On January 9, 2023, seeing that the Spring Festival is getting closer and closer, but for this year's Spring Festival Gala, many people have regarded it as chicken ribs, "tasteless food, it's a pity to abandon it"
Indeed, since Zhao Benshan left the Spring Festival Gala, the annual performance tends to be the same, and more people miss the old artists, Ma Ji, Jiang Kun, Song Dandan, and the protagonist we want to talk about today, Zhao Lirong
As the 90s of last century, the most famous comedy and sketch performance artist in China, Zhao Lirong's former style is no less than Zhao Benshan, when on the screen, Zhao Lirong created many classic works, and some lines are catchy even now for us to read: court jade liquor, one hundred and eighteen glasses, how about this? Listen to me blow it for you~
Indeed, many people grew up watching Zhao Lirong's sketches, but as an audience, we may not know that Zhao Lirong, like many actors who participated in the Spring Festival Gala, enjoyed the stage while hiding unknown pain
He debuted at the age of 15 and lost his husband twice
Zhao Lirong was born in Tangshan City in 1928, there are 7 children in the family, the second brother Zhao Lianxi later became a well-known drama artist, because the family is poor, Zhao Lirong's father has been shaving his head in the theater to work for a living, so from time to time he will also take the child with him, Zhao Lirong was just 1 year old, was dressed as a "god of joy" by the opera class to perform on stage, 4 or 5 years old, Zhao Lirong was already a good hand on the stage
Because she was born not to learn, Zhao Lirong couldn't even learn a word in school, and was helplessly sent by her father to learn art under the master Ma Jingui, fortunately, Zhao Lirong was very talented in singing performance, and after several years of study, she successfully became a teacher, in 1943, 15-year-old Zhao Lirong performed on stage at the "Qingfeng Theater" in Zhangjiakou and announced her official debut
The rise of career also made the young Zhao Lirong meet her own love, in 1953, Zhao Lirong first partnered with Xin Fengxia and others, and then entered the China Appraisal Theater to work, here she met her first husband Sheng Qiang, the two were colleagues in the courtyard, and both liked drama, and soon fell in love, Zhao Lirong and Sheng Qiang got married, gave birth to two children, and their lives were very happy
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long, with the arrival of the special period, the entire music industry was greatly impacted, Sheng Qiang was also forced to go to the countryside to participate in labor, and as a result, due to physical reasons, he unfortunately died a few years later, when Zhao Lirong's second child was just born, she could only endure the grief and continue to perform on stage
After losing her husband, Zhao Lirong married her younger uncle Sheng Hong under the mediation of her family, and the two gave birth to a son and a daughter, but because her daughter suffered from a congenital disease, she died at the age of less than 7, and what is more surprising is that Sheng Hong also died of heart disease in 1984, which made Zhao Lirong almost collapse
After working in the Quyi Troupe for two years, Zhao Lirong accepted the invitation of director Yang Jie and starred in the 86th version of "Journey to the West" as Queen Che Chi, which was also her first time receiving regular film and television filming
In 1987, the biggest highlight on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala was "Journey to the West", director Yang Jie led all the crew members to the Spring Festival Gala, Zhao Lirong was also among them, since then she has formed an indissoluble bond with the Spring Festival Gala, the next year, Zhao Lirong appeared on the stage with the independently created sketch "A Day in the Life of a Heroic Mother", the heroic old mother who spoke Tangshan dialect and said "Sima cylinder smashed the cylinder" has become a highlight of the Spring Festival Gala in the past 15 years
Since 1988, Zhao Lirong has created classic sketches such as "Emergency", "Mother's Today", "So Packaged", "Working Adventures" and so on, in order to make these works have better feedback on the stage, Zhao Lirong forced herself to endure illness and practice calligraphy, in the last bridge of "Working Adventure", Zhao Lirong Phoenix Dance Long Fei wrote "genuine" 4 words won applause from the audience, but in fact she was not literate at all, these words were also Zhao Lirong stroked down
In 1989, Zhao Lirong was diagnosed with lung cancer on the eve of the Spring Festival Gala, but she did not miss a rehearsal of the crew, once before going on stage, Zhao Lirong accidentally had a mouthful of blood, and her partner Gong Hanlin advised her not to hold on anymore, but Zhao Lirong said, This may be my last time on stage, and I can't leave regrets for the audience
Yes, Zhao Lirong has brought laughter to the audience in this life, leaving the pain to herself, even after learning that her time is numbered, she asked her family to keep secrets and not expose it to the media, before she died, Zhao Lirong personally made a birthday dress for herself, chose a posthumous photo, and repeatedly told her family that if my illness really reached the point where it could not be treated, I should give up
On July 17, 2000, teacher Zhao Lirong passed away peacefully in the ward at the age of 72