Performances In Japan Follow Previous Shows In New York, Vienna#
Today, a Chinese military performing arts troupe begins a Japanese tour of the ancient Chinese opera "Poems of Mulan," the famous story of a young girl who disguises herself as a man to fight an invading army in place of her ill father. Four performances of "Poems of Mulan" will take place in November in Tokyo and Sapporo, led by artistic director (and wife of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping) Peng Liyuan. From China Daily:
Leading Chinese soprano Peng Liyuan, president of the Performing Arts Troupe of the PLA's Political Department, will lead the company to perform the Chinese opera Poems of Mulan in Tokyo and Sapporo from Nov 8 to 20. Peng, who premiered the opera in 2004, is the artistic director of the new production.
Soprano Tan Jing and Lei Jia will perform the title role Mulan. Li Yuning, conductor of the Orchestra of the PLA's company, and Shunsaku Tsutsumi, artistic director of Japan's Royal Chamber Orchestra, will take turns to conduct the shows.
Poems of Mulan is based on the well-known Chinese folktale heroine Mulan who disguises herself as a man to take the place of her ailing father in the army.
The opera scored by Chinese composer Guan Xia debuted in 2004 and has toured across China. It has also played abroad, at New York's Lincoln Center in 2005, and at Vienna's National Opera House in 2008.