1. Zhou Xinfang, known by his stage name was a Chinese actor and musician who was a Peking opera actor who specialized in its "old male" roles.
21 Facts About Zhou Xinfang
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Zhou Xinfang is considered one of the greatest grand masters of Peking Opera of the 20th century and the best known and leading member of the Shanghai school of Peking opera.
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Zhou Xinfang was the first director of the Shanghai Peking Opera Company.
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Zhou Xinfang started learning Peking Opera when he was six, and made his debut in a child role in Hangzhou at the age of seven, thus acquiring the stage name "Qi Ling Tong" or "Age-Seven Boy".
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Zhou Xinfang started performing in Shanghai in 1906, and went to Beijing in 1908.
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Zhou Xinfang started performing major roles from the age of thirteen, and worked with notable opera singers such as Mei Lanfang and Tan Xinpei.
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Zhou Xinfang had a light husky singing voice and specialized in playing old male roles.
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Zhou Xinfang was often referred to as the "Southern Qi" in conjunction with "Northern Ma", another lao sheng performer.
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Zhou Xinfang developed his own unique vocal style, which came to be known as of the "Qi style" or "Qi school".
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Zhou Xinfang served as one of the mentors and guardians of the actress Li Yuru as she began her career.
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Zhou Xinfang revised many old operas, such as Xiao He Chases Han Xin in the Moonlight, and wrote new plays.
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Zhou Xinfang starred in a few film adaptations of his operas, such as Song Shijie and Murder in the Oratory.
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Zhou Xinfang made changes to traditional Peking Opera to suit the modern tastes of Shanghai audience, and this new style of Peking opera became known as the Shanghai School.
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Zhou Xinfang was appointed to a number of official positions, such as the Deputy Directorship of Chinese Opera Research Institute.
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In 1964, Jiang Qing wanted the Shanghai Peking Opera troupe to rewrite and re-stage plays such as Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, plans which Zhou Xinfang opposed but failed to stop.
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In 1959, Zhou Xinfang was asked to write a play for the 10th anniversary celebration in Shanghai of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
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Zhou Xinfang wrote the play Hai Rui Submits His Memorial with Xu Siyan, and the play was performed by the Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe.
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Zhou Xinfang was criticized for attacking Chairman Mao in his portrayal of the Jiajing Emperor in his opera.
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Zhou Xinfang however countered by saying that those who suggested any similarity of Jiajing Emperor to Mao were the real detractors of Mao.
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Zhou Xinfang was released from prison a year later but placed under house arrest until his death in 1975.
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Zhou Xinfang was married to Fengjiao Liu in 1912, with whom he had three children.