On the stage, Gao Lishi and Pei Lishi finished their chanting, and six palace ladies appeared holding amulets.
Concubine Yang, played by Mei Lanfang, came first before anyone arrived: "Show me!"
Mei Lanfang, who is wearing a phoenix crown, is walking like a lotus. Her figure and appearance are so enchanting that it is impossible to tell that she is a man.
The two maids followed behind Mei Lanfang, holding screen fans, and stood at the back of the stage. Mei Lanfang waved his sleeves and walked to the front of the stage. The band played the Siping tune, and he was heard singing: "The ice wheel of the island is just beginning to turn. See you."
Jade Rabbit, I saw the Jade Rabbit rising east again. The ice wheel was leaving the island, and the universe was extremely bright. The bright moon was in the sky, just like Chang'e leaving the moon palace, and the slave was like Chang'e leaving the moon palace."
"good!"
The Chinese audience at the scene cheered in unison.
Although the foreign audience did not know the tradition of "applauding" when watching a theater, they still applauded vigorously. Many foreign devils looked at the stage infatuatedly.
Under the influence of Meng Xiaodong and several friends, Zhou Hexuan has gradually learned to appreciate the beauty of Peking Opera. He was also impressed by Mei Lanfang's superb skills. His eyes, expressions, singing, and figure were all...
A kind of seductive charm that can turn a straight man into a straight man on the spot.
The only thing Zhou Hexuan wanted to complain about was that because he was afraid that foreigners would not understand, someone at the scene held up a paper sign with English translation: "A full moon rises on the island, ah, I see the bright moon rising in the east again. The full moon leaps from the sea
, the sky and the earth are exceptionally bright. The bright moon hangs in the sky, just like the moon god leaving the palace of the moon, and I am like the moon god leaving the palace."
The fonts of those manual English translations were not large, and Zhou Hexuan estimated that the audience in the back row would not be able to read them clearly.
But as the performance continued, both Chinese and foreigners fell into a frenzy for art. Those foreigners were very interesting. They just applauded at first, and soon they imitated the Chinese and cheered together.
"Consumption!"
After all, there were more foreigners, and they completely silenced the Chinese audience, who kept shouting "Hua Hua Hua!"
For Westerners, Peking Opera is really magical.
Traditional operas only have singing and no dialogue; traditional dramas only have dialogue and no singing.
Chinese Peking Opera is actually recited and sung, and it also has subtle physical performances. Coupled with exquisite and gorgeous costumes and strange props, everything makes Westerners feel so fresh and wonderful.
Especially American audiences were fascinated by it.
Although the United States is very powerful today, it is regarded as a desert of culture and art. Top Western artists are all in Europe and are basically invisible in the United States. Even if second-rate European artists perform in the United States, they will be treated as masters by Americans.
.
A bunch of ignorant bumpkins!
U.S. Secretary of State Stimson was stunned at this moment, with an incredible expression on his face.
After Mei Lanfang finished "The Drunken Concubine", she performed "A Dream in the Garden" and the whole performance came to an end.
"Snap, snap, snap!"
The entire audience stood up and applauded.
All the actors went backstage to remove their makeup and returned to the stage in modern costumes. The embassy interpreter was responsible for introducing their names and the roles they had just played in the play.
When he heard that a man was playing the role of Concubine Yang, Stimson couldn't help but exclaimed: "Oh my god, it's unbelievable!"
Mei Lanfang is famous.
Officials from the U.S. State Department, as well as envoys from various countries, lined up to shake hands with Mei Lanfang and spoke highly of him.
The next morning, several newspapers in Washington reported on the grand performance and called Peking Opera "the perfect art from the Far East."
Although Mei Lanfang was invited to perform on Broadway, he didn't know much about the operations in the United States.
It just so happened that Professor Zhang Pengchun of Nankai University was currently giving lectures in the United States, and the two of them were old friends.
Mei Lanfang approached Zhang Pengchun to discuss it, and the latter helped him come up with two ideas: first, publicize it in newspapers before performing commercially; second, hire an agent who is familiar with the American entertainment industry.
Mei Lanfang is really rich, and the publicity expenses are spent very easily. Before the Mei Opera Troupe set out, newspapers in New York had already begun to cover it overwhelmingly, and in their articles they asked the American people to know more about Mei Lanfang's drama.
When Mei Lanfang boarded the train to New York, the New York Times headline read: "Mei Lanfang, the great artist popular with 50 million people, is coming to New York!"
Zhou Hexuan set off before Mei Lanfang, but before leaving Washington, he had a conversation with Situ Juncong in the hotel.
The first thing Zhou Hexuan asked was: "What is your relationship with Mr. Situ Meitang?"
Situ Juncong smiled and said: "We are from the same hometown and have the same name."
Zhou Hexuan didn't believe it, because Situ Juncong was too young and the position he held was also very delicate.
We must first make it clear that there is a difference between the China Zhi Gong Party and Hongmen.
The first leader of the China Zhi Gong Party was Chen Jiongming, and the second leader was Li Jishen. Its main activities were in mainland China.
Situ Meitang leads the Wuzhou Hongmen Zhigong General Hall, which is headquartered in San Francisco, USA.
Although the two nominally belong to the same organization and eventually merged, the management and operations of the two organizations are now separate.
As for Situ Juncong, he is actually a member of the China Zhi Gong Party, and he is also the only member of the Zhi Gong Party accepted by Wuzhou Hongmen. He now has two identities, one is responsible for the propaganda work of the China Zhi Gong Party, and the other is responsible for Wuzhou Hongmen.
Liaison work between the door and the country.
With such a key and sensitive identity, coupled with his surname Situ, how can we not make people think too much?
Even if he is not a direct descendant of Situ Meitang, he is at least a member of his clan.
Situ Juncong didn't beat around the bush and said directly: "Mr. Zhou, I'm afraid he's not from the Hongmen, right?"
"Why do you say that?" Zhou Hexuan said with a smile.
Situ Juncong explained: "I travel to San Francisco, Hong Kong and Guangzhou all year round. I have heard of Mr. Zhou's name for a long time. I also learned from the Qinggang that Mr. Zhou calls himself a Hongmen brother. I immediately went to San Francisco to pay homage to Mr. Zhou.
Mr. Situ Meitang inquired about the actual situation. Mr. Situ Meitang attached great importance to this matter and investigated all Hongmen churches in the United States, but Mr. Zhou was not found in any of them."
"Hahahahahaha," Zhou Hexuan laughed loudly and said truthfully, "Brother Situ, to be honest, the Tianjin Youth Gang wanted to recruit me into their gang at that time. Since I couldn't shirk it, I had no choice but to say that I was from Hongmen. This is indeed true.
I have not considered it well, and I hope Brother Situ will tell Mr. Situ Meitang the truth."
"That's it." Situ Juncong couldn't laugh or cry.
You know, Zhou Hexuan has gained such a great reputation in Europe and the United States, and the Hongmen community in the United States also attaches great importance to it. When they heard that Zhou Hexuan was also a Hongmen disciple, they spent a lot of time and manpower on the investigation for more than a year, and finally concluded
Conclusion: No such person found!
Situ Juncong chatted with Zhou Hexuan for a while, and tentatively invited him: "Mr. Zhou, are you willing to join the Zhi Gong Party?"
Zhou Hexuan asked: "Is it the China Zhigong Party or the Wuzhou Hongmen Zhigong General Hall?"
"Both can join. There is no conflict between the two. We have already planned to gradually merge into one." Situ Juncong said.
The China Zhi Gong Party had too deep ties with the country. Zhou Hexuan thought carefully and said, "I'd better join Wuzhou Hongmen."
Situ Juncong asked: "Then let's set a time first."
Zhou Hexuan said: "I will go to New York next. After finishing the matter, I will go to San Francisco to apologize to Mr. Situ Meitang."
"I dare not take my apology seriously," Situ Juncong said, clasping his fists, "I'm waiting for you, Brother Zhou!"
