衛武營國家藝術文化中心 National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)

Weiwuying X ChiChiao Musical Theater

Kurama Tengu, a Taiwanese Opera Wuxia Theater—a Grand Return in 2019
 

Sensational and thrilling, half-fairy half-monster, Tengu is arriving! The power of oo-phiat-a Taiwanese Opera is amazing!

The Chi-chiao Musical Theater specializes in combining elements of traditional operas with modern stage plays, and so it took up the challenge of fusing Taiwanese Opera, wuxia, rock music, Yu Opera, and the bling-bling style of Japanese Takarazuka Revue to perform their classic Kurama Tengu. Based on the novel written by Osaragi Jiro, the opera is about Kurama Tengu, a legendary figure, together with a group of revolutionary heroes, and a battle with an open ending. It’s a story of chivalry about extirpating the evil-doer and helping the down-trodden that was written and directed by Liu Jian-guo and performed by an all-star cast, including Liu Jian-hua, Prince of Yu Opera, Li Pei-ying, a charming young sheng actor of Taiwanese Opera, Wei Yi-cheng, a young theatrical talent, Sun Shi-wen, a major actor of Ming Hwa Yuan “Tian” Taiwanese Opera Co., and Li Yu, a major sheng actor of Ming Hwa Yuan Taiwanese Opera Co. Each and every one of us in Taiwan has Taiwanese Opera in our soul. Kurama Tengu is an oo-phiat-a Taiwanese Opera of the new generation and a wuxia Taiwanese Opera theater of the new generation. It will open up your imagination to Taiwanese Opera. Be sure to come and experience it!

The production commissioned by Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in 2016 won much acclaim after its premiere and there have been constant requests for a new production. In 2019, we are once again presenting Kurama Tengu, a Taiwanese Opera wuxia theater of the ChiChao Musical Theater, to show our deep respect for oo-phiat-a Taiwanese Opera and the history of Taiwanese Opera. We continue to adopt the combination of Chinese, Japanese and Western music typical of oo-phiat-a Taiwanese Opera to present a rich and diversified feast of Taiwanese Opera, Yu Opera, and rock-and-roll. In addition, we fuse the bling bling-style of Japanese Takarazuka Revue and the formations and swordsmanship of wuxia to present a magical-realist opera, which displays the aesthetic spirit of oo-phiat-a Taiwanese Opera to the limit as a refined work of modern art.

ChiChiao Musical Theatre

ChiChiao Musical Theatre was founded in Southern Taiwan in 2004. Since 2014, the troupe has won awards of various levels for its distinctivenssconferred by the Ministry of Culture. The main founders of the troupe are Wang Hai-ling, a national treasure and the Diva of Taiwan BangZi Opera, and her two daughters, Liu Jian-hua (a sheng actor of Taiwan BangZi Opera Company, nicknamed “Chi”) and Liu Jian-guo (script writer, director, and the present director of the troupe, nicknamed “Chiao”).

ChiChiao Musical Theatre continues its efforts in creatinga dialogue between “tradition” and “innovation.” The most characteristic feature of their widely praised works is the fusion of different kinds of operas and music. They create original operas of diversified styles with the aesthetics of the hu-pie-zi opera. We hope to see that through their abundant creative energy, lively presentation, and the use of language of the new generation, it can attract a younger audience to the theater to enjoy the wonderful and diversified performance art to ensure that traditional dramatic culture prospers and is sustained on this island.

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