The 2023 Guangzhou Art Season is underway in the city from June to October, showcasing 54 plays with 168 shows in genres ranging from opera, drama, dance drama and Cantonese Opera, to concert, acrobat, musical and screening.

The poster of the 2023 Guangzhou Art Season

Some of the must-see theatrical works by domestic art troupes include dance drama "Wing Chun", original ballet "The Legend of the White Snake" by Guangzhou Ballet Theatre, and Yang Liping's Dance Work "The Peacock". 

Dance drama "Wing Chun" tells a parallel story in which Cantonese martial arts master Ip Man migrated to Hong Kong in 1949, began to take in disciples and teach them Wing Chun, and also includes a story about how a film production company tried decades later to shoot a film about Ip, and unravel the myths surrounding this low-key master. 

Based on the famous Chinese fairy tale, The Legend of the White Snake, which is the love story between a male human and a female snake spirit, the namesake ballet hopes to provide Chinese solutions for the ubiquitous emotional, trust and spiritual issues in the society. 

"The Peacock" is divided into four chapters: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Through the stage art form, the Peacock presents a well-intentioned exploration of the world, as well as an inquiry into life and human nature, showing the different aspects of human nature including: hope and awareness; devotion and sacrifice; fear and greed; which are common among people. 

A batch of foreign performances will meet the audience during the season. The Martha Graham Dance Company will have its first performance in South China at the Guangzhou Opera House, with the planned performance dates of June 16 to 17. The theme of their performances in China this year is "The First and The Future" and three classic pieces will be performed, including Appalachian Spring, Immediate Tragedy, and Canticle for Innocent Comedians.

Others include St. Petersburg Stage Ice Ballet: Swan Lake on Ice, Piano Recital by Ivo Pogorelich, concert presented by conductor Vladimir Fedoseyev with Tchaikovsky Philharmonic Orchestra, Mexican interactive mime show "Perhaps, Perhaps...", acappella concert presented by B-Vocal, and the list goes on. 

Piano Recital by Ivo Pogorelich

Conductor Vladimir Fedoseyev with Tchaikovsky Philharmonic Orchestra

It's worth noting that the Chinese version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera, its 18th language version, will be on stage in July during the art season. Based on Gaston Leroux's horror novel, the musical tells the story of the Phantom, who haunts the stage of the Paris Opera and subsequently falls in love with a beautiful young soprano. Ayanga, Liu Lingfei, and He Liangchen will play the "Phantom" in this version. The original creative team and technical team from London's West End and Broadway participated in the casting, rehearsals, choreography, and technical guidance throughout.

In addition to Guangzhou Opera House where most performances will be staged, dozens of shows will also be presented in theaters across the city, such as Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall, Guangdong Theater of Puppet & Art, Guangzhou Ballet Theater, Guangzhou No.13 Theater, and Hung Sin Nui Grand Theater. 

The art season will also hold a series of lectures, workshops and exhibitions both online and offline. For instance, a drama carnival will be held at the Yongqing Fang and Cantonese Opera Art Museum in Guangzhou during the weekends from June 18 to 25, staging flash mob events by ten domestic performance groups. 

Schedule of performances at Guangzhou Opera House