A Night At The Opera

Hello Everyone,

This post is the latest in an ongoing series of stories that have been a long time coming, but for one reason or another were shelved. It is my sincere pleasure to bring them to you now. I believe them to be well worth the wait. I hope you agree.

-Aaron

(*Editor's Note: As much as I would like to, I cannot take credit for the excellent photos in this post. All photo credit must be given to my dear friend and Englishman, Russel Christie. Cheers Russel!)

One night after a dinner out on the town back in October, Kevin DiPalma turned to us and said, "Anyone want to go to the opera?" Everyone kind of looked at each other, thinking it was a joke. But he was serious. Apparently there are traveling opera troupes that perform Cantonese opera (similar to Beijing opera) in cities across China.

(Promotional Posters)

It just so happened that there was one such group "in residence" in Zhanjiang for the month, and they were performing that night. I was game, as were some of the others, and so off we went. Kevin led us down a dark alley, turning again and again down other alleys, one after another, going deeper and deeper into the heart of the city.

At first it seemed like we were completely lost in the maze of back alleys, but suddenly we heard music, and as we snaked closer to our destination the music got louder and louder. Suddenly we turned a corner and before us opened up a stunning sight.



Unbeknownst to us, there is an outdoor theater tucked cozily in between apartment complexes in the heart of downtown Chikan district.

(These next photos give you a better idea of what the space looks like during the day when it isn't crammed full of spectators. )

There were hundreds of chairs set up, along with love seats, stools, and benches. They came in a variety of shapes sizes, some made of wood, some made of bamboo, some made of metal and plastic. The one thing they all had in common was that they all looked very weathered and aged.

I don't know where the seats all came from, whether they are provided by the people who own the theater, or if they are owned by local people. I think it might be the latter. Russel tried going to the show early the next night, and each time he situated himself in a seat, someone came up and claimed rights to the seat. He thought they must own the seats, but they could just as easily pretend to own them. Who knows...

Regardless, there is plenty of seating available, and on the night we went, the place was packed. Crammed into that tiny little space were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of local people, all rapt with attention at the spectacle before them.


People who didn't have seats were standing, leaning against poles, leaning against each other, little kids were sitting up in trees, sitting on laps, neighbors were watching from rooftops and balconies. Technically there are no tickets to be purchased, but it was the definition of a sold-out show.

In all my years in China, I don't know that I've ever seen a group of Chinese people that silent and still. It was absolutely stunning. If you have ever seen a Chinese crowd, you know what I am talking about. In some ways I was more enraptured by the crowd than I was by the performers on stage.


That's not to say that the performance was anything to scoff at. Though I didn't understand a single word that was said (or sung rather), it was a captivating show. My favorite part of the show was the fight scene at the end when the princess fought the evil baron. It was really more of a dance than anything, but it was beautiful.



The other really cool thing was that you could walk around the theater and see into the backstage activity. I spent some of the show just watching the band play, which was super awesome. And I wasn't the only one...

These guys were all watching the actors and actresses applying their make-up and costumes in between acts. It was a performance in its own right.



It was so cool watching them. They all applied their own make-up, usually with a single light bulb and hand held mirror. Not exactly a Hollywood trailer. :) They were very careful, but surprisingly quick. It was also cool to see how an actor could become a completely different character just by changing his "mask" of make-up.




Needless to say, it was of the most memorable nights I spent in Zhanjiang, and easily makes the list of the coolest experiences in all my time in China. Thank you to Kevin DiPalma for bringing us, thank you to Russel for the pictures, and thank you to China, for keeping this beautiful piece of your culture alive and for sharing it with us all.