PRODUCTION My Daughter's Wedding [Fuchun jia nu]
Data Type：production background
Title：About This Production
Source：My Daughter's Wedding Performance Program
Place：Taipei
Publisher：Taipei National University of the Arts [Guoli Taibei yishu daxue]
Date：2007/10/12
Pages：7
Language：English
Abstract：Combining modern music and Hakka folk music, this adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew aims to bring audiences of different generations closer to Hakka culture, and to create a new form for Hakka performing arts. Shakespeare is chosen for his ability to connect to the whole world and his dramatic intensity. This adaptation transforms the original gender war into generational conflicts between old and new.
What are the possibilities of Hakka performing arts, in addition to Hakka folk songs, dramas, folk dances, and pop songs?
According to Minister Yung-te Lee (李永得) of Taiwan’s Council for Hakka Affairs, Executive Yuan (行政院客家委員會), and Dean Rung-shun Wu (吳榮順) of Department of Traditional Music, Taipei National University of the Arts (國立臺北藝術大學傳統音樂學系), the production of the Hakka musical My Daughter’s Wedding, carries a vision that Hakka culture can be recreated and reinterpreted with modern spirits, and that the performing arts of musical is nowadays a prevailing form in all languages.
In the press conference of January 2007, Minister Lee wished this production would preserve some traditional Hakka music, dance and theatric characters, as well as develop a new form of Hakka performing arts. By the end of August, Lee saw the rehearsal of My Daughter’s Wedding and commented, “This production has indeed offered a new direction of Hakka performing arts. It has all the Hakka elements, and appeals to all audiences including Hakka, non-Hakka and even foreigners.” Some would worry that the Hakka language keep people from understanding, but Lee pointed out that, “People simply go to opera without any knowledge of Italian or French. And Hakka language sounds just as beautiful as French.” Lee also mentioned that we need a new artistic form of Hakka culture for different generations, and that the production of My Daughter’s Wedding has fulfilled this goal.
To communicate with the world, Shakespeare is one of the first choices, however, “It is a great challenge from Shakespeare to Hakka,” said Dean Wu, the artistic director of this production, “…too many Hakka elements would be redundant, and too few would not present Hakka spirit.” “This production has transferred the war of two genders into the conflict between modern and tradition societies, which is very interesting”
The director, David Jiang Wei-Guo (蔣維國), also argued that the main character’s “strong-minded” is in fact Hakka people’s well-known ethics of “strong will”, which help them face all the difficulties of life, but definitely cause “dramas” in marriages and love affairs.
With the support of Taipei National University of the Arts, more than 300 hundred people teamed up for this musical. The production include world famous director David Jiang Wei-guo, composer Nan-chang Chien (錢南章), orchestra conductor Amy Chang (張佳韻), playwrights Chien-hua Lin (林建華), You-huei Wang (王友輝), and Wu-shan Huang (黃武山), choreographer Hsiao-mei Ho (何曉玫), costume designer Ching-ru Lin (林璟如), stage designer Lu Ping (呂萍), and light designer Li-ren Chien (簡立人). This production would present a grandeur scene for Taiwan’s performing arts, and a new start of Hakka culture.
According to Minister Yung-te Lee (李永得) of Taiwan’s Council for Hakka Affairs, Executive Yuan (行政院客家委員會), and Dean Rung-shun Wu (吳榮順) of Department of Traditional Music, Taipei National University of the Arts (國立臺北藝術大學傳統音樂學系), the production of the Hakka musical My Daughter’s Wedding, carries a vision that Hakka culture can be recreated and reinterpreted with modern spirits, and that the performing arts of musical is nowadays a prevailing form in all languages.
In the press conference of January 2007, Minister Lee wished this production would preserve some traditional Hakka music, dance and theatric characters, as well as develop a new form of Hakka performing arts. By the end of August, Lee saw the rehearsal of My Daughter’s Wedding and commented, “This production has indeed offered a new direction of Hakka performing arts. It has all the Hakka elements, and appeals to all audiences including Hakka, non-Hakka and even foreigners.” Some would worry that the Hakka language keep people from understanding, but Lee pointed out that, “People simply go to opera without any knowledge of Italian or French. And Hakka language sounds just as beautiful as French.” Lee also mentioned that we need a new artistic form of Hakka culture for different generations, and that the production of My Daughter’s Wedding has fulfilled this goal.
To communicate with the world, Shakespeare is one of the first choices, however, “It is a great challenge from Shakespeare to Hakka,” said Dean Wu, the artistic director of this production, “…too many Hakka elements would be redundant, and too few would not present Hakka spirit.” “This production has transferred the war of two genders into the conflict between modern and tradition societies, which is very interesting”
The director, David Jiang Wei-Guo (蔣維國), also argued that the main character’s “strong-minded” is in fact Hakka people’s well-known ethics of “strong will”, which help them face all the difficulties of life, but definitely cause “dramas” in marriages and love affairs.
With the support of Taipei National University of the Arts, more than 300 hundred people teamed up for this musical. The production include world famous director David Jiang Wei-guo, composer Nan-chang Chien (錢南章), orchestra conductor Amy Chang (張佳韻), playwrights Chien-hua Lin (林建華), You-huei Wang (王友輝), and Wu-shan Huang (黃武山), choreographer Hsiao-mei Ho (何曉玫), costume designer Ching-ru Lin (林璟如), stage designer Lu Ping (呂萍), and light designer Li-ren Chien (簡立人). This production would present a grandeur scene for Taiwan’s performing arts, and a new start of Hakka culture.
