A Donald Trump-inspired Cantonese opera gives a fresh twist on the traditional art form
The two quarrel over the Ukrainian leader's outfit before trading jabs in the air with Trump firing a water gun at the Ukrainian president.
The exchange is just one scene in an absurdist show, 'Trump, The Twins President,' that parodies recent political events in a modern twist on traditional Cantonese opera, a Chinese art form dating back hundreds of years.
The group behind the production originally debuted its first Trump-themed show in 2019 about the president's first term, but it has since had several iterations.
Its latest reprise features not only the heated exchange with Zelensky, but also Trump's assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last summer and references to a lot of his headline-making moves. It alludes to Trump's attacks on Harvard and his turbulent relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Performed to sold-out crowds, the three-and-a-half hour show begins with a dream by Trump's daughter, Ivanka, in which her father has a fictional twin brother living in China named Chuan Pu, a transliteration in Mandarin Chinese of the name 'Trump.'
Chuan makes his way to the United States, where Trump is campaigning for reelection. When Trump is abducted by aliens from Mars, Ivanka asks Chuan to pretend to be him to keep the nation together amid a trade war with China.
Cantonese opera composer Edward Li Kui-Ming, who wrote the show, says he chose the president because of his influence internationally.
'(It) is a comedy reflecting how people are being influenced by President Donald Trump. He is really (influential). And that makes me want to do…a drama related to him,' Li, a fengshui master by trade, told CNN from backstage.
UNESCO recognizes Cantonese opera as an 'intangible cultural heritage of humanity.' With a history dating back to five centuries ago, the performing art is known for its distinctive make-up, traditional costumes and classic storylines.
It was an indispensable form of entertainment between the 1950s and '60s, but in recent decades, Cantonese opera has struggled to lure younger audiences. Li and his crew are on a mission to change that, using the Trump presidency to make it more relevant for younger viewers.
'I have to use a new hero or new people, put it into the old drama and make it special and make it new,' Li said, explaining why he picked the 47th US president.
The show also uses contemporary elements. For example, veteran actor Loong Koon-tin transforms into Trump by donning a blond wig and eyebrows, a technique more akin to modern theater. Traditional makeup routines typically require actors to paint their faces red and white and spend time dressing in elaborate costumes and flashy headpieces.
Loong said he worked hard on getting Trump's facial expressions and gestures right. 'Every time I submerge myself in the role. I am the Donald Trump,' he told CNN.
Other characters like former Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Richard Nixon, as well as China's Mao Zedong and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, all have a part to play at various junctures of this fictional timeline
Drawing a line between acceptable humor and offensiveness was tricky, Li said, adding that he tried to present a balanced view so that everyone could relate to the show.
'I'm not trying to do anything to arouse any political items,' he said. 'My starting point is love and peace. I think everybody will love love and peace.'
Throughout the performance, audience members – many of whom were young – erupt in laughter and applause.
Adiva Zeng, 16, said she was interested in seeing the show because of its depiction of recent geopolitical events in a China-centric context.
'It has Ukraine and has the US, and then they are combining with the Chinese culture to show us what is happening right now. So it kind of catches my eye,' said Zeng.
Li said he would love to take the show to Broadway or elsewhere, though logistics and financing have proven to be a huge hurdle so far.
He said he believed both Trump and Zelensky would appreciate his work given their connection to the showbiz before entering politics. Trump previously hosted reality show 'The Apprentice,' while Zelensky was a comedian, actor and writer before taking office, starring in romantic comedies and playing a high school teacher who becomes president in the Ukrainian political satire series, 'Servant of the People.'
'Drama is life. Life is drama. And even…politics is drama,' Li said.
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