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Fifty Years After

(Pinyin: long qing shi yi ban shi ji)
龍情詩意半世紀
Lung Cing Si Ji Bun Sai Gei

Half-century Career Onstage Celebration

It might have been around this time last year that I read about the news on Lung Mui 龍.梅 (Lung Kim Sang 龍劍笙 and Mui Suet See 梅雪詩) plan for staging a four-set of classic Cantonese Opera excerpts in celebrating fifty years of their long-lasting onstage partnership.

That was such a wonderful news for me personally and surely for all of the Cantonese Opera fans who have been awaiting to welcome Lung and Mui back on stage for a series of performances ever since their last collaboration on Princess Changping [帝女花] Dai Nui Fa in 2006.

在回憶
zoi wui jik
Reflecting on the past
在目前
zoi muk cin
Looking at the present
一挽手，情牽原來五十年
jat waan sau, cing hin jyun loi ng sap nin
Once holding hands, born an onstage partnership that lasts into 50 years after

From the humble beginning in responding to the 1960’s open call to be a part of the chorus/dancing unit for Yam Kim Fai 任劍輝 and Pak Suet Sin 白雪仙’s new production work of Cantonese opera "The new Legend of the White Snake" [白蛇新傳] Baak Ji San Cyun to undergoing eight months of intense training for the official selection to be a part of Yam Pak 任.白’s Sin Fung Ming Cantonese Opera Troupe, Lung Kim Sang and Mui Suet See enjoyed working hard at learning the art under Yam Pak’s guidance.

Upon mastering the art, they led the Chor Fung Ming Cantonese Opera Troupe in widely acclaimed performances both locally and overseas.

Truly, once holding hands, born a beautiful friendship (and an onstage partnership) that lasts into 50 years after.

In December 2011, Lung Kim Sang and Mui Suet See marked the occasion of their half-century career celebration by returning to stage for 25 sell-out performances. They performed opposite each other to reprise their roles in four Cantonese Opera excerpts comprised of The Handsome Pan'an ~ Shop Encounter [俏潘安之店遇] Ciu Pun On zi Dim Jyu, Butterfly and the Red Pear Blossom ~ Pavilion Meeting [蝶影紅梨記之亭會] Dip Jeng Gung Lei Gei zi Ting Wui, The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom ~ Chance Encounter [再世紅梅記之折梅巧遇] Zoi Sai Gung Mui Gei zi Zit Mui Haau Jyu and Dream of the Red Chamber ~ Heaven Illusion [紅樓夢之幻覺離恨天] Hung Lau Mung zi Waan Gaau Lei Han Tin.

Undoubtedly, those (excerpts) are favorites among fans.

How exciting it must have been having the opportunity to attend one of the performances staged at Sha Tin Town Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre (Tsim Sha Tsui) and/or at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (Wan Chai). For some, it might have been the memorable event in which they were seeing Lung Mui performing live on stage for the very first time.

And that the releasing of the audio CD and video DVD/Blu-ray recordings set in the early Spring of 2012 was much anticipated and appreciated from all to relive such fine performances.

Wan Siu Pan 雲小顰 is a young lady whose nickname is called Ciu Pun On 俏潘安. While traveling, she dressed up as a man.

At an inn, she meets King Zyu 瓊珠, the inn young lady owner. Through King Zyu’s retelling of her personal story, Siu Pan learns about a well-known benefactor named Lei Gwong 李廣. Among Lei’s many good deeds was to help out the then homeless King Zyu and her father setting up the inn. Little Siu Pan knows at the time is that Lei Gwong is indeed her husband-to-be in an arranged marriage she has objected earlier.

As Siu Pan grows fond and admiring Lei Gwong, King Zyu, who thought of Siu Pan as a man, also finds 'Ciu Pun On' equivalent attractive...
Excerpt from The Handsome Pan'an
~ Shop Encounter ~
Ciu Pun On zi Dim Jyu

Keeping her promise, courtesan Je Sou Chau 謝素秋 tries hard not to reveal her true identity to scholar Jiu Yu Jau 趙汝州 when they meet face-to-face for the first time. At the meeting, Jiu Yu Jau unknowingly expresses his grieving to Je Sou Chau for Je Sou Chau whom he thought that she had died.
Excerpt from Butterfly and the Red Pear Blossom
~ Pavilion Meeting ~
Dip Jeng Gung Lei Gei zi Ting Wui

Scholar Pui Jyu 裴禹 went to pick plum blossoms and coincidentally ran into Chiu Yung 昭容, whose look is in resemblance of Lee Wai Leung 李慧娘, whom he met and fell in love with.
Excerpt from The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom
~ Chance Encounter ~
Zoi Sai Gung Mui Gei zi Zit Mui Haau Jyu

Gu Bou Juk 賈寶玉, who went to become a monk after he learned of Doi Juk’s death, meets Lam Doi Juk 林黛玉 in a dream in which it is revealed to him that she is a fairy in heaven.
Excerpt from Dream of the Red Chamber
~ Heaven Illusion ~
Hung Lau Mung zi Waan Gaau Lei Han Tin

* * *
REVIEWS/RECAPS & IMPRESSIONS:
(To be written...)

Credits and/or Citations:
Illustrated photos are source from JV Entertainment Productions Limited CD + Karaoke DVD/Blu-ray cover and insert photo booklet.

The above written reviews/recaps incorporate the utilization of the online MDBG Chinese-English dictionary for Jyutping Cantonese/Pinyin romanization of Chinese characters.

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