Peking Opera staged to commemorate 120th anniversary of Mei Lanfang

Dou Xiaoxuan from the Beijing Peking Opera Theater teaches basic Peking Opera moves during a promotional tour in Times Square, New York, on Tuesday. The theater troupe is on a visit to the United States to commemorate legendary performer Mei Lanfang.

Known as the most outstanding Peking Opera performer of all time, Mei Lanfang (1894 -1961) is being remembered this week with presentations in New York City commemorating his birth 120 years ago in Beijing.

Performances will take place on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at the David H. Koch Theater in New York. More performances will occur at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington on August 27 and 28.

In Mei's 50-year opera career, he portrayed female characters which won him international acclaim. His smooth, poised style is known as the Mei School. He was one of the Four Great Dan (female role) opera performers in the golden era of Peking Opera. In the Peking Opera, the female parts, like Shakespearean plays in England, were originally performed by men.

Performers from the 120th anniversary of Mei Lanfang from Jingju Theater Company of Beijing pose for a press photo in Times Square, New York City on Tuesday. The performance to honor the late Chinese Peking Opera artist Mei Lanfang will be at the David H. Koch Theater on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Elizabeth Wu / for CHINA DAILY
Mei was the first actor ever to present Peking Opera in foreign countries. Mei toured the world and visited Hollywood, Berlin, Moscow, and Japan. He formed friendships with western performers, including Charlie Chaplin. Mei Lanfang was his stage name; his real name was Mei Lan.

Mei's son Mei Baojiu and members of the Jingju Theater Company of Beijing will present The Classic Plays of the Mei School, including five operas: The Goddess of Heaven Scatters Flowers, Lian Jinfeng Pierce the Mussel, Resisting Jin Troops, Farewell My Concubine and Drunken Beauty. The Goddess of Heaven Scatters Flowers is one of the most historically significant works by Mei, in which a heavenly woman performs a poetically expressive ribbon dance; the show will also include a unique sword dance.

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