We went to the National Theater (top photo) tonight to see an unusual performance of MuLan, which combined traditional Peking Opera with avant-garde percussion and tap-dancing, and abstract staging. (photo above from rehearsal). The show was a collaboration of the Ju Percussion Group and Guoguang Opera Company.
According to a local news item, "The director, Lee Shao-pin, is pushing the boundaries by including differing forms of performance on the same stage. He said he felt the story, which tells of a young woman who served as a general in an all-male army, could be accented by the dramatic changes in Peking opera and tap dancing."
Over 100 instruments were used in the performance. "In one scene, the percussionists, sounds from the Peking opera actors, and the clacking of the tap dancers work in concert to represent thousands of mounted warriors going to battle." (China News Agency, May 15, 2010)
For more on Ju Percussion Group, see link at left. Check out the video.
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