There were nearly ten million audiences in one night. This Shaoxing opera was praised by young people as “Xinlongmen Inn”.
There was a Shaoxing opera that became popular, and it was popular among young people.
On the evening of August 6, the ambient Yue opera “Xinlongmen Inn” was broadcast live on Douyin for the first time, and it immediately “went out of the circle” – 9.24 million people watched it, and nearly 4,000 viewers posted more than 14,000 comments. It was the first time for many netizens to experience Yue opera, and they all left messages: “I can’t get enough of it!”
On March 28 this year, led by the famous Yue opera performing artist Mao Weitao, Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Theater, Yiyi Haoxi Culture Media (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and other units jointly produced the new national style and environmental Yue opera “New Dragon Gate Inn”. Hangzhou Butterfly Theater “opens the door to welcome guests”. Gradually, many young faces appeared in the theater. On social platforms such as Douban and Xiaohongshu, “Xinlongmen Inn” has become a popular play in Hangzhou, with a score of 9.8 on the ticketing platform Damai.
Less than half a year after the performance, the show has begun to “go out of the circle”-the weekly fixed performances have increased from the initial 80% attendance rate to 100%, and it is even “hard to get a ticket”. On online platforms, young people begging for tickets abound.
What kind of door does “New Dragon Inn” open for Yue opera?
Attracted nearly 10 million viewers in one night
After the performance ended on the evening of August 6, Mao Weitao wrote in his WeChat circle of friends: “Good news, good news, 9.24 million viewers, good results, and another step forward.”
This popularity is not accidental.
“We usually release tickets one month in advance, and the shows in August are sold out in July.” The person in charge of the Shaoxing Opera “New Dragon Inn” project said that some shows were sold out even within a minute of its launch.
“New Dragon Inn” features resident performances. Hangzhou Butterfly Theater specially built a small theater. Walking into the theater, the sound of wild sand blowing on the stone walls and signboards of the inn brought a chilling desert atmosphere. The entire theater is made into a “Dragon Inn” full of organs and secret passages, and the auditorium is located in it. The stage breaks the space style of the traditional theater, and the lighting and music also cooperate to create a unique sense of atmosphere.
The venue is small, with a total of 115 seats, divided into three prices: 199 yuan, 299 yuan, and 399 yuan; there are not many performances, usually on weekends, and there are at most 15 to 18 performances per month.
Why is Yue opera “out of the circle”? The person in charge of the project said that this has already begun. Since May, the team has often seen small videos posted by many young people on social platforms such as Douban and Xiaohongshu after watching the drama. The Douyin topic “New Dragon Gate Inn of Yue Opera” has been liked and played 11.793 million times…
Going to the theater, which sounds a bit old-fashioned, is now a way of life for young people.
The post-95 Xiaoye has been paying attention to the Yue opera “New Dragon Inn” for a long time. “I can’t get tickets all the time, and I’m very distressed.” Xiaoye said that he had never watched Yue opera live, and he became a fan because he accidentally saw a small video, and he was curious about immersive drama watching. “This is a very good movie. Trendy work”.
“Little Inn, you are really popular” has become a phrase that fans often chanted during this period. On major social platforms, many fans posted small videos and commented on “New Dragon Inn”. Some netizens commented that after watching the whole performance, they were moved by the smooth and complete plot, either laughed or shed tears. As the plot progresses, the full story line of each character makes people have different understandings and feelings.
Why are all young people watching?
Tickets were sold out as soon as they were issued, and non-traditional Yue opera audiences accounted for 70%, basically young people… This was unimaginable in the previous Yue opera market. How did “New Dragon Inn” catch young people?
Traffic code one: the collision of “environmental style + national style”.
Old IP, new approach.
“New Dragon Inn” tries to introduce the “environmental drama” resident performance mode into the traditional opera field of Yue opera. In the repeated interactions with the characters in the play, the audience is no longer just a “spectator”. This popular viewing mode is becoming fashionable with new ways of playing drama such as immersive drama and script killing. It breaks the performance logic and narrative style of the traditional proscenium stage. It is a challenge to traditional drama, but it is also a brand new way of thinking.
Traffic code 2: five groups of actors appear in turn.
“New Dragon Inn” has five groups of actors, 33 people. It breaks the restrictions of regions and troupes, and not only has young actors from Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe (Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe), but also young actors from Wenzhou Yue Opera Theater, as well as some outstanding folk actors recruited from the society.
What kind of sparks will the different casts collide with? It gives people a strong sense of freshness and makes people interested in “watching and watching again”.
Chen Lijun, a popular post-90s actor who played Jia Ting in the Yue opera “New Dragon Gate Inn”, is from Zhejiang Bai. “This form of Yue opera is novel to the audience, and it is also novel to the actors,” she said.
It is the first time for actors to try ambient Yue opera. “This form of performance is more inclusive. The distance between us and the audience is so close that we can see the sweat on the actors’ foreheads clearly.” Chen Lijun said, this requires a more natural performance, so that the audience can enjoy the performance as if resonating at the same frequency .
The actor Li Yunxiao, who is also from Zhejiang Bai and plays the role of gold inlaid jade in the play, said: “The most special thing about this play is that the repertoire and characters give me a lot of space to create. The audience is different and the environment is different. The same, personal feelings are also different, we are adjusting every performance, and we will have new attempts and experiences.”
“I see the future development of opera.” Huang Yanwu, director of Wenzhou Yue Opera Theater, said that this is the first time the team has participated in an environmental Yue opera performance. She was pleasantly surprised to see Yue opera “out of the circle” and welcomed by young people. At present, Wenzhou Yue Theater has selected 2 groups of 13 people to participate in “New Dragon Inn”, and 7 actors have already performed on stage.
Traffic password three: a young creative team.
