LI Bao-Chun on Traditional Chinese Operas

Koo Cloud YouTube channel：http://bit.ly/3dWIhFm

Support Koo Cloud Theater: https://donate.koo.org.tw/

12/3 Scholar Dong and Lady Li

Sir Peng was close to death, but he couldn’t let go of his wife, Lady Li. He asked his neighbor, Scholar Dong to keep an eye on his wife and make sure she doesn’t marry again. Scholar Dong, who was deeply in debt to Sir Peng, agreed reluctantly. One day, Lady Li was out to look at the moon. Scholar Dong thought that she was waiting for her lover, and went to check on her, but instead he fell in love with her. Between a promise to the dead and love, Scholar Dong found himself in a moral dilemma. At the end, their love won: they fought back the ghost of Sir Peng and lived happily together.

12/10 The Imperial Prosecutor on a Skinny Horse

Qian-Feng was an Imperial Prosecutor in the Qing Dynasty. He was a man of honor, who often rode a skinny horse. Once, another Imperial Prosecutor named Pu Lin was framed and sentenced to death after he investigated a corruption case. Qian-Feng submitted a plea and saved him. Under the emperor’s order, Qian-Feng was to go on a trip of investigation on corruption in Shandong.

Before his departure, He Shen tried to bribe him in the name of selling an art work. Failing to bribe him, He Shen murdered the officer who reported on the Shandong corruption and went after his wife, Lady Li. When Qian-Feng arrived in Shandong, he found nothing wrong with the silver in the treasury and the reporting officer dead. He resolved to call at a brothel in disguise where he learned He Shen had forcefully increased tax and met Lady Li with the actual account book.

He went to the court believing he would win the case, but unexpectedly Pu Lin betrayed him. Fortunately Pu’s sister, a righteous lady, came to Qian Feng’s rescue with the actual account book. Qian-Feng was able to win the case and turn in the corrupted officers.

12/17 Sun Bin and Pang Juan

Playwright & Director by LI Bao-Chun

Vocal Composer by LIN Xin-Tao

Music Design by CHUNG Yiu-Kwang

Stage Design by JEN Yong-Xin

Lighting Design by LIU Chuan-Fu

SUN Bin by LI Bao-Chun

PANG Juan by YANG Yan-Yi

 Madam PANG by ZHAO Qun

Your Majesty Hui of Wei by CHAO Yang-Chiang

Lan Xiang by by HUANG Yu-Lin

JIN Peng by CHANG Gui-Xiang

onductor: Chung Yiu-Kwong

Jinhu (Head of Strings): LIU Tie-Shan

rum (Head of Percussions): LIU Yun-He

Flute (for Kun-Qu): CHUNG Pei-Jung

Duration: 185 minutes

Filmed on May 24, 2008, Novel Hall for Performing Arts, Taipei

Sun Bin and Pang Juan studied war strategy under the same grand master. After Pang Juan left school, the grand master let Sun Bin read “The Art of War” which was passed down from the Sun family.

Pang Juan landed a position in the State of Wei and was highly favored by the king. Sun Bin left school a few years later and visited Pang Juan on his way home. Accidentally Sun Bin’s talent started to show. Pang Juan planned to demolish Sun Bin out of insecurity. He devised to poison Sun Bin after asking Sun Bin to write down the contents of “The Art of War.”  Sun Bin’s maid took the poison for him out of love, and Sun Bin finally realized he was in danger. He played the fool to flee the State of Chi.

Years afterwards, Sun Bin and Pang Juan met in Ma Ling Gorge, each leading the army of a rival state. There was no time for Pang Juan to repent. They both knew things had changed…