玫玫
一出戲開(kāi)演前,最熱鬧的莫過(guò)于后臺(tái)。
2016年12月19日,位于杭州教工路的浙江小百花越劇團(tuán)九五劇場(chǎng)的后臺(tái),狹窄的過(guò)道塞滿了一排排的戲服道具,每一個(gè)畫著柳葉眉的姑娘像跑接力賽一樣來(lái)回穿梭。在這個(gè)中國(guó)最著名的女子越劇團(tuán),有美麗的花旦,更有英俊的小生。
演出的“男一號(hào)”蔡浙飛正氣定神閑地坐在二號(hào)化妝間的化妝臺(tái)前,外賣打包的面條早就糊成了一團(tuán),可是她還是沒(méi)有空吃上一口。這場(chǎng)演出,是蔡浙飛作為第一批省屬舞臺(tái)藝術(shù)拔尖人才培養(yǎng)項(xiàng)目的成果匯報(bào)演出——《吳越王》的展演。對(duì)于1993年就進(jìn)入浙江小百花越劇團(tuán)工作的蔡浙飛來(lái)說(shuō),這個(gè)專場(chǎng),是總結(jié),也是新的起點(diǎn)。
“小茅威濤”與“小百花”的因緣際會(huì)
時(shí)間回放到20多年前,蔡浙飛還在新昌調(diào)腔劇團(tuán),演的是大靠的武生。但因?yàn)橄矚g越劇,曾學(xué)過(guò)一年。而一次匯演,蔡浙飛的命運(yùn)被徹底改變——“當(dāng)時(shí)我的扮相被文化廳的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)發(fā)現(xiàn),怎么這么像茅老師?!?/p>
那時(shí)茅威濤已經(jīng)紅遍整個(gè)越劇界,蔡浙飛也經(jīng)常在廣播和磁帶里聽(tīng)她的唱段,“只是從沒(méi)想過(guò)我會(huì)和她像?!蹦且荒?,才18周歲的蔡浙飛加入了她向往已久的浙江小百花越劇團(tuán),一干就是20多年。“有時(shí)候茅老師都分不清我和她,一次她在看我們團(tuán)里貼出來(lái)的演出照片,也恍惚地問(wèn)我,怎么不記得有這一站的演出,后來(lái)才發(fā)現(xiàn)原來(lái)照片中的人是我?!?/p>
因演唱流派和舞臺(tái)扮相酷似茅威濤,蔡浙飛也被戲迷親切稱為“小茅威濤”。原生代版《西廂記》封箱之后,張生的接力棒,就傳到了蔡浙飛手里。而《西廂記》,也讓蔡浙飛在越劇舞臺(tái)一舉成名。1994年在中國(guó)越劇節(jié)的舞臺(tái)上上,蔡浙飛和顏?lái)⒁黄鸫顧n出演《西廂記》。“當(dāng)時(shí)茅老師因?yàn)橐鞒?,就由我?lái)表演,她來(lái)配唱,沒(méi)想到大家一下子關(guān)注到我。”
不過(guò)茅威濤一開(kāi)始卻對(duì)蔡浙飛“非常像她”這一點(diǎn)很反感?!拔覔?dān)心她有依賴性,一輩子大樹(shù)底下好乘涼了。沒(méi)想到她是一個(gè)特別樸實(shí)的演員,該跑龍?zhí)拙团荦執(zhí)?,該下鄉(xiāng)就下鄉(xiāng)演出,時(shí)至今日,她還是樸素得像剛來(lái)杭州的那個(gè)新昌小鎮(zhèn)姑娘?!泵┩u(píng)價(jià)說(shuō)。
為《吳越王》一改小生戲路,苦練話劇念白
《吳越王》的演出后臺(tái),蔡浙飛一直安靜地坐著。貼鬢角戴頭套對(duì)于戲曲演員來(lái)說(shuō),絕對(duì)是一項(xiàng)“酷刑”——為了防止頭套掉下來(lái),綁頭套的繩子一般會(huì)緊緊地把眉毛都吊高,最后鬢角部分再用膠水粘上。卸妝時(shí),如果不注意,撕拉一下,疼得不行?!斑@次還算好的。有段時(shí)間我們演清宮戲《步步驚心》,我的鬢角都被剃掉了,丑得不行?!辈陶泔w淡淡地說(shuō)。
一般戲曲演員的個(gè)人專場(chǎng),都是用幾個(gè)折子戲來(lái)配,而蔡浙飛這次,卻是真真正正演一場(chǎng)為她量身打造的大戲,并且還是2015國(guó)家藝術(shù)基金資助項(xiàng)目。只是當(dāng)初看到《吳越王》的本子,蔡浙飛的第一反應(yīng)竟然是拒絕?!耙郧把莸亩际强⌒愕男∩@次的吳越王,不僅要演孩子的爹,而且年齡跨度要到四五十歲了,對(duì)于我來(lái)說(shuō)挑戰(zhàn)太大?!?/p>
更令蔡浙飛頭疼的是,導(dǎo)演郭小男要求大家去掉傳統(tǒng)越劇的腔調(diào),用話劇的念白去念?!拔业穆曇籼宕嗔?,一點(diǎn)也不沉穩(wěn)。”蔡浙飛說(shuō),那段時(shí)間整夜整夜地睡不著,甚至在年初時(shí),給茅威濤發(fā)了一條長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的微信,要退出《吳越王》。面對(duì)學(xué)生的不自信,茅威濤并沒(méi)有安慰她,而是甩出狠狠的告誡:“如果你退出,你的藝術(shù)生涯就徹底終止了,因?yàn)槟惴艞壛俗约?!?/p>
后來(lái)同時(shí)在排的《寇流蘭與杜麗娘》,邵燕因?yàn)樽甸g盤突出,寇流蘭的死敵奧菲迪烏斯臨時(shí)讓蔡浙飛頂替。這次的表演讓她漸漸找回了自信。“于是我看了大量話劇和電視劇的視頻,借鑒真正中年男演員的念白,終于找到了當(dāng)國(guó)王的感覺(jué)?!?/p>
(本文攝影 姜?jiǎng)倮?/p>
New Yueju Opera Star Shines
By Mei Mei
Cai Zhefei, a Yueju Opera artist, has eventually become a big star of the opera that originated in eastern Zhejiang over one hundred years ago and now is the second biggest opera genre after Peking Opera. Her career as a Yueju Opera artist started in 1993 at the age of 18.
Back then she was a young martial art artist at Xinchang Diaoqiang Opera Troupe. She appeared on the stage as a warrior dressed up with small and colorful flags over her shoulders. She had taken a one-year course for Yueju Opera performance. She did not know her life was to change forever. Someone with the provinces cultural authorities spotted her exact resemblance with Mao Weitao, the best woman who acts as a man in Yueju Opera plays. Nobody had ever noticed the lookalike before. Cai Zhefei was astonished to learn that she looked like Mao Weitao on the stage.
Mao Weitao herself sometimes gets confused by the resemblance. One day she was looking at some photos taken during the troupes road show across the province. Mao saw herself in some photos and wondered why she didnt have any memory of the road show. Later Mao found that it was Cai Zhefei in these photos.
The leaders who favored Cai Zhefei had their reasons. Mao Weitao is a huge success and a legend of Yueju Opera. For many with the cultural authorities and the troupe administration, Cai Zhefei could be another Mao Weitao. So they got her into Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yueju Opera Troupe and trained her as a future star.
Mao Weitao didnt like the idea at first. She dreaded that the young artist would take the appearance for granted and ignore hard work and dedication. Her misgivings evaporated eventually. Cai Zhefei works hard and she doesnt have any arrogance about the big star status. She does her assignments diligently. Mao finds the young artist as honest and simple as she was on the first day she came from Xinchang.
In 1994, Cai Zhefei made her name overnight at China Yueju Opera Festival. She and Yan Jia appeared in a new edition of one of the best plays among the Yueju Opera repertoire. Audiences wowed at her appearance and performance. Fans find her endearing and consider her as Mao Weitao junior.
Over years, Cai Zhefei has grown up as an artist. She is now a key player of the troupe.
On December 19, 2016, she appeared as the lead man in in Hangzhou. The Yueju Opera play was part of a big show designed to let the market see how young opera talents across the province had grown up. The provinces project for cultivating young opera talents has been going on for years.
was a big challenge to Cai. Her first reaction after reading the script in 2015 was impossible. She didnt want the role. The play tells the story of the king over a period of four decades. She was to appear as a middle-aged man and a father of children in the play. Moreover, all the lines must be spoken in mandarin as if in a drama, as demanded by Director Guo Xiaonan. She didnt have the confidence in her voice, which is too young and unsteady for the role. She worried so much that she lost sleep for many nights. She texted her lack of confidence to Mao Weitao and asked to back out of the cast. Mao replied that backing out meant giving up and giving up meant the end of her career.
Cai worked hard by watching the videos of dramas and television series. Eventually she found a way to sound like a middle-aged man on the stage. Through this artistic ordeal, Cai has come to understand the career is her own and suffering for art is her destiny no matter whether she looks like someone else.