On the evening of the 8th, "Taking Tiger Mountain to Strategy" was released at the Shanghai Grand Theater, opening the final review of the 10th China Drama Awards and Plum Blossom Performance Awards. Photo by Wenhui Daily reporter Fan Jiale

"Walking through the forest, crossing the snowfield, the air soars into the sky." When the old student of the Yu School of the Shanghai Peking Opera Theater sang the classic passage of "Taking Tiger Mountain with Strategy" in the blue sky, warm applause and cheers burst out from the audience, resounding throughout the Shanghai Grand Theater. Last night, the first final review of the 10th China Drama Awards and Plum Blossom Performance Award (32nd China Drama Plum Blossom Awards) was made in a wonderful way. The blue sky vividly reproduced the glorious image of Yang Zirong. A group of powerful actors "drinking in celebration wine" on stage also intoxicated the audience below and wrote a grand drama event together.

"I have entered the 'Plum Blossom' state since the beginning of the year." Lantian told reporters in an interview before the performance, "I have been memorizing words recently and maintaining my voice, just to show my best condition on the stage." It is not just Lantian who is rushing to the plum blossom appointment. As the curtain of the Plum Blossom Awards opened, actors from Shaanxi People's Art Theater and Hebei Bangzi Theater have arrived in Shanghai one after another in recent days, and the city will also welcome the competition for the drama "Plum Blossoms".

A long-lost performance with a big band, shockingly presenting the relationship between the military and civilians

As the sixth generation Yang Zirong of the Shanghai Peking Opera Theater, Lan Tian’s “Taking Tiger Mountain with Wisdom” was personally taught by Tong Xiangling, the “first generation Yang Zirong”. After participating in the youth version of "Taking Tiger Mountain with Strategy" in 2010, Lan Tian officially asked his seniors for advice. The protagonist Yang Zirong, "Taking Tiger Mountain with Wisdom", is both good at singing, reciting, and fighting. He is excellent in basic skills, blanket skills, and master skills. At that time, Tong Xiangling told Lan Tian: "Land the foundation of traditional plays, which is the backbone of "Taking Tiger Mountain with Wisdom". If you sing traditional plays well, you will naturally learn from them." Lan Tian and Tong Xiangling's body and voice conditions are not similar. Tong Xiangling does not require Lan Tian to imitate them blindly, but read the four tone values ​​of traditional plays well, learn to change by themselves, and avoid throat fatigue.

In the movie "Taking Tiger Mountain with Strategy", Tong Xiangling incorporates the singing and figure essence of Yu's, Ma's and Qis. To perfectly interpret a work, technology and emotion are indispensable. The blue sky is still unforgettable, and Tong Xiangling guided the young people with emotion: "When Shanghai was liberated, when I opened the window and saw the PLA lying on the road and sleeping and resting without disturbing the people, I knew that I found the image of the PLA. Lantian, it is a great honor for your generation of actors to play the PLA." Nowadays, every time I perform "Taking Tiger Mountain with Strategy", Lantian is always infected by the friendship between the military and civilians in the fiery years again and again.

"Taking Tiger Mountain in Strategy" is the first drama that Lan Tian learned Peking Opera when he was 5 years old. So far, he has performed more than 100 of the drama. The cooperation between actors has long been perfect. "In the background, whoever takes off my hat and who wears boots will be calculated step by step." However, not relaxing or staying excited, acting professionally is the goal set by the entire crew for themselves. In order to bring the fullest presentation, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra was invited to serve as the accompaniment for last night's performance. Director Zhu Weigang revealed that "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy" was rescheduled in 1990 with a big band, and the performances since then have been a combination of small bands and accompaniment. "The live big band is the highlight of this performance, which also makes the crew very excited, hoping to bring a special feeling to the fans."

Working with dozens of symphony bands also brings new challenges to the actors. Starting last month, Shanghai Jing and Shanghai Philharmonic began to intensively run-in. Lantian discovered that wind music often delayed a little, and the actors needed to accurately enter, "The audience is too familiar with this drama, and no small mistake can deceive their ears."

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Peking Opera Theater. Zhang Fan, director of the Shanghai Peking Opera Theater, said that "Taking Tiger Mountain with Strategy" is a red classic flowing in Shanghai's bloodline. "Lan Tian's singing is straight and his performance is full of emotion. He is in the golden period of the stage to play Yang Zirong," said Zhang Fan. In order to "survive the plum blossoms" this time, the theater began planning a few months ago and sent out elite soldiers and generals in the hospital to make full preparations. Since Shangjing often performs on Tianchan Yifu stage, in order to adapt to the stage size of the Shanghai Grand Theater, the theater also specially remade stage scenes to give the audience a comfortable visual experience.

Immerse yourself in the role, young actors expect their dreams to come true

"From character creation to opera presentation, it is all very big challenges." Shaanxi People's Art Theater Liu Li Youyou, who participated in the final review of this year's Plum Blossom Awards, told reporters in an interview in Shanghai yesterday afternoon. Because of the drama "The Protagonist", Liu Li Youyou truly felt the charm and difficulty of opera performance. In order to play the role of the famous Qin opera actor "I like Qin'e" in "The Protagonist", she started learning from the most basic form of opera in 2019. The heavy training did not defeat the drama actors, but instead made Liu Liyouyou develop a strong interest in traditional Chinese art. Now it is her daily life to go to the theater to watch Qin Opera. During the performance of "The Protagonist", Liu Li Youyou did not step down for three hours and devoted himself to remembering Qin E's ups and downs in her life for nearly half a century, as if she was completely connected with the role.

With three short plays of "Beat the Gods and Appeals the Temple", "Dou E's Injustice, The Court", and "Meng Jiangnu, Finding Husband", Sun Na, an actor from Hebei Province, came to Shanghai with full expectations. Sun Na is a young "senior artist". Since her learning skills, it has been 25 years since she has been in the past and has starred in more than 20 plays. She also constantly draws nutrition from Peking Opera and Kunqu opera to enrich the performance of Hebei Bangzi. Different destinies, different personalities, and different interpretations, the three-part plays have their own styles - "The Gods and the Temples" are partially committed exercises, "Dou E's Injustice·The Dharma Field" is partially performed exercises, and "Meng Jiangnu·The Husband Search" is a combination of the two. Sun Na looks forward to the full display of Hebei Bangzi's high-pitched excitement and soul-stirring at this opera wharf in Shanghai.

In Shanghai, the plum blossoms not only smell in the theater, but also bring the charm of the drama to more people. Yesterday, the main creative team of "The Protagonist" had a conversation about "Drama and Growth" with art teachers from Shanghai primary and secondary schools. "Drama is a compulsory course like Chinese mathematics. It can shape a complete human nature and make up for the shortcomings brought to people by family and society." Li Junqiang, vice president of Shaanxi People's Art Theater, dismantled the relationship between drama and education on the spot: Director Hu Zongqi used Chinese painting to reconstruct the drama space, "The virtuality and reality of opera correspond to the balance of emotions and cognition in education." "Shaanxi children learn Qin Opera and Shanghai girls practice Shanghai Opera, they all find cultural roots in their roles." Li Xuan, the director of Shaanxi People's Art Theater, took Liu Li Youyou as an example - the first president of the Drama Club of Xi'an Tieyi Middle School, went from the campus stage to participating in the Plum Blossom Awards, "This proves that drama education is not just about cultivating actors, but about awakening cultural genes." (Wenhui Daily reporter Wang Xiaoli intern Zhang Wei)

[Editor in charge: Tang Wei]