Cantonese opera performances by Boomabliss Cantonese Opera Troupe
February 24 - 25, 2024
We are pleased to have supported Boomabliss Cantonese Opera Troupe in staging two well-received Cantonese opera performances The Sassy Princess and Woman Warrior: Mu Gui Ying at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, as part of our relentless efforts to promote Cantonese opera, a time-honoured legacy of the Lingnan culture which was inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” in 2009.
Featuring Hong Kong veteran actress Liza Wang and Cantonese opera actor Law Ka-ying, The Sassy Princess is a charming love story between the sassy Princess Feng Jia and the heroic war commander Fei Xiong, while Woman Warrior: Mu Gui Ying is a tale of the Northern Song dynasty heroine Mu Gui Ying getting into a bitter clash with her warrior husband Yang Zongbao. Blending singing, speaking, acting and acrobatic fighting, as well as elaborate costumes and exquisite make-up, the two-day performances were a sensory feast drawing a total of 3,100 audience.
The 65-member Boomabliss Cantonese Opera Troupe, comprising performers and backstage staff, was visiting Singapore after a hiatus of 30 years to great fanfare in the city-state which has wide base of loyal fans of Cantonese opera.
The Hong Kong SAR Government is dedicated to promotion of Cantonese opera, with the Cantonese Opera Development Fund established in 2005 to support performances, promote creative scriptwriting and compile researches and literature related to the art form. To date, over 1,000 projects have been subsidised under the fund. A further HK$100 million was injected to the fund in 2022-23 Budget to support the long-term development of the Cantonese opera sector.
To promote public interest in the Cantonese opera, the Government has designated the last Sunday of November as the Cantonese Opera Day with a series of fun-filled activities. The Xiqu Centre of the West Kowloon Cultural District also serves as a nurturing ground for different classic and experimental creations of Cantonese opera and regional forms of xiqu.
