Yang Chunxia
Born in Shanghai in 1943, Yang Chunxia was admitted to the Shanghai Opera School at the age of 12, learning Kunqu opera first and then Peking Opera. Shi Chengmei sent his descendants Yan Huizhu and Yang Yunong. In 1959, Mei Lanfang, Yan Huizhu and Yu Zhenfei cooperated in the Kunqu opera film "Dream in the Garden", in which Yang Chunxia played one of the flower gods in the film.
Yang Chunxia played the flower god in "Garden Dreams"
She was also chosen as a stand-in for Mr. May to help him with the lights and walk the position. Get close to the master and get praise from Mr. Mei Lanfang. Yang Chunxia later watched Mr. Mei's performance and understood that Mr. Mei's performance was not just an action, but a character.
One day in 1971, Yang Chunxia received a notice that she would fly to Beijing to have a mission, and when she arrived in Beijing, the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe would pick her up and let her participate in the rehearsal of the modern play "Cuckoo Mountain" and play the heroine Ke Xiang. Yang Chunxia has always wondered why so many famous actors in Beijing should be transferred from Shanghai to rehearse the play. She knew it was a rare opportunity for her, but it was a huge test.
Yang Chunxia went to the countryside to experience life
She was determined to work hard to accomplish this task. As an actor from Shanghai who is not yet a famous actor, to integrate into such a new environment as the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe, she modestly and cautiously asks her peers for advice and strives to improve her business level. In order to arrange "Rhododendron Mountain", the crew went to Jinggangshan to experience life for more than a month, eating and living in farmers' homes, and working in the fields with farmers. They also sought out the old local revolutionaries to learn about the situation during the war.
Yang Chunxia played Ke Xiang in the model play "Cuckoo Mountain"
But to play Ke Xiang well, it is still difficult. When Yang Chunxia studied drama, she learned qingyi Huadan, all of whom were weak women in ancient times, and how to shape the image of Ke Xiang as a revolutionary and party representative on the stage, she had no bottom in her heart. The crew specially invited Xiao Wang Guiqing, a famous martial artist in Shanghai, to design ke Xiang's dance body on the execution ground. Xiao Wang Guiqing told Yang Chunxia that Ke Xiang could not be allowed to use the figure of Danjiao, but to use the figure of Wusheng to perform. Ke Xiang's appearance action Yang Chunxia practiced for a long time. After the release of the film, many viewers told Yang Chunxia that Ke Xiang's appearance in the movie was too wonderful.
When filming the film, the director deliberately asked her to keep her hair longer and make it look better. With the film's hit in the country, Yang Chunxia's Ke Xiang, whose unique hairstyle is also known as "Ke Xiang Head", has become popular throughout the country. But playing Ke Xiang on the stage, it is very troublesome to keep the hairstyle in the movie, because the stage performance is too physical, there will be sweat on the face, and it is easy to stick to the face when the hair is too long and swinging, so the hairstyle left during the stage performance is shorter than in the movie.
In the rehearsal process, the main creators asked to avoid the modern drama's confession being too colloquial, and strive to rhyme the white. But after getting the script, Yang Chunxia didn't know how to read these confessions. The crew specially invited Two famous drama artists, Diao Guangqin and Zhu Lin of Beijing Renyi, to tutor Yang Chunxia, who studied and practiced diligently, perfectly expressed the recitation of bai different from other modern plays, and strengthened the expressiveness of Daobai in the play.
The accompaniment music of "Rhododendron Mountain" makes extensive use of ethnic and Western instruments, which can be said to be a model for foreign use, creating a landmark work of Peking Opera music, and the singing sections such as "Flying in the Clouds" can be called the Symphony of Peking Opera, which is a beautiful chapter in the modern opera of Peking Opera. In 1973, the new "Rhododendron Mountain" was widely affirmed after it was performed by the central leadership. Then began filming for the movie "Cuckoo Mountain". After the film was released in 1974, Yang Chunxia suddenly became a popular star.
At that time, the stills of Yang Chunxia playing Ke Xiang were printed as adult paintings and pasted on the walls of every household. Usually, she does not dare to go out at all, and when the crew goes out to participate in activities, a large number of fans will rush to see Yang Chunxia. Yang Chunxia, who was carried to the clouds, soon fell to the bottom of her life, and after the Gang of Four was crushed in 1976, Yang Chunxia was considered a gang of four, and she was censored and hostile to many people.
During the review, Yang Chunxia was stopped from performing, and she could not appear on the stage for three years, and she did not even dare to practice. In celebration of the smashing of the Gang of Four, in order to show her attitude, she must also participate. The crew of "Cuckoo Mountain" were all nice enough to have her standing on the innermost part of the truck, and they were out there protecting her. Well-meaning colleagues also invited her to watch TV at home, which she deeply remembered, and felt very warm every time she brought it up.
After reviewing and returning Yang Chunxia's innocence, she was transferred to the Beijing Opera House of China. In 1979, he officially returned to the stage at the Beijing People's Theater and starred as Tan Ji'er in the Peking Opera "Wangjiang Pavilion". The performance was an unprecedented success, with applause and applause and applause. Yang Chunxia devoted herself to her favorite opera art, performing a large number of traditional Operas of Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera.
Yang Chunxia played Bai Bonejing in "Journey to the West"
What makes the younger generation know Yang Chunxia is the white bone essence she starred in the 86 version of "Journey to the West". However, there are widespread rumors in society that she and Yang Jie, the director of "Journey to the West", are not compatible. It is said that she did not succeed in playing the king of her daughter country and turned against Yang Jie. Both Yang Jie and Yang Chunxia responded to this matter.
According to Yang Jie's recollection, when filming "Journey to the West", she needed an actor with a powerful aura to play the white bone essence, and many actors were not suitable, and she remembered Yang Chunxia. After repeated work, Yang Chunxia agreed to play, but she said that she played this negative role, and she also wanted to give her a positive role to "rehabilitate", and she also wanted to play the king of her daughter country. Yang Jie, who was anxious to shoot the scene, agreed to come down.
Yang Jie herself openly admitted that in order to win Yang Chunxia to play the white bone essence, he deceived her and promised to let her play the second role, but later did not fulfill the promise. Yang Jie recognized Yang Chunxia's acting skills, but she reneged on her words and did not use Yang Chunxia to play the king of her daughter country again, and she was right to do so in her artistic pursuit. But she did not explain to Yang Chunxia, nor did she apologize, but she never contacted Yang Chunxia again.
Yang Chunxia was very generous, explaining in the CCTV program that she had never been at odds with Yang Jie, but that the two sides were no longer in touch. The two artists surnamed Yang are both top figures in the industry, and they are adhering to their own ethics in this matter, and it is difficult to say who is right and who is wrong. With the death of director Yang Jie, this matter has always come to an end.
Yang Chunxia recorded "Tribute to the Classics" in 2019
In 2019, CCTV's "Tribute to the Classics" broadcast Yang Chunxia's special topic, and the tribute words dedicated to her were: No success is a coincidence, after suffering from bitter cold and cold, there are thousands of plum blossoms, no opportunity is within reach, chaotic clouds flying through the broken, in order to be able to sky high and wide, pear garden learning art, you inherit famous masters, ponder, stage debut, you are eclectic, self-contained, look at the light honor and humiliation, endure loneliness, endure bumps, withstand temptation, a stage to the end, the curtain opens without losing its true color!
Yang Chunxia: From the model drama star to the white bone essence, climbed to the peak and fell into the trough, clarifying the contradiction with Yang Jie