This performance, brought by the Shanghai Theatre Academy’s College of Traditional Chinese Opera to the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC (National Academy of Governance), was held on the evening of 27 April. The famous Peking Opera artist and Dean of the College of Traditional Chinese Opera, Li Peihong, took the lead role, with teachers and students performing together.
Sun Zhenrong, Deputy Director-General of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, and Xie Wei, Party Secretary of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, watched the performance with nearly a thousand audience members.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mr Mei Lanfang, the 120th anniversary of the birth of Mr Cheng Yanqiu, and the 90th anniversary of the birth of Mr Mei Baojiu. The STA College of Traditional Chinese Opera's performance on this occasion was a tribute to the Mei-school classic "Mu Guiying Takes Command" created by Mr Mei Lanfang and a remembrance of Mr Mei Baojiu who once guided and supported Li Peihong in adapting the play to a Cheng-school work.
The performance began with a symphony overture, and the main melody presented by the Cheng School singing style was beautifully captivating. The classic lyrics "who will take command if I don’t" was uplifting and inspiring. Li Peihong and the students depicted the story of the heroic Mu Guiying, who set aside personal grievances and lead the army into battle for the country once again, showcasing the values of truth, goodness and beauty pursued by the Chinese nation, and highlighting the patriotism and the spirit of continuous self-improvement and responsibility that has characterized the Chinese people throughout history. The actors' solid skills and brilliant performance fully displayed the splendid culture of traditional Chinese opera, touching every spectator present.
The play featured a fusion of technology and art for the stage presentation, employing multimedia, curved screens and laser lighting, which differed from traditional stage design of traditional Chinese opera. To explore the digitalization of traditional Chinese opera art, the Shanghai Theatre Academy’s Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre of Traditional Chinese Opera Art completed the 5G/8K/3D/VR immersive panoramic stage recording of the Cheng-school Peking Opera "Mu Guiying Takes Command Again," achieving a pioneering digital VR immersive experience of traditional Chinese opera.
While maintaining the essence of traditional art, "Mu Guiying Takes Command Again" injected a modern feel and aesthetic value, allowing the audience to deeply appreciate the unique charm and rich legacy of Peking Opera. Moreover, the application of cutting-edge technologies such as virtual and augmented reality enabled the audience to immerse themselves in the dramatic scenes, personally experiencing the grandeur of the scenes and the delicate changes in the characters’ inner worlds.
The staging of "Mu Guiying Takes Command Again" at the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC (National Academy of Governance) was a testament to the Shanghai Theatre Academy's commitment to cultivating the inheritors and guardians of traditional Chinese opera in the new era, and STA's pursuit of preserving the vitality of traditional Chinese opera art and ensuring the continuation of traditional Chinese opera education through adhering to its authentic roots and embracing innovation was widely recognized and commended by the audience.
