Adapted from a
classic literary work by noted
Hakka novelist Li Qiao (李喬),
the musical “The Spring of Lan Caixia (藍彩霞的春天)”
will be performed on Dec. 21 in
Kaohsiung City.
At a Dec. 6 symposium on the Hakka musical, Hakka Affairs Council
Minister Lee Yung-de stated that the musical’s production team members — including
Deng Wei-shun (鄧維順), a film
director who has promoted Hakka culture for 30 years; Yang Ju-chiang (楊儒強), the musical’s director who has won several
international awards; and Chen I-ting (陳伊婷), a
professor who serves as the dramaturg for the theater — presented Li’s work
authentically in the two-hour performance by using a semiotic approach through
signs and symbols to create a cinematic atmosphere for the musical, bringing
the tale to life and stirring the hearts of spectators.
The musical tells the story of Lan Caixia, a miserable and
underprivileged sex worker who suffers painful abuse while battling against her
dreadful fate during the 1950s and ’60s in Taiwan. 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 further said 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.
Apart from Li’s novel, there were also four literary works published for
Japanese readers, including “Love Stories of Goethe (歌德激情書)” by Chung Chao-cheng (鍾肇政), “The Collected Poems of Tseng Kui-hai (曾貴海詩選)” by Tseng Kui-hai (曾貴海), “The Collected Poems of Li Yu-fang (利玉芳詩選)” by Li Yu-fang (利玉芳), and “The
Summer When Russian Winter Comes (冬將軍來的夏天)” by Gan Yao-ming
(甘耀明), the minister added.
The premiere of the musical earned widespread praise from the audience in Miaoli last month. Minister Lee extended a warm and welcoming invitation to theater-goers of southern Taiwan to experience the artistic charm of this Hakka production.