sovbooks Chapter 31 The birds in the trees are in pairs
Chapter 31 The birds in the trees are in pairs
The announcer's voice echoed through the theater.
In the backstage corridor, several students who were resting simultaneously looked up.
"Huang Shengyi? I know her, she's a senior in the acting department."
"Who is Lin Hao? I've never heard of that name before."
"You're not from our college, are you?"
"No, I heard that Teacher Li Hao arranged for them to come in at the last minute; they're from outside."
"From outside?" A boy frowned. "Were they shoved in again?"
This is not uncommon in the academy's performances.
There are always some "connections" who get arranged to appear on the show through various channels. Their skill levels vary, and sometimes they drag down the overall quality of the show.
"It's over, this show is probably doomed." Another student shook his head.
"I don't think so. I heard that Teacher Li taught it personally... but what can you learn in ten days?"
Amid the murmurs, the stage lights dimmed.
After a few seconds of darkness, a beam of warm-toned light shone down from the left side of the stage.
Lin Hao walked up from the side curtain.
Wearing a light blue long gown with a dark belt around her waist, her entire demeanor was completely different from when she was backstage.
He walked slowly, each step steady.
His composure was as calm as one would have when both body and mind were in their best condition.
The background music started playing.
The melodious prelude to Huangmei Opera flowed through the theater, the sounds of bamboo flute and erhu intertwined, carrying the simplicity and warmth of the countryside.
Lin Hao stopped.
Open up.
"The birds in the trees are always in pairs."
The moment the first line was sung, all the backstage chatter stopped.
"Green mountains and clear waters bring smiles to our faces."
His voice was neither particularly melodious nor beautiful.
Compared to professional Huangmei Opera actors, the difference in timbre is objectively real, after all, I only studied for ten days and my vocal development is limited.
But to everyone's surprise, his singing style was actually "correct".
What does "right" mean?
Between the rises and falls, there is a natural and smooth feeling.
A senior male student backstage, who was studying opera performance, listened to a couple of lines, and his expression changed from indifferent to serious.
"This pronunciation... doesn't sound like that of an amateur."
Another classmate next to him also came over to listen.
"The breathing is handled very cleanly, with no unnecessary breathing noises, and every step is perfectly in time with the beat."
"And his physique? Look at his hands!"
On stage, when Lin Hao sang "You till the fields and I weave cloth," he raised his right hand and made a "finger" gesture.
Extend your index and middle fingers, bend the other three fingers naturally, and rotate your wrist to create an arc.
The movements were clean and efficient, without any hesitation or slackness.
Then came a turn, pivoting on the left foot, slightly shifting the body to one side, and sweeping the right hand across the chest, lifting a corner of the hem of the garment.
The entire movement was fluid and graceful, with the center of gravity always firmly resting on the central axis.
"Holy crap..."
The senior boy backstage opened his mouth wide, unable to close it.
He studied opera for four years and has the most intuitive judgment on the quality of physical movements.
Lin Hao's physique is not exactly refined; in fact, it has many rough edges, making him several levels below students with formal training.
But every move he made was in the "right" direction.
Speed where it should be fast, slow where it should be slow, round where it should be round, and sharp where it should be sharp.
The body coordination is excellent, and the finger techniques and footwork are well coordinated.
Most importantly, there is a sense of connection between his movements and his singing style.
When singing with strong emotions, the body movements become larger; when singing with delicate and gentle emotions, the movements become more restrained.
This sense of connection is something that many students who have studied for several years may not be able to achieve.
He only studied for ten days.
Ten days!
The lights on the other side came on, and Huang Shengyi walked up from the right.
She wore a white theatrical costume, her long hair flowed freely, and her movements were graceful.
Although she is not as good as Lin Hao in terms of singing style, her advantage lies in her image and dance background.
She portrayed the Seven Fairies' entrance beautifully, attracting the attention of many audience members.
The two met in the center of the stage and began their duet.
"You till the fields, I weave the cloth; I fetch water, you water the garden."
The alternating male and female voices, singing in harmony, created an exceptionally good sense of chemistry.
Perhaps it was the result of daily practice over the past ten days, or perhaps it was the conversation backstage that untied the knot in Huang Shengyi's heart, but she was in better shape than during any of the past nine days of rehearsals.
Her voice became more relaxed, her expression more natural, and she found her rhythm with Lin Hao. It was as if she had finally found her place in the play.
offstage.
The fifth row of the audience seats, in the center.
Liang Shengquan, Huang Weiming, and Wang Shaojie sat side by side.
The expressions on the three people's faces changed from the moment Lin Hao sang the first line.
Liang Shengquan was the first to react, leaning forward and staring intently at the stage.
Huang Weiming unconsciously gripped the armrest of the seat.
Wang Shaojie's mouth was slightly open, looking incredulous.
"This...it seems like you've only been learning for ten days?" Liang Shengquan's voice was very low, but the shock in his tone was unmistakable.
"His singing doesn't feel fake," Huang Weiming replied, his voice also lowered. "Listen to his enunciation and breath control; that sense of proportion isn't something you can achieve by rote memorization."
"His physique is also good," Wang Shaojie added. "Although it's a bit rough, the direction is all right. It has everything it should, and the layers are there..."
The three of them exchanged glances and saw the same message in each other's eyes.
This person is something.
"Think about it," Liang Shengquan sat up straight, his tone becoming serious. "He had never studied Huangmei Opera before. Ten days of intensive training, and he achieved this level—what does that say?"
"That shows he's incredibly versatile," Huang Weiming chimed in. "You could throw someone like that into any role, give him time, and he'd grow into it."
"They're not that famous," Wang Shaojie said honestly, "but fame isn't the deciding factor when casting lead actors."
None of the three spoke again, and they turned their attention back to the stage.
On stage, Lin Hao and Huang Shengyi's performance of "The Fairy Couple" was coming to an end.
"Though the humble cave is broken, it can still shelter us from wind and rain; the loving couple finds sweetness even in hardship."
After singing the last line, the two stood frozen in the center of the stage.
The lights gradually dimmed.
Applause erupted.
At first, there were a few scattered sounds, then they became more and more frequent, and finally they became a chorus.
The students backstage were also applauding, although some of them looked reluctant.
After all, it's a bit unsettling to have an outsider like this making such a splash on their turf.
But applause is applause, and it doesn't lie.
A person who had studied Huangmei Opera for ten days stood on the stage of the Capital Theatre and sang a piece called "The Fairy Couple". After the performance, the whole audience applauded.
This whole thing is outrageous enough.