Yang Li-hua

In 2007, having been absent from the limelight for four years, Yang has been asked to return to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the National Theater by performing new versions of the operas A Civet for a Prince 《狸貓換太子》 and A Life for the Master 《丹心救主》. She's risen to the occasion, too-not only has she reworked the songs for the opera and newly choreographed the works in collaboration with experienced performer Hsiao Feng-hsien (小鳳仙) and Peking Opera director Chu Lu-hao (朱陸豪), she has also taken on the challenge of playing three different parts. As well as playing the Song Dynasty emperor Renzong (宋仁宗), who was traded for a raccoon as a child and who as an adult sought out his birth mother from among the commoners, she also played a loyal minister and the commoner who looked after the emperor's birth mother.

In 2000, Yang and her troupe performed Liang-Zhu 《梁祝》, a Chinese love story famous for its romantic yet tragic ending. Separated because of their feuding families, the hero Liang Shan-po dies of lovesickness and the heroine Zhu Ying-tai commits suicide. Both then become butterflies.

With her distinctive eyes, Yang could portray herself as both commanding and tender. She had a sophisticated air about her, and her voice sounded honest and full of emotion. Since her first appearance, more than 40 years ago at age 22, she has been in nearly 170 productions on TTV. She specializes in male roles, playing everything from emperors and aristocrats to warriors and beggars. She has become a favourite of both the young and old Taiwanese people, and many women have come to think of her as the ideal lover. Thousands of letters swamped the Taiwan TV station, and supplies of pictures of her in traditional dress could not meet demand. In 1996, Yang was voted one of the ten hottest idols by a gay and lesbian organization-despite being over fifty.

In 1995, during a four-day engagement (October 25–28) at Taipei's National Theater, Yang reached back 30 years to restage a traditional opera that she had not appeared. The Taiwanese opera Lu Wen-long 《陸文龍》 in which Yang made her debut when she was 17 years old, owns a special place in her heart. The play, a story about a young warrior who grapples with feelings of love, hate, and clan loyalty during the Sung Dynasty (960-1279), dazzled the Taipei audiences with demonstrations of martial arts. But it also had a tender side, that being the bittersweet romance between Lu and Yehlu. The versatile Yang excels in both areas; she can play it hard or soft. In the beginning of "Lu Wen-lung," Yang skillfully wields two spears in a rhythmic combat dance considered one of the most difficult martial art scenes in Taiwanese opera. To ensure a perfect scene, the actress said she practised with the spears three hours a day for an entire month. In the past, audiences of traditional Taiwanese opera wanted to see as many martial art scenes as possible, even if the physical feats on stage had nothing to do with the plot. For the Taipei performances, however, Yang toned down the combat scenes to give the story a more intellectual appeal.

In 1991, her production of Lu Bu and Diao Chan 《呂布與貂嬋》 held at the National Theater caused a sensation.

In the 1990s, cable television became widespread in Taiwan and the original three broadcast networks lost their dominance. And though the tradition-minded Yang tried twice to develop a new generation of performers who could take up the mantle, she could not find anyone who could fill her role. At the same time, TTV was making moves to take back the rights to the television show against Yang's will. This put a damper on their working relationship, and the Taiwan Television Yang Li-hua Opera show came to an end.

In the theatric establishment, an iota of stigma is magnified into a world of scandal. But Yang, scrupulous in behavior, has never been involved. Ending an 8-years love marathon, Yang married Hung Wen-tung on 26 March 1983.

Many scholars who studied drama said that Taiwanese opera would have died out several decades ago had it not been for Yang's efforts. While this may be a bit of an exaggeration, her prestige is indeed unprecedented. In 1982, under arrangements made by the Taiwan Provincial Government, Yang led a touring troupe around Taiwan to provide encouragement to fishermen and miners. Many of her fans went to see and support her, thereby attaching more importance and significance to Taiwanese opera.

Yang starred in the 1982 Huangmei opera film Imperial Matchmaker (狀元媒) directed by Pao Hsueh-li, alongside Ivy Ling Po.

Yang contemplated the notion that Taiwanese opera might die someday unless an effort is made to cultivate a younger generation of actors. To perpetuate the art form, in cooperation with TTV, she organized a Taiwanese opera Training Class in 1981 to train the Taiwanese opera stars of tomorrow.

In addition to television productions, the widely talented Yang also starred in many Taiwanese-language films. One of those, the 1981 film Chen San and Wu Niang 《陳三五娘》, was the last such Taiwanese-language production.

In the past, Taiwanese opera was deemed "common"- not appealing to refined tastes. No one ever dreamed of a performance in a grand theatre. Then in 1981, Yang's group was invited to perform in Taipei's stately Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and Yang chose her favourite drama, The Fisherwoman 《漁孃》 as the presentation, with assistance from students of the Haikuang Opera School. The appreciative audience packed the giant auditorium and the show received rave reviews. The status of Taiwanese opera had substantially elevated.

In 1980, Yang laid down three objectives for the future:

For decades, Yang produced one success after another: Seven Heroes and Five Gallants 《七俠五義》, The Legend of the Yang Clan 《楊家將》, Xue Rengui Conquers the East 《薛仁貴》, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai 《梁山伯與祝英台》 and A Civet for a Prince 《狸貓換太子》 were all hits. The 1979 production A Hero's Shadow in the Autumn Frost 《俠影秋霜》 used cinematic special effects to heighten the excitement of sword fighting scenes. The following year, Xue Pinggui 《薛平貴》 was the first Taiwanese opera to be filmed outdoors, with actors riding horses across sands. The 1992 production The Patrolman and the Thief 《巡案與大盜》 was filmed on board a pirate ship in the ocean off Cebu, the Philippines. The cast enjoyed themselves, resulting in a highly watchable opera.

Despite her popularity, Yang never forgot her own advice: "Keep on Advancing All the Time". In 1969, when Yang was 25, the TV station's general manager appointed her the leader of the Taiwan Television Opera Troupe, and also made her the show's producer. The plays she produced drew huge television audiences. Three years later, she integrated all the Taiwanese opera troupes in Taiwan to form the TTV United Taiwanese opera Troupe.

Performing opera using only her voice was not Yang's greatest challenge. In 1966, black-and-white television had just come to Taiwan. The only television station at the time, TTV, was also looking to add Taiwanese opera to its programming. Yang's troupe, Tienma, beat out the competition with a performance of Loyal Yue Fei 《岳飛》 with her in the lead. It won a weekly spot on television. Yang's appearance on the medium did prove to be a shock to her fans. Audiences were fans of Yang's radio singing, but they had never seen her before. Her TV debut captivated the TV audience.

At a time when most performing artists were turning their backs to Taiwanese opera, Yang tried her luck with several other groups, finally joining the Tien Ma Group in 1965. And this was the watershed of Yang's career.

She returned to Taiwan to find that opera was in even worse shape than before. It was largely relegated to outdoor religious ceremonies, weddings, and funerals, so opportunities to perform were few. Many artists were forced to find sidelines. By the year 1962, the vigorous development of the domestic TV and movie industries had resulted in a reduction in the island's 200-odd theatrical groups—down to 30. Yang's group struggled, then was disbanded in 1964.

She's been performing ever since the 1950s, when Taiwanese opera was being performed in theaters rather than outdoors as it had been traditionally. Yang's parents were members of a touring troupe and for years the entire family of seven traveled with them, living backstage. Later, with the rising popularity of Taiwanese-language movies, opera theaters were converted into movie theaters and indoor opera began to disappear. Yang, the eldest daughter of the family, often went hungry so her younger brothers and sisters would have enough to eat. She vowed to become successful and lift her family out of poverty.