excerpts from four classic productions (full details are listed in the Annex).

‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera’ has established itself as a unique platform for nurturing talented young artists over the last two years. Law Ka-ying, the Artistic Curator of the programme and himself an acclaimed Cantonese opera virtuoso, has trained the emerging artists and carefully selected the plays for them to perform, giving them the chance to interact with and learn from each other and gain performance experience that will be invaluable for them as future stars.

Louis Yu, Executive Director of Performing Arts of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA), said, “Since 2015, the WKCDA has presented Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera on a regular basis and received acclaim for the programme from industry practitioners and audiences alike. With this third edition, I am especially delighted to witness the progress that these talented young performers have made in terms of their acting skills and personal styles. Under the guidance of a number of veteran experienced artists, they are set to become the cornerstones of the Xiqu Centre after it opens in 2018.”

While the previous Rising Stars programmes focused on action and romance, the coming edition features two major comedy classics. Under the expert guidance of Artistic Curator Law Ka-ying, the young rising stars will undergo a two-month tailor-made regime of singing, acting, reciting and movement training, as well as an introduction to some of the genre’s less-performed works, including plays that require use of the Zhongzhou (old Mandarin) dialect. Law has high expectations for the young artists, and is confident that they will show skilled performances and a high standard of singing technique.

“Training new talent and engaging a younger audience are two of the key requirements to preserving, promoting and developing traditional Cantonese opera,” says Law Ka-ying. “We hope that these young artists will pick up the baton for this unique art form, and that more members of the young generation will join the audience to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the art of xiqu.”

Tickets for ‘Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera’, priced at $200, $150, and $80* (*seats with sightline restrictions), are available at URBTIX from today. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their accompanying minders, Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients and full-time students. A 15% discount is available on full-price tickets for every purchase of 3 tickets or more (minimum 2 standard tickets and 1 half-price ticket for senior citizen/full-time student per transaction).

For programme enquiries, please call (852) 2200 0010, or visit www.westkowloon.hk/RisingStars2017. For credit card telephone booking, please call (852) 2111 5999. Online booking can be made at www.urbtix.hk.