Synopsis of ‘Jewelry Pouch’            by NYCOS

‘Jewelry Pouch’ or ‘Suo Lin Nang’ is a traditional Chinese opera dearly loved by the audience. It is a story about one generous act of giving by Lady Xue resulting in fruitful reward six years later, just as the Lady herself is desperately in need of help when falling in hard times. ‘Suo Lin Nang’ literally means ‘Locking the Dragon Son in the Pouch’. It is the local belief that a dowry of an embroider bag containing jewelry will bring the good luck of bearing boys. ‘Jewelry Pouch’ tells the fortune of one such bag.

 In the olden time, in the county of Deng Zhou, a very rich young bride Xue Xiang Ling and a very poor bride Zhao Shou Zhen were married on the same day. On route to their husband’s home, Xue in a highly decorated palanquin with a train of attendants, and Zhao in a rundown carriage with only her father as the bridal party; they stopped at the same pavilion to shelter from a rainstorm. The contrast of fortune was too big for Zhao. She had no dowry.  Seeing the rich bride’s party made her lament her misfortune of limited means and she cried.  Xue, although spoiled by her mother, had a golden heart. She gave Zhao her own ‘Jewelry Pouch’, which was filled with gold and jade jewelries, and they went their separate ways.

Six years later, the county of Deng Zhou was destroyed in a big flood. Xue lost her fortune and was separated from her family. She escaped to the next county, Lai Zhou, and was employed as a nanny by the rich Lu family. One day, keeping company and playing with the young master in the garden, Xue missed her son of the same age. While trying to retrieve a ball for the young master, she ventured into a room and discovered her old jewelry pouch, hanging in the center of the main hall, prominently displaced as if it is an object of worship. She was reprimanded and accused of stealing the empty pouch. However, after persistent questionings, the mistress, Madam Lu, was able to determine that Xue was the very person she (Zhao) had been searching for: the generous rich bride who gave her the pouch six years ago. With the precious jewelries in the pouch as seed money, Zhao’s husband engaged in business and eventually amassed a fortune. The wheel of fortune had turned full circle. With gratitude, Zhao made Xue her god sister and helped finding her family. The story ended with Xue’s reunion with her mother, husband, son and their faithful and loyal servants.

Cast

Lead Artists:

Xue Xiang Ling, Lady Xue……..…Xiaoqiu Chi (China’s Highest Ranking Artist)
Zhao Shou Zhen………………..…...Yanchun Li (China’s Highest Ranking Artist)
Xue Liang…………………..….........Qiang Zhu (China’s Highest Ranking Artist)

Special Guest Artist:

Lu Tian Lin…………………..….……Xiaoyan Wang (China’s Highest Ranking Artist)

Principal Artists:

Grandma Hu…………………....…....Kuixi Han
Mei Xiang……………………..……...Jing Shan
Bi Yu…………………………...……...Hong Wang          
Lady Xue’s Mum…………….….…..Qiuwei Zhang
Grandpa Zhao……………….……....Xuguang Hou
Zhou Ting Xun……………………….Taiqi Wang
Zhou Da Qi………………………..….Yonghong Jia
Lao Bin Xiang……………….………Jinhong Li
Shao Bin Xiang…………….……….Xinnian He

Guest Artists:

Yuhang Wen, Yingchun Li,  Xiangzhong Zhai,  Wentao Li , Gang Zhao, Linlang Wang, Yingxin Ren, Ning Li,  Peng Li, Lihe Yao     

Synopsis of ‘Third Madam Teaches Son’          by NYCOS

‘Third Madam Teaches Son’ is the climatic episode of the traditional Chinese opera of the same title, performed and loved by opera lovers for over 100 years.  It was adopted from a drama written by the famous dramatist Li Yu (1611-1677). Third Madam Wang Chun-Er was a concubine of Xue Guong, who died in the far away land of Kai-Feng. Upon learning the death and demise of Xue Guong, his wife and first concubine both remarried, leaving the infant son Xue Yi-Ge behind. Chun-Er decided to remain in widowhood, and with the help of the old faithful servant, Xue Bao, raised Yi-Ge as her son. One day in school, Yi-Ge was ridiculed by his school mates and learned that he was an orphan, and that Chun-Er was not his real mother. While Chun-Er asked him to study and recite what he learned in school, Yi-Ge refused in defiance. Chun-Er tried to discipline Yi-Ge and teach him the value of hard studying and be a good student. When Yi-Ge accused her and told her that she had no right to tell him what to do since she was not his mother, Chun-Er was deeply hurt and heartbroken. In a moment of anguish, she cut off the thread of the fabric that she had been weaving and cried. Finally, the old faithful servant Xue Bao intervened and Yi-Ge realized that he had badly misbehaved. He apologized and asked for forgiveness, and reconciled with his “mother”. All is well in the end.

Lead Artists:

Wang Chun-Er………………………Xiaoqiu Chi (China’s Highest Ranking Artist)
Xue Bao……………………….……..Qiang Zhu (China’s Highest Ranking Artist)
Xue Yi………………………….……..Xiaoyan Wang (China’s Highest Ranking Artist)

Synopsis of ‘Imperial Seal’           by NYCOS

The episode ‘Imperial Seal’, also known as ‘Accepting the Seal of Army Commander’ is the fifth scene in the traditional historical opera ‘Re-commanding the Army’. It tells the story of the courageous woman general of the Yang Family, Mu Gui Ying. During the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), China was at war with the Western Xia regime (1038-1227). Three generations of the Yang generals died during the conflict, survived only by one male heir Yang Wen Guang and his sister Yang Jin Hua, who were still young. However the widows, led by Mu Gui Ying, under the guidance of the 100 year old Grand Lady She Tai Jun, commanded the women generals of the Yang Family and successfully defended the country against the advancement of Western Xia. Scene Five of the ‘Re-commanding the Army’ showcases Mu Gui Ying’s internal conflict of whether or not to accept the appointment of commanding the Song Army. She agonized over her limited options. She was angry because her husband and father-in-law and uncles of Yang’s family, time and time again, sacrificed their lives in battles while the conspirators in the Capital engaged in corruption, destroying the country. Finally persuaded by her late husband’s grandmother, Grand Lady She Tai Jun, her inborn sense of responsibility and undying patriotic love for the country overcame her bitterness toward the injustice and corruption that was going on in the Imperial Court. She finally agreed to accept the Seal of Commander and proclaimed bravely: ‘If I don’t take the command of the army, who will? If I don’t lead, who can?’

Lead Artists:

Mu Gui Ying…………………….…….Xiaman Ma (China’s Highest Ranking Artist)
Grand Lady, Dhe Tai Jun……….....Qiuwei Zhang
Yang Jin Hua…………………….…...Yonghong Jia
Yang Wen Guang……………….…...Linlang Wang
Yang Hong………………………..…...Kuixi Han