Huangmei is a form of musical theater popular in southern China, originating in Huangmei County, Hubei Province, hence the name "Huangmei Opera". Since its inception, Huangmei Opera has undergone many changes and developments, gradually developing from an initial folk art form into one of the most influential opera genres in southern China. Below I will discuss the changes in Huangmei Opera in terms of repertoire, performance forms and performance venues.
Makeup
First of all, the repertoire content of Huangmei Opera has gradually become colorful. In the beginning, the repertoire of Huangmei Opera was based on ancient legends and myths, such as The Legend of the White Snake and The Peony Pavilion. However, as society progressed and audience tastes changed, Huangmei Opera also began to deal with contemporary social issues and historical events. Nowadays, the repertoire of Huangmei Opera has included various themes such as history, reality, love, family, etc., which has enriched the connotation and extension of the works. Secondly, the performance forms of Huangmei Opera have gradually diversified. The initial performance form of Huangmei Opera mainly consisted of one person playing multiple roles, distinguishing different roles through different intonations, languages and movements. With the passage of time, the performance forms of Huangmei Opera have become more and more diversified, not only the traditional forms of singing, reciting, acting and playing, but also dancing, acrobatics, magic and other forms of art, which makes the whole performance more brilliant. Finally, the performance venues of Huangmei Opera are also expanding. Initially, Huangmei Opera was mainly performed in villages and small cities, such as village squares, markets and temple fairs. With the development of cities and the prosperity of the cultural market, the performance venues of Huangmei Opera have gradually expanded to more upscale venues such as grand theaters, cultural centers and television stations. This also provides a wider stage and audience for the development of Huangmei Opera.
Theatre
In summary, Huangmei Opera has gradually developed from an initial folk art form to become one of the most influential opera genres in southern China, and its changes and development have been fully reflected in the repertoire, performance forms and performance venues. This also provides strong support for Huangmei Opera to maintain its vitality and innovation in the modern cultural market.