A 'Mang' or ‘lesser dragon’ robe, typically worn by actors or actresses playing the roles of royalty, military generals or top officials. Photo: The Star/Chan Boon Kai
The Culture Colours: Of Rhythm And Rouge exhibition at the Straits and Oriental Museum in George Town is offering visitors a glimpse of the old world of Chinese opera, a community-based art form that has a rich history in Penang and other parts of the country.
The exhibition features hundreds of artefacts from Penang’s Kar Li Cantonese Troupe – from costumes to props and musical instruments – and celebrates the legacy of its late patriarch, Leong Ah Soo, better known as Ah Soo.
Leong, Ah Soo’s eldest child, said their aim was to preserve intangible heritage which is at risk of being lost to time.
“There are detailed explanations of traditions and practices, along with paraphernalia and rare photographers previously unseen by the public.
Ornate headgear with shiny sequins and embellishments not only serve to reinforce a character’s status and role, but also catch light and add drama to the performance. Photo: The Star/Chan Boon Kai
“They’re testament to why this art form endures as a masterpiece of the performing arts,” said Leong at the exhibition.
Ah Soo was into Chinese martial arts from young. This led him to join a local opera troupe where he honed his skills for many years.
A man of the opera
Despite Chinese opera’s waning popularity, he set out on his own and established Kar Li in 1990. It was the first professional Cantonese troupe in Penang and he made a decent living.
“He was a master at delivering performances and oversaw every aspect of the shows. Proceeds were reinvested into more equipment.
“He was a disciplined man who took his craft seriously. This made Kar Li sought after and my two brothers and I were often compelled to participate in his work.
A variety of musical instruments and rare old photographs of the Kar Li Cantonese Troupe, previously unseen by the public, are among the exhibits. Photo: The Star/Chan Boon Kai ( June 16, 2023 ) - CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
“But at that young age, we couldn’t fully understand why our father had chosen such a challenging trade for the family’s livelihood. Only now, in our senior years, have we realised his reasons.
“We saw the soul of his art and the tremendous beauty and meaning it carried,” said Leong, adding that the troupe had over 50 members at its peak.
It also did lion dance, dragon dance and Chingay for corporate events, ceremonies and parades. Chinese New Year, Hungry Ghost and Nine Emperor Gods periods were the busiest. Bookings came from as far as Singapore and Thailand.
Ah Soo passed away peacefully in 2014, aged 83. With no new blood to take up the craft, the troupe ceased operations and Leong inherited all her father’s possessions.
“At one point, another troupe wanted to buy up my dad’s collection. But every piece came from his blood and sweat so we couldn’t just cash in,” she said.
Various types of belts with differing colours and motifs, which all hint at a character’s status, roles and motives. Photo: The Star/Chan Boon Kai
“He lived and breathed opera and would want us to do something good with what he left us.”
The proud daughter says that the exhibition has now brought the troupe back for a “show”.
Rich symbolism
While costumes and props may seem like colourful eye candy to the uninitiated, there is deep symbolism behind every design or colour choice.
Garments, headgear, accessories and make-up are actually stylistic representations of characters’ personalities, social status, moral values and significance.
Leong said clothing with intricate embroidery or bold colours are the domain of royalty, nobility and military leadership, while simpler and plain clothing indicate civilians or commoners.
Female nobility often sported phoenixes as the mythical bird represents energy, grace and beauty. Military generals donned majestic costumes known as Kao to represent armour and included triangular flags on the back whose flutter added swagger to battle scenes.
Rare old photographs of the Kar Li Cantonese Troupe’s performers and shows are among the artefacts on display at the exhibition. Photo: The Star/Chan Boon Kai
“They were among my dad’s favourites. All the components make it rather heavy. Furthermore, one had to wear three layers underneath to absorb sweat.
“When performing in our climate and under spotlights, actors can sweat as much as they would doing a marathon,” she continued.Equally revealing are the colours on costumes and make-up. Red typically denoted a brave and heroic character, black for the impartial, blue for steadfastness and loyalty, and so on.
Head dresses or Kuitou further reinforced roles. Emperors and nobles have elaborate crowns, military characters wear helmets, scholars have winged hats, and commoners straw ones.
Sequins, tassels and long sleeves on garments catch light and emphasise movement to help sell the story, as opera sets do not have many other props.
A close-up of the elaborate sequin and fur detailing of one of the elaborate robes typically used for powerful characters. Photo: The Star/Chan Boon Kai
“Performers have to convey their environment through gestures and acting alone,” said Leong.
The exhibition also features weapons like knife swords, daggers, retractable swords, chui (maces), shuang gou (hook swords) and qiang (spears), as well as musical instruments.
These are split among the Wenchang (civil division) with harmonic and stringed instruments like the pipa (guitar), erhu and jinghu (two-stringed fiddles), yue qin (zither), flutes and suona (Chinese oboe), and the Wuchang (martial division) with more percussive instruments like gongs, cymbals, woodblocks and drums.
The exhibition (ticketed) is on at the Straits and Oriental Museum in George Town, Penang until Aug 31. Open daily, 10.30am to 7pm.
