No language barrier in Qingdao Peking Opera Company's dazzling Monkey King

The Qingdao Peking Opera Company

The dazzling costumes, acrobatics, and well-choreographed fight scenes more than made up for whatever language barrier there was at the performance of The Monkey King Making Havoc in Heaven by the Qingdao Peking Opera Company at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater).

Watching the Monkey King was like embarking on a trip into a strange new world where the senses are dazzled by colors that are bright and radiant, costumes that are both majestic and terrifying, and music that sounded exotic yet enticing. And these were all that I could latch onto since my knowledge of the tale of the Monkey King or Peking Opera was almost next to nothing.

Right from the start, I was impressed by the acrobatic skills of the troupe members performing as the monkeys dressed in vivid yellow costume decked with patterns. I couldn’t recall a time when I saw that many tumbling passes performed at any CCP stage. From this and their animated facial expressions, I was able to perceive the restless and mischievous nature of these monkeys.

Their leader, the Monkey King Sun Wukong, portrayed by lead actor Gong Fayi, set himself apart from the rest of the monkeys not just by a different costume and makeup, but also by having a more refined carriage exemplified by his kicks that had great extension and control while retaining a superb upper body posture.

Upon seeing the fairy maidens and the troops of the Heaven Palace, with their restricted and more calculated movements and basically stoic and fierce expressions, I somehow knew that they would come at odds with the monkeys and the Monkey King later on in the tale. I had to rely on seeing the contrasts between these two forces to make that conclusion.

There were several characters appearing at the Heaven Palace that wore impressive costumes that are elaborately layered and adorned with metallic patterns. And along with their make-up and headdress, it wasn’t difficult to figure out that these were powerful beings who look majestic and terrifying at the same time. And I knew that they would want to put the Monkey King who has started to make havoc back in his place.

The tale goes to a climax through several combat scenes between the Monkey King and the forces deployed by the Heaven Palace. These fights were a well-choreographed showcase mixing martial arts with dance plus a generous dose of juggling with a staff, swords, a hoop and a pair of clubs. The skill, precision, grace, and elegance of the members of the company were highlighted in this part that truly entertained the audience.

Throughout the performance, a six member ensemble provided accompanying music offstage using various traditional Chinese instruments. I wish that I could’ve known more about these instruments prior to the performance. The unusual colors and timbres of these instruments as well as the vocals of the women added to the exoticism of the whole experience.

I admit that it wasn’t the best decision to watch without knowing more about the Monkey King and Peking Opera. My limited knowledge tells me that the Monkey King is a main character in The Journey to the West, a Chinese classical tale attributed to We Cheng’en and his tale has already been adapted to various forms of media like film.

I couldn’t afford to miss the opportunity to see this rare art form performed in here especially when seats became extremely difficult to get right after the tickets were offered for free through the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The demand was so high that an additional Saturday matinee show was put up to make sure that more people could be accommodated.

All smiles after the Gala Night performance

Thankfully, my years of being active in the culture scene offered a way for me to be at the Gala Night performance that had the NCCA’s Executive Director Rico Pableo, the Chinese Embassy’s Cultural Counselor Pan Feng, as well as CCP Chairperson Margie Moran-Floirendo along with other who’s who in the arts and culture scene in attendance.

The Qingdao Peking Opera Company’s performance of The Monkey King Making Havoc in Heaven, was presented by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines together with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in celebration of the 43^rd year of the formal establishment of the Philippines - China Diplomatic Relations.