Adapted from a classic literary work by noted Hakka novelist Li Qiao (李喬), the musical “The Spring of Lan Caixia (藍彩霞的春天)” will be performed on Dec. 21 in Kaohsiung City.
 

At a Dec. 6 symposium on the Hakka musical, Hakka Affairs Council Minister Lee Yung-de stated that the musical’s production team members — including Deng Wei-shun (鄧維順), a film director who has promoted Hakka culture for 30 years; Yang Ju-chiang (楊儒強), the musical’s director who has won several international awards; and Chen I-ting (陳伊婷), a professor who serves as the dramaturg for the theater — presented Li’s work authentically in the two-hour performance by using a semiotic approach through signs and symbols to create a cinematic atmosphere for the musical, bringing the tale to life and stirring the hearts of spectators.

The musical tells the story of Lan Caixia, a miserable and underprivileged sex worker who suffers painful abuse while battling against her dreadful fate during the 1950s and ’60s in Taiwan. Accompanied by modern visual and audio effects, the theatrical performance shall present music, dance, acting, and dialogue that employ various mother tongues including Hakka, Hokkien, Mandarin, sign, and indigenous languages.

Lee further said that, to promote the classic Hakka novel on the world stage, HAC collaborated with professional teams in 2017 to translate “The Spring of Lan Caixia” into Japanese and Spanish editions, which contributed to Li’s sensational debut in Japan and Spain and boosted foreign interest in Taiwan’s Hakka literature.
 

Apart from Li’s novel, there were also four literary works published for Japanese readers, including “Love Stories of Goethe (歌德激情書)” by Chung Chao-cheng (鍾肇政), “The Collected Poems of Tseng Kui-hai (曾貴海詩選)” by Tseng Kui-hai (曾貴海), “The Collected Poems of Li Yu-fang (利玉芳詩選)” by Li Yu-fang (利玉芳), and “The Summer When Russian Winter Comes (冬將軍來的夏天)” by Gan Yao-ming (甘耀明), the minister added.
 

The premiere of the musical earned widespread praise from the audience in Miaoli last month. Minister Lee extended a warm and welcoming invitation to theater-goers of southern Taiwan to experience the artistic charm of this Hakka production.