Dramatic world of kabuki theater featured in Peabody Essex Museum exhibition, rare woodblock prints on view for the first time.
(Salem, Mass.) Curated by Midori Oka, Peabody Essex Museum associate curator of Japanese art and culture, Stage Idols, Japanese Kabuki Theater opens Feb. 2, 2008, and runs through Jan. 25, 2009. Stage Idols presents a stunning selection of woodblock prints from PEM's collection, many on view for the first time. The exhibition features a rotating selection of over forty 19th-century prints - including works by famed print designer Utagawa Kunisada (1786 - 1864) - as well as rare kabuki-related objects, such as costumes, photographs and advertising signs.
"The exhibition reveals the depths of Japan's fascination with kabuki in the 18th and 19th centuries," says Oka. "Printmakers created works that captured the magnetism of the stage, enabling eager fans to take home mementos of their favorite plays and actors."
Kabuki is one of Japan's most important forms of theater. Three Japanese characters compose the word: "ka" meaning songs, "bu" meaning dance and "ki" meaning skill. Initially performed by women, this populist form of drama soon became the sole realm of men when concerns over the performances' sensual associations led to a governmental ban on female dancers. With its dramatic storylines, lush costumes and celebrity actors, kabuki was the ideal subject for Japanese print artists.
"Stage Idols is organized into three thematic sections - The...
China National Opera House Presents First Western-Style Production of the Classic Chinese Love Story "Farewell, My Concubine"
"Farewell, My Concubine" Opera kicks off a five-city tour in January in San Francisco, followed by Pasadena, New York and Houston. The tour will culminate in Dallas at the Eisemann Center Feb. 5 and 6th. Presented by the Chinese American Inter-Cultural Exchange Foundation (CAICE Foundation), this production is the first performance of the newly-scored opera, one of the rare times that an original Chinese opera will be performed in the U.S. by a Chinese cast and sung in Mandarin.
The well-known Chinese love story is also the inspiration for a play, a novel and a 1993 Oscar-nominated movie. Based on real events and characters from over 2,200 years ago in China, "Farewell, My Concubine, is set at the end of the Qin dynasty, with the love story revolving around the heroic warrior, Xiang Yu, and his beloved concubine, Yu Ji.
The heart and soul behind this Western-style production of "Farewell My Concubine" is internationally-renowned Chinese composer and conductor Xiao Bai. For the past 18 years, Xiao Bai labored to score a Western version of the traditional Chinese story, with the dream of one day presenting his opera to an international audience.
With the support of Emily Kuo Vong and CAICE Foundation, a Dallas-based non-profit organization promoting cultural exchange and understanding between China and the U.S. through the arts, Xiao Bai and the...
South Korean Film Takes Home 3 of 12 Prizes from Awards Gala
The 2nd Asian Film Awards (AFA) were handed out at the AFA's star studded gala and award ceremony on March 17 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, kicking off the 4th Entertainment Expo Hong Kong which runs through April 13th, 2008.
With 33 nominated Asian films in 12 categories, South Korea's SECRET SUNSHINE won 3, including Best Film, presented by the film's lead actor Song Kang-ho and AFA 2008 winner Miki Nakatini. The film also won Best Director for Lee Chang-dong (presented by Joan Chen and Hollywood studio chief Harvey Weinstein) and Best Actress to Jeon Do-yeon.
The Best Actor award went to Tony Leung Chiu-wai (LUST, CAUTION ); Best Supporting Actor to Sun Honglei (MONGOL ); and Best Supporting Actress to Joan Chen (THE SUN ALSO RISES ).
Best Screenwriter was awarded to Au Kin-yee and Wai Ka-fai (MAD DETECTIVE ); Best Cinematographer to Liao Pen-jung (HELP ME EROS ); Best Visual Effects to Ng Yuen-fai (THE WARLORDS ); Best Production Designer to Cao Jiu-ping and Zhang Jian-qun (THE SUN ALSO RISES ); Best Editor to David Richardson (EYE IN THE SKY ), and Best Composer to Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani (OM SHANTI OM ).
In addition to the twelve categories, visionary Japanese filmmaker Yuya Ishii received The Edward Yang New Talent Award from director Ann Hui and actor Chang Han, while director Hou Hsiao-hsien honored Yamada Yuji with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
www.asianfilmawards.org
The seventh annual Asian Pacific Filmmakers Reception at this year's Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals.
From left to right, bottom row: J.P. Chan, Director (BEIJING HAZE ); Yung Chang, Director (UP THE YANGTZE ); Tadashi Nakamura, Director (PILGRIMAGE ); middle row: Joanna Vasquez Arong, Director (NEO-LOUNGE ); Jennifer Phang, Director (HALF-LIFE ); Sonali Gulati, Director (24 FRAMES PER DAY ); Julia Kwan, Director (SMILE ); Gloria Kim, Director (ROCK GARDEN ); Chikae Honjo Yamada, Producer (PUUJEE ); back row: Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung, Director (BECAUSE WASHINGTON IS HOLLYWOOD FOR UGLY PEOPLE and GAS ZAPPERS ); actor Cheech Marin; Kenneth Bi, Director (THE DRUMMER ); and Geoffrey Quan, Producer (THE SECOND LINE ).
Over 500 Asian actors, actresses, agents and filmmakers attended the Michelob Ultra Asian Pacific Filmmakers Reception at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on January 20, 2008, including Yung Chang, Director, UP THE YANGTZE, Julia Kwan, Director, SMILE, Tadashi Nakamura, Director, PILGRIMAGE, and Jennifer Phang, Director, HALF-LIFE.
The Asian Pacific Filmmakers Reception at Sundance began in 2002 to acknowledge the strong presence of Asian filmmakers at the nation's top film festival. This year, more than 30 films from Asian American filmmakers and Asian international artists were presented at Sundance and Slamdance.
Below is the complete list of 2008 Sundance and Slamdance filmmakers invited to the seventh annual Asian Pacific Filmmakers...
Revv up for the American feature film debut of Pop superstar Rain in Speed Racer
Revv up for the American feature film debut of Pop superstar Rain in Speed Racer which opens in theatres and IMAX on Friday, May 9. Rain portrays Taejo Togokahn, a rival driver of Speed Racer played by Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild ). Christina Ricci (The Opposite of Sex ) is Speed's girlfriend Trixie; John Goodman (The Big Lebowski ) and Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking ) are Pops Racer and Mom Racer; Matthew Fox (TV's Lost ) is Racer X; Roger Allam (The Queen , V for Vendetta ) is Royalton; Paulie Litt (TV's Hope & Faith ) is Spritle; Benno Frmann (The Mutant Chronicles ) is Inspector Detector; Hiroyuki Sanada (The Last Samurai ) as Mr. Musha; Richard Roundtree (TV's Heroes , Shaft ) is Ben Burns; and Kick Gurry (Daltry Calhoun ) is Sparky.
The live-action Speed Racer is based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsui Yoshida and showcases the kind of revolutionary visual effects and cutting-edge storytelling that have become benchmarks of the Wachowski brothers' films.
"Speed Racer" is a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, of a Silver Pictures Production, in association with Anarchos Productions.