Huangmei opera
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The Huangmei opera (黃梅戲 or 黃梅調, pinyin: Huángméixì or Huángméidiào) originated as a form of hillside folksong and dance that has been in existence for the last 200 years.
It became a part of the operatic genre at the Anqing region. It was also debated that it came from Gezaixi, which is an operatic genre originating in Taiwan. It first appeared as a simple drama of song and dance at Lanyang plateau a hundred years ago before it became the operatic form with costumes and additional roles. The music was simple and short. Much of the focus was on singing which was developed from the Taiwanese folk tunes using traditional Chinese opera interpretations.
黃梅戲 did not involve the traditional opera gestures which often used the sleeves and step movements. It was also not performed on stage initially but as a kind of roving troupe performance.
[edit] Huangmei opera in films
The theme of 黃梅戲 began to expand with its initial introduction in Hong Kong via the film : The Kingdom and the Beauty (1959). The Chinese audience was attracted by the rewritten music style which combined both eastern and western musical instruments. The tempo was also livelier and faster than the traditional opera. The skilled adaptation of the actors in their roles and the chorus which helped the audience to understand the emotions and context of the story also gave the films an exotic and ethnic charm. This made the film entertaining and easy to comprehend, thus appealing to all tastes.
黃梅戲 became very popular in the 1960s after Love Eterne (1963) was produced. The charisma of the two actors, Betty Loh Ti and Ivy Ling Po, combined with the refined beauty of the story that was also filled with grief and mourns of the songs touched the hearts of many. During this period, many 黃梅戲 films were made, evolving into various forms and combinations, which even include the wuxia form of sword fights.
