Fresh appeal to Peking Opera(2)

Renowned Kunqu Opera actor Qian Zhenrong has been invited by Li to perform the role of Gu.

The soft, smoothing singing of Kunqu Opera, Li says, contrasts with the powerful Peking Opera performance style, highlighting the different personalities and the conflict between the two roles.

"People need friends and the ability to deal with various relationships. It's a universal topic no matter how old you are and where you come from," Li says.

When the show premiered in Taipei last year, Li was surprised to see 80 percent of the ticket holders were young people, mainly students, who see the story from their own perspective.

The story, especially the chapter on banishing Wu to Ningguta, also reminds Li of his own experience, when he was sent to work on the farms during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

"I can still recall the tough environment, not only the poor living conditions but also the depression of leaving home and having no idea about the future," Li recalls.

Born in Beijing, Li studied Peking Opera with his grandfather, Li Guichun (1885-1962), who performed at the Qing Dynasty court, and his father. Young Li studied playing the laosheng role (the older, male roles) of Peking Opera at Beijing Theater Arts School from the age of 10.

After graduation in 1969, he worked at China Peking Opera Theater, now China National Peking Opera Company, before emigrating to the United States with his family in the late 1980s.

"There were several times that I wanted to work in other fields. I had thought about leaving Peking Opera when I was on the farm. I had opened an ice-cream shop in the US to afford a living. But my father always reminded me of who I am and what I am good at. I think Peking Opera is in my DNA," Li says.

Li has invented the idea of "new old plays", in which new means new elements and techniques, and old refers to the essence of the tradition.

He applies that technique to his other creations, such as Yun Luo Mountain, a revised version of a classic Peking Opera work, which Li's father performed, and The Jester, a Peking Opera version of Giuseppe Verdi's classical opera Rigoletto.

He has also combined symphony orchestras, contemporary dance and even rhythm and blues with Peking Opera performances.

Every year, Li flies to the US to watch Broadway shows to get new knowledge and inspiration. As he says, absorbing new things keeps Peking Opera fresh.

"Like Chanel, I want to build up our theater as a brand," he adds.