2024-01-14 15:19:00
Source: Yangcheng Evening News Yunshang Lingnan Author: Ai Xiuyu Publication time: 2024-01-14 23:19
On January 11th, the Mandarin version of the musical “I am What I Am” finally had its grand premiere at the Guangzhou Opera House. Famous Hong Kong actor Jordan Chan, who played the role of Qiang not only skillfully played Meihuaquan and performed one-third of the original songs in solos and duets, but also brought laughter to the audience with his vivid body language and lines, which presented the strength and versatility accumulated over decades as a multi-talented artist.
From late 2023 to early 2024, Jordan Chan spent over two months immersing himself in Guangzhou, wholeheartedly devoting himself to the role of Qiang in the musical. He participated in stage rehearsals, vocal training, and lion dance lessons. The actor reset his four decades of stage experience and gradually shaped his character together with the team.
Before the premiere, Jordan Chan sat down for an exclusive interview with a reporter from the Yangcheng Evening News, sharing his experience and feelings regarding participating in an original musical on the Chinese mainland for the first time.
Working on a musical with young performers for the first time, Jordan Chan found it refreshing, stating, “We learn together, have fun, and enjoy ourselves.” When discussing the rehearsal process, he said that establishing mutual trust and understanding with all the actors on stage was quite challenging.
In the play, Jordan Chan portrays the hidden lion dance master named Qiang. When asked regarding learning the lion dance, he said, “The lion dance is truly difficult!” The team specially invited Zhao Weibin, the fifth-generation heir of the “Zhao Family’s Lion Dance” and the son of master Zhao Jihong, the provincial inheritor of Guangdong’s intangible cultural heritage project – Awakening Lion – to teach the actors lion dance performances. Jordan Chan added, “It’s not something that can be mastered in a few months or even half a year or a year to perform lion dance well. It’s even more difficult to capture its spirit. We can only practice and strive every day, hoping to present the cultural essence and vitality of Lingnan.”
In addition to the challenging lion dance, Jordan Chan’s foremost consideration was how to better connect with his character. He immersed himself deeply in the role, delving into the characters’ backgrounds and understanding their emotions beyond the music and script.
In the context of a play that involved a character’s journey of growth amidst challenges and difficulties, Jordan Chan drew a parallel between this theme and his personal experiences. He likened life to the stock market, a volatile entity that experiences fluctuations in value. Despite this unpredictability, he emphasized the importance of pursuing activities that bring joy and contentment, regardless of the market’s performance.
The musical “I am What I Am” is adapted from the popular animated film IP of the same name. It not only focuses on the inspirational story of a young boy’s growth but also serves as a song dedicated to every striving underdog.
Juan, an ordinary left-behind boy who has been weak and ill since childhood and suffered constant bullying, discovers his passion for lion dance when he meets a girl with the same name. With the help of two friends, Juan forms the Lion Dance Team and becomes a disciple of the skilled lion dance master Qiang. The team undergoes rigorous training day and night to compete in the prestigious “National Lion Dance Competition.”
Source:Yangcheng Evening News
“The Young Lion” premiered successfully, Jordan Chan challenged the lion dance and said it was “difficult”
On January 11, the Mandarin version of the musical “Lion” finally had its grand premiere at the Guangzhou Grand Theater. Chen Xiaochun, who plays “Salted Fish Strong”, not only moved the plum blossom piles around and performed one-third of the original songs in the play as a solo chorus, but also brought laughter to the audience with his vivid body language and lines, showing off his multi-faceted character. The strength and plasticity accumulated by Qi artists over decades of working in the industry.
From the end of 2023 to the beginning of 2024, Jordan Chan spent more than two months taking root in Guangzhou, handing himself over to the role of “Xianyu Qiang” in the Mandarin version of the musical “The Young Lion”. Walking on stage, practicing singing, learning lion dance…Jordan Chan put his past 40 years of stage experience to zero, and slowly completed the character creation with the crew.
Before the premiere, Jordan Chan accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from the Yangcheng Evening News and carefully shared his experience and feelings regarding participating in a mainland musical for the first time.
It was the first time for him to rehearse a musical with young people. Jordan Chan found it very refreshing. “We all learn together, have fun and have fun.” Speaking of the rehearsal process, he said that it was very challenging to establish a tacit understanding of mutual trust with all the actors on the same stage.
Jordan Chan plays the role of the reclusive lion dance master “Xianyu Qiang” in the play. When it comes to learning lion dance, Jordan Chan exclaims, “Lion dance is really difficult!” The crew specially invited Zhao Weibin, the provincial intangible inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project Guangdong Lion Dance, the fifth-generation descendant of the “Zhao Family Lion” and the son of Zhao Jihong, the “Southern Lion King”, to teach the actors regarding lion dance performances. Chen Xiaochun said frankly, “It doesn’t take two to three months or half a year to dance the lion dance well. It’s even harder to dance with spirit. I can only practice every day and try every day, hoping to better present some of our Lingnan skills.” The culture and spirit are in it.”
In addition to the difficult challenge of the lion awakening, what Chen Xiaochun considers the most is how to get closer to the character. He deeply immersed himself in the character’s role, deeply explored his growth background, and understood the character’s mood described by the music and script.
Chen Xiaochun also used his own personal experience and feelings to compare the growth of the characters in this drama and the inspirational road of ups and downs and headwinds. He said: “Life is like the stock market, there must be ups and downs. It should be. Do something you like and make yourself happy, regardless of whether it is low or low, high or not.”
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The musical “Lion” is adapted from the phenomenal Chinese comic film IP of the same name. It not only focuses on the inspirational story of the growth of teenagers, but also is a song written for every little person who works hard.
In the play, Ajuan, an ordinary left-behind boy, was frail and sickly since childhood and was bullied all day long. One day he met a girl with the same name as him. The girl’s enthusiasm for lion dance opened the door to Ajuan’s dream. Ajuan and two friends formed a lion team and became a disciple of the reclusive lion dance master Xian Yuqiang. The four masters and apprentices moved forward without hesitation, receiving arduous special training day and night, and marching boldly towards the goal of the “National Lion Dance Competition”.
Text | Reporter Ai Xiuyu
Translation | Bai Xinyi
Picture｜Interviewees, Xia Dong, etc.
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