New Cantonese opera "Mrs Willows Dong Xiaowan", created and performed by the Guangdong Xiangshan Cantonese Opera Troupe and the Guangdong Dance and Drama College, made its debut on November 5 at the Guangzhou Jiangnan Theater. The opera preformed to a full house and left the audience panting for more.
Mrs Willows is a historical novel written by Liu Sifen, a renowned writer from Zhongshan. It was awarded the 4th Mao Dun Literature Prize and has been adapted into TV dramas, stage plays and Han opera.
The drama depicts the love story of Dong Xiaowan and Mao Xiang during the dynasty alternation from Ming to Qing, showcasing Dong Xiaowan's unwavering struggle against her fate, her profound longing for a peaceful era, and her determination to sacrifice herself to safeguard the heritage of Chinese culture.
The opera was recomposed by Chen Jinrong, a renowned Cantonese opera composer, and directed by Zhou Long, a Lifetime Achievement Award winner in China's opera performance circle, a professor with the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and a national first-class actor. Huang Jiayu, a diva from the Guangdong Xiangshan Cantonese Opera Troupe, played the leading role Dong Xiaowan.