Adapted from a classic
literary work by distinguished Hakka novelist Li Qiao (李喬), the musical “The Spring of Lan Caixia (藍彩霞的春天)” will be performed across Taiwan, with showings in
Miaoli County, Kaohsiung City, and Taipei slated for Nov. 9, 2019 through March
15, 2020.
Hakka Affairs Council (HAC) Minister Lee Yung-de attended the press conference
on the musical tour’s announcement on Oct. 9, having sneaked a peek at a clip
of the performance before delivering his statement.
Minister Lee said that the novel, which was written three decades ago, tells the story of Lan Caixia, a miserable and underprivileged sex worker who suffers painful abuse while battling against her dreadful fate, noting that it also depicts the daily lives of the Taiwanese public during the 1950s and ’60s.
Through his empathetic lens, Li presents the agony, vulnerability, and
helplessness of the human existence and portrays how the characters in this
fiction overcame adversity with their endurance and persistence, Lee added.
Lee stated that, to promote the classic Hakka novel on the world stage,
HAC collaborated with professional teams in 2017 to translate “The Spring of
Lan Caixia” into Japanese and Spanish editions, which contributed to Li’s sensational debut in
Japan and Spain and boosted foreign interest in Taiwan’s Hakka literature.
Accompanied by modern visual and audio effects, the theatrical
performance shall present music, dance, acting, and dialogue that employ
various mother tongues including Hakka, Hokkien, Mandarin, sign, and indigenous
languages, Lee explained. He expects that the musical will fire up the viewers’
imagination and lead them to explore the literary world of the 85-year-old Hakka
maestro.
To present Li’s work authentically in the two-hour performance, director Yang Ju-chiang (楊儒強) used a semiotic approach by employing signs and symbols to create a cinematic atmosphere for the musical, bringing the tale to life and stirring the hearts of spectators.
Tour information
Miaoli County
Location: Northern Miaoli Art Center
Date: Nov. 9, 2019
Time: 14:30
Address: 206 Gongyuan Rd., Jhunan Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan
Kaohsiung City
Location: Jhihde Hall of Kaohsiung Cultural Center
Date: Dec. 21, 2019
Time: 14:30
Address: 67 Wufu 1st Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
Taipei City
Location: Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center
Date: March 14, 2020
Time: 19:30
Address: 751 Wen-lin Road, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Taipei City
Location: Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center
Date: March 15, 2020
Time: 14:30
Address: 751 Wen-lin Road, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan