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Ma Lan

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(Redirected from Lan Ma) For the biologist, see Ma Lan (biologist). For other uses, see Malan (disambiguation). In this Chinese name, the family name is Ma.
Ma Lan
Born (1962-04-23) April 23, 1962 (age 62)
Taihu County, Anhui, China
OccupationHuangmei opera performer
Years active1980–2000
EmployerAnhui Huangmei Opera Company
Known forDan roles
Spouse Yu Qiuyu ​(m. 1992)​
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese马兰
Simplified Chinese馬蘭
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinMǎ Lán

Ma Lan (born 23 April 1962) is a Chinese performing artist of Huangmei opera who usually plays dan (female) roles. Before her abrupt (and unannounced) departure from the stage in 2000, Ma Lan was considered the most popular Huangmei opera performer in the country. She has won the Plum Blossom Award, the China TV Golden Eagle Award, and the Flying Apsaras Award, and performed on the CCTV New Year's Gala in 1984, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1997, and 2005. She is often compared to the 1950s/1960s superstar Yan Fengying, whom she movingly portrayed in a hit 1988 TV series.

Ma Lan is married to writer Yu Qiuyu. In a 2006 blog post, Yu Qiuyu blamed toxic workplace politics and corruption in Anhui Huangmei Opera Company for his wife's involuntary retirement at age 38. This post generated fervent discussions.

Biography

Ma Lan was born in Taihu County, Anhui, in 1962, and graduated from Anhui Acting Performance School in 1975, where she majored in the performance of Huangmei opera. Succeeding in her debut in 1980, she later created some vivid portrayals of famous characters, such as the artist Zhang Yuliang, Jia Baoyu in Dream of the Red Chamber, Zhu Yingtai in the Butterfly Lovers, Princess Yunhua in the Daughter of the Dragon King, Yan Fengying in Yan Fengying, and Cui Yingying in Romance of the Western Chamber. In 1987, she won the Plum Blossom Prize, and in 1988, she won the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress and the Flying Apsaras Award for Outstanding Actress for her portrayal of Yan Fengying. Most of her performances are still considered as among the best examples of the art of Huangmei opera.

Repertoire

English Title Original Title Role Notes
The Female Imperial Son-in-Law 女駙馬 Feng Suzhen
Daughter of the Dragon King 龍女 Yunhua made into a 1984 film
The Female Painter from the Brothel 風塵女畫家 Zhang Yuliang
Much Ado About Nothing 無事生非 Bicui Based on Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing
Romance of the Western Chamber 西廂記 Cui Yingying
An Exhumation Dream 劈棺驚夢 Lady Tian made into a 1988 TV series
Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢 Jia Baoyu Ma Lan's only cross-gender role
Swing Frame 鞦韆架
Butterfly Lovers 梁祝 Zhu Yingtai

Filmography

Year English title Original title Role Notes
1986 Journey to the West 西遊記 Yin Wenjiao
1988 Yan Fengying 严凤英 Yan Fengying

Awards

Huangmei opera

Ma Lan received the prestigious Plum Blossom Award in 1987.

TV series

Year # Award Category Work Result
1988 8th Flying Apsaras Awards Outstanding Actress Yan Fengying Won
6th China TV Golden Eagle Award Best Actress Won

References

  1. Zhao Yan (2008-01-16). "Ma Lan won Outstanding Asian Artists". China Central Television.
  2. Bai Yansheng (白燕升) (June 2008). "情归何处——马兰散记" [Whence Art Thou: Random Notes on Ma Lan]. Chinese Theatre (中国戏剧) (in Chinese): 51–53.
  3. Tian Tian (2009-07-24). "Huangmei Opera Artist Ma Lan". China Radio International.
  4. "【专题】马兰为何离开安徽黄梅戏院" [Why Did Ma Lan Leave Anhui Huangmei Opera Company]. Sina.com (in Chinese).
  5. Jia Zhigang (贾志刚) (September 2006). "体制对不起马兰, 马兰等不起体制" [The System Failed Ma Lan, but Ma Lan Cannot Wait for the System]. Arts Criticism (艺术评论) (in Chinese): 14–15.
  6. He Yuren (何玉人) (September 2006). ""秋千架"中的摇荡" [The "Swing Frame" Sways]. Arts Criticism (艺术评论) (in Chinese): 15–17.
Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress in a Television Series
Flying Apsaras Award for Outstanding Actress
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