With some references to Macau in playwright Tang Xianzu’s (1550-1616) four poems and masterpiece, local playwright Lawrence Lei I Leong got into Tang’s dream realm to create “A Fragrant Dream” that is almost like a prequel to Tang’s famous “The Peony Pavilion”.
Tang, dubbed “China’s Shakespeare”, was an official and poet from the Ming Dynasty. Last year marked the 400th anniversary of Tang’s death, as well as Shakespeare’s.
For the occasion, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) last year invited Lei, a well known local playwright, to create a piece to pay tribute to Tang, and after over a year of preparation, the one-act opera “A Fragrant Dream” premiered as the first original opera about the city at last year’s Macau International Music Festival (FIMM).
Widely praised, the opera is set to return to the stage tomorrow evening with a polished script, a refined libretto and a larger orchestra. The performance, which is part of this year’s FIMM, will take place at the Macau Cultural Centre.
Photos provided by Cultural Affairs Bureau shows scenes from “A Fragrant Dream”.
