Besides Peking Opera, known as the "national opera," China boasts more than 360 local styles of opera, of which about 50 enjoy great popularity.

Without exaggeration, a foreign visitor can enjoy at least one local opera wherever he travels.

Specially in the capital, visitors have a variety of choices as more local opera troupes have taken to touring Beijing.

This evening, the Yangju Opera Troupe from Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province is scheduled to perform a full-length historical play Shi Kefa at Chang'an Theatre.

Originated in mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Yangzhou, Yangju Opera derived from xianghuoxi, huaguxi and qingqu, all of which are local folk music and story-telling forms. Now it is popular in Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui.

Similar to other Chinese local operas, Yangju Opera is a traditional dramatic form that brings together music, literature, fine arts, martial arts and acrobatics.

The nine-scene play Shi Kefa was produced in September 2002 to mark the 400th anniversary of Shi's birth.

So far, Yangzhou Yangju Opera Troupe has given 43 performances of the play in Jiangsu and Shanghai to great receptions from local audiences.

Shi is the household hero in Yangzhou.

The respected commander and politician of the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Shi Kefa (1602-1645) was born in central China's Henan Province.

He devoted his life to defend the Ming Dynasty and entered the court to serve the emperor when he was only 20 years old.

After the Manchu army captured Beijing and the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty hung himself on the hill at the back of the Forbidden City, the royal families fled southward and one of the emperor's nephews was crowned in Nanjing, now capital of Jiangsu Province. He appointed Shi as the commander in charge of safeguarding Yangzhou which was the fortress town of Nanjing.

Shi led the soldiers and residents of the town through a bloody, 10-day battle against the invaders and finally was captured and killed.

Written by Liu Pengchun and directed by Yu Keping, the two-hour-long play focuses on nine of Shi's episodes and vividly depicts the life of a general who shows no fear in face of death, a good husband and a filial son and a poet with scholarly and refined manner.

"It's a challenge for me, because the historic material only records Shi's 10 days' fighting against the Manchu army and some of his simple life," said the playwright Liu.

Liu had to create some details and supporting roles, according to historical records and folk legends, to make the play more interesting.

For example, he wrote a scene in which Shi misses his mother's birthday because he is on duty. His mother, knowing what her son is doing, supports his action.

Less dramatically, Liu writes lyrical scripts for the play and incorporates some poems written by Shi.

Composers Ge Hong and Feng Chengjie wrote the scores by borrowing tunes from folk songs, Peking Opera and Shaoxing Opera.

Ge said it's hard to compose for such a historical story and such a heroic role, because Yangju Opera usually portrays common people's everyday life or follows traditional archetypes and traditional romances between pretty women and talented young men.

They chose dakaikou, a rough and powerful tune of Yangju Opera to display Shi's tragic and worthy fighting.

Wu Xiaoping, professor of the Nanjing Academy of Arts produced a MIDI accompaniment for the play. The electronic music gives the score a modern flavour.

Setting designer Zhou Shufu sets a part of the broken town wall on the back line of the stage to imply the bloody battle to guard Yangzhou. A full bright moon hanging over the wall produces a somewhat sad and dreary atmosphere and some plum blossoms mark the place where Shi's remains are buried after he is killed.

Li Zhengcheng, the leading actor in the troupe, as well as a leading performer in the Yangju Opera, gives a vivid performance of the title role of Shi. His singing sounds mellow and sonorous with a little flavor adopted from the Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera.

"I was impressed by Shi's integrity and fighting spirit the first time I read the script, but then I feel Shi's consideration for his wife and mother and his soldiers. So I do not depict him only as a fearless commander, but a man with responsibility," Li explains.

Born into a family of Yangju Opera, Li learned to sing opera at the age of eight from his parents both of whom were famous Yangju players.

Then he entered Yangzhou Arts School where he was trained formally for five years. With a gifted voice and hard work, Li has become one of the best young Yangju opera performers in Jiangsu.

(China Daily December 12, 2003)