First its world premiere in Beijing was scrapped. Now the media has been banned from covering local rehearsals of a controversial Hong Kong-commissioned opera about the founding father of modern China.
The world premiere of the three-act opera Dr Sun Yat-sen was scheduled for last Friday at Beijing's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA). It was supposed to commemorate the centenary of the 1911 revolution. But it was cancelled at the last minute for 'logistical reasons' and replaced by the opera Chinese Orphan, a historical work praising self-sacrifice.
The opera's world premiere will now be in Hong Kong on October 13, a performance also shrouded in mystery in the wake of the media ban.
What is known is that the opera will be performed by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra using traditional Chinese instruments as opposed to the Western instruments for which the original score was written.
Four days ago Opera Hong Kong issued an internal instruction imposing a media blackout on all rehearsals of the opera.
'Please note that no one from outside is allowed to attend any rehearsals of Sun Yat-sen without my prior permission,' said Opera Hong Kong's artistic director, Warren Mok, in an e-mail, seen by the Post, that he sent to staff members from Beijing. It is normal practice to invite the media to rehearsals to allow for previews.
