Ballet Drama Raise the Red Lantern May 16, 2008

Time: 2008/5/16-2008/5/18
Venue: PKU Centennial Memorial Hall
Price: 20/40/60/80/100/120/150/200
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Tel: 86-10-64177845

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Playwright, Director, Artistic Director: Zhang Yimou
Costum Designer: Jérome Kaplan(French)
Lighting Designer: Zhang Yimou
Performer: National Ballet of China
Accompaniment: Symphony Orchestra of China National Ballet
Conductor: Zhang Yi

Withan unsurpassed repertoire that includes dozens of traditional classics,the National Ballet of China is one of the world's supreme balletensembles. Raise the Red Lantern (an adaptation of Zhang Yimou'saward-winning film) is among the ensemble's most breathtakingaccomplishments, displaying a uniquely Chinese style of ballet theater.It’s the first ballet to blend Peking Opera and Western dance, it hasbeen controversial in Chinadue to its subject matter—the role of women under feudalism—and daringartistic mix. It makes dramatic narrative and visual brilliancepowerfully serve each other, yielding an absolutely clear and richlyexpressive story line. Combining the ballet dancing with Chinese artelements, the result is spectacular: dancing of exquisite grace andline, sumptuously clever stage and costume design, a brilliant infusionof some Peking Opera dance, song and fighting elements, and thepoignancy of the simple story itself. This ballet version of Raise theRed Lantern was published as one of the national stage art elite series.

Synopsis

Raisethe Red Lantern tells of a girl who reluctantly becomes the third wifeof a powerful mandarin in the 20s of the last century. Her beauty makesher husband desire her greatly, to the extent that he forces her tosubmit when she shows reluctance. She protests desperately but fails toavoid her tragic destiny. She idles away her life by watching operas intheaters or playing mah-jong all day long. From time to time she wouldseek chances to meet her former lover, a handsome young operaperformer. But her private dating is spied by her husband's second wifewho is jealous. Her adultery is caught by her husband on the spot. Butthe second concubine receives nothing but a slash on the face from herhusband. Frustrated in agony, she tears all the red lanterns in thecourtyard. Their husband, also their master, because furious and puthis two concubines to death. Before dying, the two envious concubinesforgive each other, entirely forgetting their hatreds.

Official Website: http://www.piao.com.cn/en%5Fpiao/ticket_1705.html