UTD hosts workshop to explore the story behind Farewell My Concubine

by PegNews wire

Xiang Yu (Sun Li) and Yu Jin (Ruan Yuqun) are the warlord and his lover, respectively, in this scene from the operatic production

The Eisemann Center hosts performances of the Chinese Opera's Farewell My Concubine on Feb. 5 and 6. In anticipation of this event, the University of Texas at Dallas (in conjunction with the Confucius Institite) plans to host a workshop exploring the opera's background and thematic material on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. in the Jonsson Performance Hall. The workshop is free and open to the public.

Speakers at the event will include composer Xiao Bai, symphony conductor Yu Feng and several performers involved in the opera production. The participants will present a DVD preview of the opera and then hold a Q/A; a pair of tickets to one of the Eisemann Center performances will be given away during the event.

The story behind the opera revolves around the tragic romance of an historical Chinese warlord and his lover. The current production - including new music and staging geared toward Western audiences - premiered in Beijing in October of 2007.

posted by JM