Photo: Tong Shuangchun Courtesy of the interviewee
Tonight, burlesque artist Tong Shuangchun died of illness at the Age of 88 at the Sixth People's Hospital in Shanghai. This old treasure of Shanghai's comics industry has aroused infinite remembrance from everyone.
Tong Shuangchun was a member of the comical taidou Yao Mushuang and Zhou Baichun, and was once the head of the business troupe of the Shanghai Burlesque Troupe. He has created and performed nearly 100 one-legged plays since his art, and has successively competed with famous artists Zhu Xiangfei, Wang Junxia, Wu Shuangyi and Wang Shuangqing. After the 1980s, Tong Shuangchun and Li Qing fought together and became one of the rare "golden partners" in the burlesque world. His representative works of burlesque plays include "Fake Doctor Asks the True Doctor", "Wang Tiger Robs Relatives", "Excellent Answer", "Life Crossing", "Baby under the Street Lamp", "Male Nanny", "Hot Soil Bonus", "Backgammon", etc.; the excellent one-legged plays he has choreographed include "Funny Throwing Army Kiln", "Investigation Of Household Registration", "Master and Apprentice", "Singing Mountain Song", "New Red Lady", "Southern Cavity and Northern Tune", "Ah, Mother", "Change", "Between Husband and Wife", etc.; the tongue twister rap "Linglong Tower" is also one of Tong Shuangchun's excellent masterpieces.
In March last year, when the epidemic broke out, Tong Shuangchun, who has 55 years of party experience, donated a party fee of 30,000 yuan. Although he has been retired at home for many years, Tong Shuangchun has always been concerned about the troupe, and whenever the Shanghai Burlesque Troupe has an important work staged, he will always walk into the theater to watch the direction. After learning the news of the epidemic, he took the initiative to contact the general branch of the party many times, saying that although he was old and could not participate in the frontline work of the epidemic, he hoped to donate the rewards he had received in recent years in the form of donations. Afterwards, he repeatedly said: "Donations are small things, no need for publicity." ”
In 2018, Tong Shuangchun was awarded the title of "Lifetime Achievement Quyi Artist of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles". On the podium, the 85-year-old Tong Shuangchun held the trophy in his hand and choked up several times, and he said excitedly: "Although I have left the funny stage, on the stage of life, I will continue to be enthusiastic as always, and this life will not change." I wish our music and art career as the sun in the sky, shine brightly, continuous innovation, and create the future! ”
Pictured: Tong Shuangchun was awarded the title of "Lifetime Achievement Quyi Artist of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles"
The famous host Cao Kefan fondly recalled the story of his interaction with Tong Shuangchun. In May last year, he recorded "Ke Fan Listen" with him and Li Qing at Tong Shuangchun's home. Tong and Li, the two old partners, although they live in the same building, but because of the epidemic relationship, they have not moved around for almost half a year, so the old brothers talk about Xingshinong, recall the artistic charm of Yao and Zhou, and cooperate with each other. As the main force of the "double-word generation", Tong Shuangchun can speak and write, and is rich in leadership skills, which can be called an all-round talent in the comics industry. Cao Kefan sighed: "Despite his advanced age, Teacher Shuangchun's basic skills are solid, and he improvises a passage of rao password in the program, the bite is clear, the breath is through, and it makes people shoot the case." ”
Pictured: Cao Kefan (center) with Tong Shuangchun and Li Qing
Xu Xiang, a young Shanghai opera actor who studied burlesque, entered the burlesque class of the Shanghai Opera School in 2008 and remembers Tong Shuangchun's teaching everyone to sing his own work "Linglong Pagoda". "It was the first time in my life that I learned to sing music and opera, and in terms of the aesthetics of singing, Teacher Tong had a great influence on me." In the 10 years after graduation, Tong Shuangchun often cared about the growth of Xu Xiang and the young funny people of his generation, and talked to him about the idea of one-legged play. Although his body is getting weaker and weaker, every time he sits down and talks with young people about the art in his heart, Tong Shuangchun can talk for hours. Xu Xiang talked about the story of Teacher Tong, bit by bit in his heart: "Teacher Tong Shuangchun is a big artist in my heart, and the "Double Character Generation" is an era in Shanghai, and it is the golden generation of Shanghai Burlesque Stage. ”
(Xinmin Evening News reporter Zhao Yue)