雜技劇《花木蘭》在世界舞臺(tái)上講中國(guó)故事

□ 文/本刊記者 熊怡

雜技劇《花木蘭》在世界舞臺(tái)上講中國(guó)故事

□ 文/本刊記者 熊怡

6月29日，重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)一批最精干的演員、最優(yōu)秀的節(jié)目啟程，赴斐濟(jì)、湯加進(jìn)行為期10天的文化交流演出?！拔覀兊臓顟B(tài)就是在出國(guó)交流巡演、下基層演出和日常排練之間‘隨機(jī)切換’?！彪s技演員林承陽年紀(jì)雖小，卻早已習(xí)慣了這樣緊張的工作節(jié)奏。對(duì)于他和重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)的伙伴們來說，每次出國(guó)演出都有不同的感受，讓他印象最深的則是他們通過雜技藝術(shù)演繹的“中國(guó)故事”，受到越來越多外國(guó)觀眾的歡迎。

重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)的主打品牌節(jié)目—雜技劇《花木蘭》，誕生6年來，累計(jì)演出2000多場(chǎng)，創(chuàng)造了中國(guó)雜技在海外演出場(chǎng)次的最高記錄，在美國(guó)、歐洲等地?fù)碛写罅糠劢z和超強(qiáng)的市場(chǎng)號(hào)召力，成為了傳播中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)文化、講好中國(guó)故事的典范。

把“花木蘭”比作“圣女貞德”歐洲觀眾看懂了

花木蘭的故事在中國(guó)家喻戶曉，花木蘭精神鼓舞著一代又一代華夏兒女。重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)創(chuàng)作的雜技劇《花木蘭》跳出歷史真實(shí)、人物關(guān)系和情節(jié)交代的桎梏，將花木蘭作為一個(gè)文化符號(hào)，把雜技與舞蹈、中國(guó)功夫和皮影等極具中國(guó)民族特色的藝術(shù)形式融為一體，為雜技藝術(shù)注入了新的生命力。

《花木蘭》的國(guó)內(nèi)版本分為《元宵之夜》《替父從軍》《奮起驅(qū)寇》《月夜戀情》和《勇士凱旋》五幕，著重表現(xiàn)巾幗英雄花木蘭保家衛(wèi)國(guó)的責(zé)任感和大無畏的英雄氣概，高難的技藝驚險(xiǎn)刺激，為觀眾營(yíng)造出身臨其境的宏大戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)場(chǎng)面，帶給觀眾耳目一新的視覺沖擊和心靈震撼。

中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)文化雜技“走出去”，必須兼具中國(guó)元素和國(guó)際視野，要用國(guó)外觀眾易于接受的方式包裝中國(guó)文化。在拓展海外市場(chǎng)的過程中，重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)強(qiáng)調(diào)和凸顯“觀眾導(dǎo)向、市場(chǎng)導(dǎo)向”，根據(jù)不同國(guó)家、地區(qū)的審美習(xí)慣，著力打造符合不同“口味”的演出版本。

① 有65年歷史的重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)，是中國(guó)著名的優(yōu)秀雜技團(tuán)之一，擁有許多全國(guó)第一。

② 近年來，重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)利用國(guó)際友城交流、海外中國(guó)文化周、文化年、“歡樂春節(jié)”和會(huì)展演出、旅游演出、定點(diǎn)演出等多種形式“借船出?！?，社會(huì)效益和商業(yè)效益雙豐收。

雜技劇《花木蘭》創(chuàng)作之初，就定位于走國(guó)際市場(chǎng)，在劇情剪裁、舞臺(tái)呈現(xiàn)、服裝造型等方面作了大量適合國(guó)外觀眾欣賞習(xí)慣的探索，力爭(zhēng)打破文化差異的壁壘。同時(shí)，根據(jù)不同觀眾群體和演出地，對(duì)劇目進(jìn)行本土化改造，推出了劇場(chǎng)版、巡回演出版、北美演出版、歐洲演出版等多個(gè)版本，由此呈現(xiàn)的效果十分明顯。

在法國(guó)，重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)和法國(guó)演出商聯(lián)手對(duì)劇目進(jìn)行改編，巧妙地把中國(guó)的花木蘭比作在歐洲家喻戶曉的圣女貞德，法國(guó)觀眾一下就看懂了劇情。而在美國(guó)，該劇則增加了貫穿全劇的小丑表演，為嚴(yán)肅的正劇內(nèi)容增添了喜劇色彩。

2009年，雜技劇《花木蘭》與美國(guó)一公司簽訂了5年定點(diǎn)演出合同和“中華藝術(shù)之旅”美國(guó)巡演協(xié)議，以及在美國(guó)大霧山建立演出基地的意向書，開創(chuàng)了重慶雜技進(jìn)軍美國(guó)演出市場(chǎng)的新里程。2011年在開拓歐洲演出市場(chǎng)上又邁出了堅(jiān)實(shí)的步伐，《花木蘭》赴法國(guó)、瑞士、比利時(shí)巡回商演近5個(gè)月，演出150場(chǎng)，觀眾90萬人次，上座率居同期在法國(guó)演出的包括太陽馬戲團(tuán)在內(nèi)的16個(gè)世界各國(guó)藝術(shù)團(tuán)體之最。

重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)擁有多項(xiàng)“中國(guó)第一”

雜技劇《花木蘭》誕生于擁有65年歷史的重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)，重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)是中國(guó)著名的優(yōu)秀雜技團(tuán)之一，擁有許多全國(guó)第一：第一個(gè)把數(shù)千年來以撂地?cái)倿橹鞯碾s技表演搬上正式舞臺(tái)；第一個(gè)在雜技界提出雜技藝術(shù)應(yīng)該是技藝、表演、造型、舞美、音樂等視聽覺和諧統(tǒng)一，有完美藝術(shù)形象的綜合性表演藝術(shù)；第一個(gè)用民族音樂伴奏雜技表演；第一個(gè)代表中國(guó)參加國(guó)際雜技比賽；改革開放后，第一個(gè)進(jìn)入法國(guó)巴黎議會(huì)大廈商業(yè)演出。

“我們從1951年的‘重慶技藝團(tuán)’，到周恩來總理欽點(diǎn)命名的‘重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)’走出了不同尋常的創(chuàng)新探索之路。而在全國(guó)范圍內(nèi)，擁有‘藝術(shù)’二字的雜技團(tuán)只有我們一家?！彪s技演員出身、重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)“80后”副團(tuán)長(zhǎng)李杰告訴記者，65年來該團(tuán)出訪及商業(yè)演出到過近100個(gè)國(guó)家和地區(qū)的500多座城市，所到之處無不受到當(dāng)?shù)厝嗣駸崃覛g迎和高度贊揚(yáng)，為加深與世界各國(guó)人民的友誼，促進(jìn)對(duì)外文化交流都作出了突出貢獻(xiàn)。

近年來，該團(tuán)通過“借船出海”，利用國(guó)際友城交流、海外中國(guó)文化周、文化年、“歡樂春節(jié)”和會(huì)展演出、旅游演出、定點(diǎn)演出等多種形式，在美國(guó)、法國(guó)、日本、俄羅斯、烏克蘭等二十多國(guó)，行程四十多萬公里，共計(jì)商業(yè)演出達(dá)2279場(chǎng)，帶來了6425萬美元的票房收入。這個(gè)數(shù)字不僅領(lǐng)先于重慶其他藝術(shù)院團(tuán)，而且同比全國(guó)排名也相當(dāng)靠前。重慶雜技已經(jīng)成為世界了解重慶、認(rèn)知中國(guó)的橋梁，成為世界人民感受重慶藝術(shù)、了解中國(guó)文化的紐帶。

① 重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)的主打品牌節(jié)目—雜技劇《花木蘭》，誕生6年來，以累計(jì)演出2000多場(chǎng)創(chuàng)造了中國(guó)雜技在海外演出場(chǎng)次的最高記錄。

② 中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)文化雜技“走出去”，必須兼具中國(guó)元素和國(guó)際視野，要用國(guó)外觀眾易于接受的方式包裝中國(guó)文化。

③ 在法國(guó)，《花木蘭》通過改編，巧妙地把花木蘭比作在歐洲家喻戶曉的圣女貞德，法國(guó)觀眾一下就看懂了劇情。

（圖片由重慶雜技藝術(shù)團(tuán)提供）

June 29, a batch of the most capable performers from Chongqing Acrobatic Group with their best show went to Fiji and Tonga for a 10-day cultural exchange performance. “Our daily life is just randomly switched from overseas road show, performance in domestic grassroots to routine rehearsal”, said by a performer. Lin Chengyang, a young acrobat, has been accustoming to the tense pace of his work. For Lin and his partners in Chongqing Acrobatic Group, they have different experiences when they go abroad to perform everytime. What impressed him most is that their Chinese stories expressed by acrobatic art have been understood and welcomed by more and more foreign audiences.

As the leading branded show in Chongqing Acrobatic Group, acrobatic drama—Mulan, has given over 2000 performances, which has created the highest number of showing of Chinese acrobatics in overseas performances, after 6 years since its establishment. With a large number of fans and super-strong market appeal in America and Europe, it has become a model of spreading Chinese traditional culture and telling good Chinese stories.

European audiences also can understand when we compared “Mulan” to “Maid of Orleans”

Mulan's story is well known in China, and the spirit of Mulan inspired generations of Chinese. Acrobatic drama—Mulan, created by Chongqing Acrobatic Group jumps out of the shackles of historical truth, character relations, and plot. As a cultural symbol, Mulan integrates acrobatics with artistic forms with special Chinese national characteristics like dance, Chinese Kungfu, shadow puppet to inject new vitality to acrobatic art.

We need Chinese elements and international vision which means we should transform Chinese culture in a foreign way to accelerate the spread of culture and acrobatics. Cooperated with French producers, Chongqing Acrobatic Group made a drastic adaptation of this play, which skillfully compares Mulan to Maid of Orleans known to all in Europe. By doing this, the French audiences understood the plot at once. When they performed in America, clowns have been added in the whole play, which added comic plots in such a serious drama.

The domestic version of acrobatic drama—Mulan is divided into fi ve scenes including the Night of Lantern Festival, Taking Father’s Place in the Army, Driving away the Foreign Invaders, Romance in Moonlight, Triumphant Return. With those five scenes, this acrobatic drama aims to express Mulan’s dauntless heroism and her responsibility to protect our home. The diffi cult acrobatic performance creates an immersive experience of war, refreshing visual impact and spiritual shock for audiences. Chongqing Acrobatic Group gives priority to audience and market orientation during the process of expanding markets in overseas. According to different countries and regions and their aesthetic habits, it puts forth effort to create different versions of this show.

At the beginning of writing this acrobatic drama, this show focused on the international market. For that reason, it made a great deal of exploration in plot tailoring, stage presentation, costume to match the aesthetic habits of foreign audiences and also struggle to break barriers between two cultures. In addition, it also carried on localization transformation in lines with different audiences and countries. With many transformed versions like movie version, touring version, American version and European version, the stageeffects are quiet obvious and distinctive.

After being signed a contract with an American enterprise for five-year fixed-point performance, American touring agreement themed with “A Journey of Chinese Art”, and the establishment of a performance base in American Great Smoky Mountains, acrobatic drama—Mulan has opened a new milestone for Chongqing acrobatics to enter the American performing market in 2009. 2011 also saw a solid pace in expanding European performance market. The acrobatic drama—Mulan held a touring commercial performance in France, Switzerland, Belgium. With 150 shows in fi ve months, this show has attracted 900 thousand audiences and taken 200 million RMB at the box office. Its occupancy also topped 16 art groups from all over the world including the Cirque Du Soleil which also held shows in that period in France.

Chongqing Acrobatic Group, an art group with many fi rst titles in China

As a 65-year-old art group, Chongqing Acrobatic Group, the founder of acrobatic drama—Mulan, represents one of the famous acrobatic troupe in China and boasts many fi rst titles in China. It is the fi rst group which applies acrobatic performance, a thousandyear street art to the stage; it is the fi rst group which puts forward that acrobatic performance honors as a comprehensive performing art with a perfect artistic image and it should make a harmonious unity of audiovisual senses like skill, performance, modeling, stage art, music; it is the fi rst group which performs acrobatic performances with folk music; it is the fi rst group which represents China in international acrobatic competition; it is the first group which held a commercial performance in Parliament House, Paris, France after the reform and opening-up.

In 1951, with different ways of innovation, this group was named as Chongqing Acrobatic Group and was named by Premier Zhou Enlai as Chongqing Acrobatic Art Group. We are the only one acrobatic group which boasts the “Art” in group name nationwide. Journalist was told by Li Jie, deputy chief of Chongqing Acrobatic Art Group and a post-80s generation acrobat, Chongqing Acrobatic Art Group has visited or held commercial performance in near 100 countries and over 500 cities in 65 years. Wherever they went, they were warmly welcomed and highly praised by people from all over the world. It has made outstanding contributions to the development of China's diplomatic cause, to the friendship between people all over the world and to the promotion of cultural exchanges with other countries.

Recently, this group also takes advantages of various forms like exchange between international sister cities, Chinese cultural weeks and years in overseas, the activity of “Happy Chinese New Year”, convention and exhibition, tour performance, fixed-point performance to held 2,342 shows in more than 20 countries like The United States, France, Japan, Russia, Ukraine with 400 thousand kilometers distance of travel. Among them, 2,279 shows were commercial performance which took 64.25 million dollars at the box offi ce. This fi gure is not only ahead of other Chongqing groups, but also in the upper rank in groups nationwide. Chongqing acrobatics has not only become a bridge for the world to understand Chongqing and recognize China but also a link to understand the Chinese culture and the art of Chongqing.

(Pictures were provided by Chongqing Acrobatic Art Group)

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Acrobatic Drama—Mulan Tells a Chinese Story in the World Arena

□ Article/Journalist Xiong Yi