See a Peking opera in Beijing

“A friend got first-class tickets for us. We sat in the section at the front where there were tables and chairs, as if for dinner theater. You sit at a table for five, with waiters who serve tea and cookies. (The tea is Chinese green tea, not Western dark tea.) The audience is dressed informally, whereas in Western opera, the audience is generally formal: men wear suit and ties, while women wear evening gowns. The performance lasted two hours and 45 minutes, with no intermission or breaks. People entered and left during the performance (in Western opera, there is no entrance during the performance.) People take photographs during the performance (which is discouraged in Western opera.) The audience was entirely Chinese. I think I was the only non-Chinese there. Just as with Western opera, there are sub-titles (but in Chinese). The Chinese need these; they can't understand the singers.”

“As the audience is coming in and finding their seats, one of the actors was on stage applying his very intricate makeup so the audience could see the transformation. Fascinating. The accompaniment is from a small ensemble that uses traditional Chinese instruments. The sound can be harsh and shrill at first, but as you get more accustomed to it, the sound was quite lovely. Rather than one long story, there were several short stories. Fortunately for us there were screens on either side with English translations. Very nice.”