TextbyRuYi
MeiBaojiu,bornonMarch29,1934,inShanghai,wasthesuccessorofthe鈥淢eiSchool鈥漵tyleofPekingOpera.Afterstartingtoperformwithhisfather,amaster,attheageof18,MeidedicatedhislatercareertothedevelopmentandpreservationoftheMeiSchool.MeiBaojiu鈥檚celebratedperformanceswonhimthe鈥淎sia鈥檚BestArtistAward鈥漛estowedbyNewYorkCity鈥檚LincolnCenterin1989.In2009,hewasgrantedthe鈥淎rtisticMasterAward鈥漚nd鈥淟ifetimeAchievementAward鈥漛ytheUS-basedWorldArtistsAssociation.
OnApril25,PekingOperamasterMeiBaojiu,havingjustcelebratedhis82ndbirthdayinlateMarch,passedawayinBeijingduetoillness.Meihadfallenintoacomaafterabronchialspasm.Astheonlysontosucceedthecareerofhisfather,thelegendaryChinesetheatermogulandfounderofthe鈥淢eiSchool鈥漵tyleofPekingOpera,MeiLanfang,MeiBaojiu鈥檚passingdrewmassiveattentionandstirredwidespreadgrieffrombothhomeandabroad.Inhislateryears,alongsideperformingPekingOpera,Meiinvestedconsiderabletimeinpopularizingtheart,cultivatingyoungactors,andpassingonthetechniques.Justdaysbeforehisfinalhospitalization,MeiinsistedongivingalectureonPekingOperaperformancetobothforeignandChinesestudentsatauniversity,andevenbroughtawholesetofcostumesandpropsdespiteearlysignsofbronchialspasms.Promotingoperawasalwayshispriority.
TheOnlySuccessor
In1934,MeiBaojiu,theyoungestchildintheMeifamily,wasborninShanghai.Ofallthechildrenofhisgenerationintheclan,onlyheandhisoldersisterMeiBaoyuedelvedintotheartofPekingOpera.AsfortheMei-Schooldanartcreatedbyhisfather,MeiBaojiuwasitsonlyinheritor.
DanreferstoanyfemaleroleinPekingOpera.ThemajorreasondanswereplayedbymaleactorsinfeudalChinawasbecausewomenwerenotallowedonstage.PekingOpera,whichroseinthelate18thCenturyandbecamefullydevelopedandrecognizedbythemid-19thCentury,featuredmaleactorsplayingfemalerolesfromtheverystart.OnlyinthelateQingDynasty(1644-1911)didfemalesbeginportrayingdansinPekingOpera.OnlyintheearlyyearsoftheRepublicofChina(1912-1949)perioddidco-edproductionsfeaturingbothmaleandfemaleactorsemerge.MeiLanfangwasoneofthemostfamousPekingOperaartistsinmodernChinesehistory,andhewasknownparticularlyforhisdanroles.MeiLanfang,ShangXiaoyun,ChengYanqiuandXunHuishengarecollectivelyknownastheFourGreatDanActorsinthegoldeneraofPekingOpera.Withhisuniqueactingandsingingstyles,theseniorMeitookonalmosteverytypeofdanroleandthoroughlyshatteredtherigiddistinctionsbetweenqingyi(dignified,gracefulfemales),huadan(vivaciousyoungwomen),anddaomadan(femalewarriors).Hissmooth,perfectlytimed,poisedstylehascometobeknownas鈥淢eiSchool鈥漣noperacircles.