Growing Up With Teochew Opera 9
Teochew Opera Troupes From Hong Kong
香港的潮剧团 - 新天彩潮剧团, 昇艺潮剧团
In the 1970s and 1980s, Teochew opera troupes from Hong Kong performed in Thailand and Singapore. Hong Kong’s 新天彩潮剧团 normally staged their performance in 新世界 New World in Jalan Besar (already demolished and a new condominium City Square Residences had been built on the same plot of land.) 陈楚蕙 appeared as guest performer at one time and only performed two titles, 红书宝剑 and 萧湘秋雨 . This was to land support to 方巧玉 who paired off many less popular ‘male’ lead during and was facing pressure and stiff competition from 昇艺潮剧团.
昇艺潮剧团 had many young and adorable actress like 陈碧霞 and Loh Quee Hong. They performed at the same time at the open space near Golden Cinema. There was one year, my mother and I had to choose to watch a performance from each troupe because of tight budget. We watched 双挂帅 played by 方巧玉 of 新天彩潮剧团 and 秦怀玉 by 昇艺潮剧团. I must admit that both the two troupes were equally good. Actually, we liked 秦怀玉 more as it contained the story line of 三 哭 殿 featuring how a princess of Tang dynasty lectured her son for killing the Prime Minister, whose daughter is the concubine of her father, the Emperor.
See a related article in Chinese from a website on the spread and development of Teochew Movies in Hong Kong.
六十年代中期以后,由香港进入泰国、新加坡等地演出的潮剧团体,以“艺星”剧团领先,继而还有“新天彩”、“昇艺”、“中源和”、“香江”、“乐声”等,使东南亚在“中国潮剧电影热”余温尚存之际,又再一出现一次相持时间很长的“香港潮剧热”。
“新天彩潮剧团”在泰、新等地演出次数最多,影响也最大。泰国先后就有“西舞台”、“西河”、“国风”等影剧机构(公司)相继聘请陈楚蕙及其所在的“新天彩潮剧团”分别在曼谷的“西舞台”、“西河”、“新华”等戏院演出。当时泰国华文报纸报道:“她(指陈楚蕙)之到来,一演就十几个月或半年,戏迷们不分日夜,每天都到后台求见一面,甚至在演期届临别之前夕,更见热切,有的赠衣物,有的赠金,有的赠钱,的的千言万语,喁喁喃喃,有的依依不舍,牵衣顿足……”,显见在观众中有很大的魅力。这期间,泰国主办机构有时还邀请“升艺”、“香江”、“中源和”、“乐声”等剧团到曼谷单独公演,或与“新天彩”唱“对台戏”,盛况更为惊人。这一阵潮剧“狂热潮”,在曼谷一直延伸到1972年泰方以“外汇”为理由,禁止香港潮剧团进入泰国演出,才暂告停止。
新加坡,陈楚蕙及其所在的“新天彩潮剧团”也曾多次前往,每次同样令“观众补票欣赏”,并“博得如雷的掌声”。尤其是1969年在新加坡演出《陈三五娘(下集)》(即《续荔镜记》)、《孟丽君》、《火烧临江楼》、《一门三进士》等剧目,时间长达两个多月,观众直不衰,许多人还将陈楚蕙当成“偶像”,争相在家里挂她的剧装照片。
1973年,新天彩潮剧团第三度南来,只少了一个陈楚惠(她息影剧坛,从商去了);于是,观众就如一湖死水,激不起一点涟漪,票房纪录空前惨淡,连演了十几场,主办者眼看血本无归,却又欲罢不能;最的,还是重金商请陈楚惠从香港赶来助阵,才得扭转乾坤,挽回危局。陈楚惠又以《潇湘秋雨》、《红书宝剑》等剧目再掀高潮,往观者络绎不绝,由于向隅者多,竟还时时出现一些“隐形市场”炒卖入场券的事件,陈楚蕙因此被誉为“东南亚潮剧小生王”,“新天彩潮剧团”也获得了“香港长寿戏霸”的称号。
难道陈楚惠的演艺真的已经炉火纯青、超凡入圣了吗?她究竟有什么魅力,能够使戏迷为她而迷死?其实说穿了,也没有什么稀奇。首先,自从有了潮剧电景,陈楚惠主演的影片最多,是诸多潮剧电影明星中较为突出的一个,给观众留下了深刻的良好印象;其次,她对人态度友善,没有大牌演员倨傲放肆的气势,因她人缘很好,几度来新演出,接触面都非常广,不论富商巨贾、贩夫走卒,她都能坦诚相待,没有势力、贪婪或虚伪造作的恶习。凡是跟她接触过的观众,很快地便成为她的戏学,与她交往则引以为荣,视为乐事。所以,她的剧艺造诣虽非冠压群芳,却因戏迷对她有亲切感而建立了广泛的观众基础,这就是这所以称为"迷死"。
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