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defrogLast weekend, the family unit and I went out to North Point to visit the Sunbeam Theatre – which, as at least one of you may know, is the last surviving Cantonese opera house in Hong Kong.
More pics here if you want ‘em.
We went largely for the historical value, because the day we went – February 18 – was supposed to be the last day the Sunbeam would be open. The following Sunday, it was scheduled to close down forever (after 40 years of operation) because the lease was expiring, and the rent for the new lease was too high – not least because the Sunbeam has been losing money for years.
As it turned out, of course, Cantonese opera playwright Li Kui-ming (who is also chairman of the Prime Splendor Theatrical Troupe) stepped in at the last minute and brokered a deal with the owner to cover the rent expenses for the next four years.
So technically we went out there for no reason.
Still, I got a blog post out of it, so hey, why not?
FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m actually not a fan of Cantonese opera. Granted, I’m not a fan of opera, period. But I’ve never seen a live performance of Cantonese opera, much less been inside the Sunbeam. I wouldn’t mind seeing one for the experience, but my Chinese wife and mother-in-law don’t care for it, either. We didn’t go the last show because, as you can see from the pics, it was sold out (possibly for the first time in ages).
Still, I have an appreciation for the Old Things, especially old theatres, which had a style, class and aesthetic you just don’t get from a modern megaplex. And HK is fast becoming a place where Old Things get torn down and swept away to make way for New Things (on account of the HK govt is a big believer in lasseiz-faire market forces in resolving these things – put another way, money talks).
BONUS TRACK: If you want to see a really good film involving Cantonese opera, I recommend Hu-Du-Men, starring the excellent Josephine Siao.
Open for business,
This is dF
More pics here if you want ‘em.
We went largely for the historical value, because the day we went – February 18 – was supposed to be the last day the Sunbeam would be open. The following Sunday, it was scheduled to close down forever (after 40 years of operation) because the lease was expiring, and the rent for the new lease was too high – not least because the Sunbeam has been losing money for years.
As it turned out, of course, Cantonese opera playwright Li Kui-ming (who is also chairman of the Prime Splendor Theatrical Troupe) stepped in at the last minute and brokered a deal with the owner to cover the rent expenses for the next four years.
So technically we went out there for no reason.
Still, I got a blog post out of it, so hey, why not?
FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m actually not a fan of Cantonese opera. Granted, I’m not a fan of opera, period. But I’ve never seen a live performance of Cantonese opera, much less been inside the Sunbeam. I wouldn’t mind seeing one for the experience, but my Chinese wife and mother-in-law don’t care for it, either. We didn’t go the last show because, as you can see from the pics, it was sold out (possibly for the first time in ages).
Still, I have an appreciation for the Old Things, especially old theatres, which had a style, class and aesthetic you just don’t get from a modern megaplex. And HK is fast becoming a place where Old Things get torn down and swept away to make way for New Things (on account of the HK govt is a big believer in lasseiz-faire market forces in resolving these things – put another way, money talks).
BONUS TRACK: If you want to see a really good film involving Cantonese opera, I recommend Hu-Du-Men, starring the excellent Josephine Siao.
Open for business,
This is dF
