Drama in the capital

"And we wanted to bring together top artists from around the country, showcase their performances and the latest Yueju Opera works written and performed by young artists."

As for the highlights of the upcoming event, a new Yueju Opera production, titled A Traveler's Song, will make its debut at the NCPA on April 25 and 26.

The show, done by actors of Zhejiang Yueju Opera Theater, is inspired by a poem with the same title by Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Meng Jiao.

It premiered at the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in November 2017.

Then from April 29 to May 1, the Hangzhou Yueju Opera Theater will stage three productions: Xianglian's Case, a tragic story adapted from a Peking Opera show of the same title; A Strand of Alien, a comic show first performed by the late Yueju Opera actresses Fan Ruijuan (1924-2017) and Yuan Xuefen (1922-2011) in 1950s; and The Breeze Pavilion, which tells the story of an old couple adopting an abandoned child.

On May 5, fans will get to see Jade Dragonfly, which will be performed by national award-winning Yueju Opera actress Wang Jun'an, a student of the Yin school, one of the many genres of Yueju Opera.

The Yin school of Yueju Opera follows Yin Guifang (1919-2000), who was born in Xinchang county, in Zhejiang province and founded the Fanghua Yueju Opera Theater in Shanghai in 1946. Jade Dragonfly was one of her favorite works.

Separately, viewers can also learn the history of Yueju Opera by visiting an exhibition at the NCPA during the event.

There, costumes, headgear, scripts and musical instruments used in Yueju Opera performances will be displayed.