Forgotten opera gem restored

Peking Opera master Ma Yuqi will never forget the production of Mei Yu Pei he saw in 1958. It has long been his dream to return the classic to the stage, and now he has found the perfect place.

Ma Yuqi will never forget the moment in 1958, when as a student at the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts he watched the classic Peking Opera Mei Yu Pei for the first time. Originally a Kunqu Opera, it was adapted into Peking Opera and had been performed since the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The exquisite costumes, accessories and interesting story deeply impressed Ma. However, it was to be the last time Mei Yu Pei was performed for many years, as the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) was soon to sweep through the country.

The opera was reproduced in the 1980s by Peking Opera troupes from Tianjin and Taiwan. However, the productions were lackluster and feedback was poor.

"It has been lingering in my mind and it's a real pity if we lose the show forever," says Ma, 76, a Peking Opera master known for playing young male and female roles. He had been based in Hong Kong and Taiwan for 16 years before returning to Beijing in the 1990s.

About a year ago, Ma was invited to perform at the 2014 spring season of Zhengyici Theater, a historical relic with more than 300 years of history. Upon seeing the theater, he raised the idea of resurrecting Mei Yu Pei for the stage.

Like many traditional Peking Opera works, Mei Yu Pei is composed of eight episodes, "just like today's TV series", Ma explains. Peking Opera was once the primary entertainment of ordinary people. "Instead of sitting in front of the TV, they came to the theater every day, looking forward to the next episode," Ma says.

What made Mei Yu Pei special was its dazzling costumes and humorous story. "It was more like an eye-catching fashion show, because all the parts change into four or five costumes," he says. "Compared with other traditional Peking Opera works, Mei Yu Pei was a pioneer leading the new trends."

Born to a noble Manchu family in Beijing, Ma has carried on his family's tradition of collecting antiques. He bought his first antique fan at 14. He also likes collecting calligraphy and art. But his biggest passion is collecting Peking Opera costumes and accessories.

As it has long been his dream to perform Mei Yu Pei, Ma will display his treasures in the show, including gowns made from kesi, a unique silk-weaving technique, a pleated skirt from the Qing Dynasty, a gold-filigree ornament of headdress and turquoise beads.

"All the embroidery has been done by hand, and the clothing comes from the Qing Dynasty. We want to take the audience back 100 years, with genuine clothes and authentic Peking Opera," he says. "When I put on those clothes and ornaments, I feel like I have stepped back in time."

Because there are no video or audio records of the original version of Mei Yu Pei, Ma has invited 76-year-old scriptwriter Xia Yongquan to rewrite the story, which will compact the two-day opera into three hours.

He also invited his old friends—Peking Opera veterans 67-year-old Wen Ruhua, 77-year-old Kou Chunhua and 73-year-old Jiang Changyi—to perform in the show.

"We have to recite all the lines and moves from the beginning because it is our first time performing it. I feel like a new student again, full of energy and passion," says Ma.