#杨霞云 #周宏伟 #浙江婺剧艺术研究院 #戏曲 #西游记 #孙悟空 #婺剧 Wu Opera sung in Mandarin with very helpful subtitles presented by Nam Hwa Opera.
Even if you had paid top price $188 you would have gotten more than 5x or 10x of the value of the price you paid. It was that amazing.
The stylised movements meant the characters didn’t have to explain verbally how perilous the journey was. It was dealt with in a few movements where the travellers swayed and tip toed in the same way and did movements to indicate they almost fell. Their fighting also needn’t show death and violence. It was a combination of cartwheels, somersaults and occasional breakdance (the worm) movements. The narrating was sung as part of the various characters motivations and it was easy to figure out their intentions. Nobody had to voice over although there was a prologue at the start of the show mainly, I personally think, for photo op.
The special effects WOWed me. It added to the story telling in such brilliant ways – 悟空 drew a protective circle for 师父 and 师弟 and the audience saw a green circle of light as he draw with his rod; 师父 chanting the tightening spell and the severe pain was shown as flashing light on his head; the demon floating away was a light going up to the ceiling.
My mind was totally blown when 悟空 not merely kowtowed to 师父 when he was being kicked out for killing a demon. The actor #周宏伟 executed a series of 跪子 – Knee Fall/Knee Drop. A minute later, another 悟空 appeared on the stage, executing another series of 跪子 – Knee Fall/Knee Drop. A third and a fourth 悟空 appeared in sequence with all 4 悟空 dropping to their knees.
Another mind blowing moment was when 白骨精 was smashed on her head by 悟空, a puff of red smoke exited from her head as if blood spewing. The actress #杨霞云 suspended herself with the back totally arched and then incredibly slowly fell backwards like a fabulous Tosca. Love it!
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