Traditional opera star's career reaches new stage

HEFEI — The career of Yuan Yuan, a performer of China's traditional Huangmei Opera, reached a new peak this year. In May, she was presented with the Plum Performance Award, the highest award for traditional Chinese theatrical art.

The piece she performed in the final round of the competition was the fictional story of Lin Yufei, a young communist who sacrificed her life in the 1920s for her communist ideals.

The opera titled The Communist Manifesto was created by the Anhui Huangmei Opera Theatre in East China's Anhui province to commemorate the centenary of the Communist Party of China in 2021. A leading performance artist at the theater and a member of the CPC at the same time, Yuan has been exploring the creation of modern-themed Huangmei operas since 2011.

That year, she participated in the performance of another opera inspired by the heroic deeds of Chinese communist pioneers titled Hong Mei Zan, or Ode to the Red Plum Flower. It was the first time she had played a lead character in an opera.

Yuan recalls that, when preparing for that role, she found herself facing a number of challenges. From the costume she wore to the arrangement of her singing, everything was different from performing traditional operas.

"The spirit of the revolutionary pioneers is conveyed using the soft, gentle tune of Huangmei Opera, integrating contemporary aesthetics and traditional opera performance. Every performance can be both a challenge and a breakthrough for us," says Yuan.

To overcome the difficulties and enhance the opera's presentation, Yuan visited Huangmei Opera composer Shi Bailin for inspiration, so as to better determine how the characters should sing and move. In addition, she also incorporated a Western orchestra and digital screen into the production, adding a modern dimension to the stage presentation.

When creating The Communist Manifesto, she and her colleagues took another step forward by combining classic revolution-themed music with traditional dancing. Over a period of more than two years, the opera has become immensely popular among theatergoers.

Huangmei Opera is a national-level form of intangible cultural heritage in China. From Yuan's perspective, the secret of its development in the new era lies in the combination of tradition and innovative ideas.

In recent years, Anhui Huangmei Opera Theatre has produced a number of modern Huangmei operas inspired by contemporary events, such as the fight against corruption and rural revitalization. Yuan was a delegate to the 20th CPC National Congress in 2022, and subsequently brought the guiding principles of the congress to the stage.

"Only when we performers have a strong sense of faith can we create profound works," says Yuan, adding that she wishes to continue promoting and publicizing traditional Chinese culture by portraying more characters who are resilient, amiable and of high moral character.

Xinhua