 Cantonese opera is a traditional
art popular among the older generation. But with the passing of popular opera
singers and opera song writers, it has been on the decline over the years. Nowadays
there are very few places where it is performed, especially with the actors and
actresses in full costumn.
The stories are almost always set in ancient
China when there were still kings, and when battles were fought with swords and
spears. One of the most popular is that about a princess marrying, and immediately
discovering her country overrun by a foreign army before their physical union.
As an act of patriotism and preservation of her chastity, she and her husband
drank poisoned wine and became butterflies after their deaths. Many westerners
don't care for Cantonese opera, finding its sounds a whine. I guess like western
operas, it is an acquired taste. But if you just want to give it a try, sometimes
it is performed in Sunbeam Theatre in North
Point. After all, the cost is probably not outrageous. Unfortunately there
may not be any English subtitles nor English printed programs. | 
