Cantonese Opera "The Legend of the Red Peony" with English subtitle

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Vancouver Cantonese Opera 2004 production "The Legend of the Red Peony", with English subtitle. We are presenting here the 1st Act of the opera. The following is the synopsis of the opera:

One day the Tang Emperor is enjoying the scenery of the royal garden with his royal concubine, Lady Wu. Lady Wu, is eager to please the Emperor, so she tells him she is willing to try on his behalf to make all flowers blossom at once. Then she writes up a decree and sends it to the Flower God to carry out that order.

After receiving the decree, the Flower God beats the drum to tell all flowers to blossom at once. One of the flower fairies, Fairy Peony, refuses to obey the order.

The 1st act tells the story of how happy the flowers are enjoying themselves in the garden, blooming and dancing.

Please take note of the unique Cantonese Opera signature makeup, the costumes, the prop, backdrop and the Cantonese opera singing, music and percussion.

Links

• YouTube link youtube.com
• Canada Helps donation button canadahelps.org

Organizer

Vancouver Cantonese Opera

Vancouver Cantonese Opera (VCO) is a non-profit organization established in 2000 with a mission to preserve and promote the art of Cantonese Opera in Canada.

For over a century, Cantonese opera has played a vital role in the cultural and spiritual life of the Chinese diaspora. It defined the cultural heart of the North American Chinatowns as a communal activity that connected people of all ages and backgrounds. In 2009, UNESCO duly recognized the profound contributions of Cantonese Opera as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

We are dedicated to presenting this unique tradition at the highest level of artistic excellence for both Chinese and non-Chinese audiences. Our performances are always bilingual, incorporating live translation and subtitles. In addition to our traditional Cantonese Opera productions, we also provide classes and innovative outreach activities, including festival performances, Lunar New Year celebrations, “behind-the-scenes” workshops, an “Opera-in-Care" program for adult care homes, and virtual opera parties. We also host pop-up exhibitions, youth summer camps, and family-friendly flash mob dances throughout the city.