The Lead, a popular Chinese TV series, is based on an award-winning novel of the same name. Directed by Li Shaofei, the show tells the long-term growth story of Qinqiang opera artists. Qinqiang is a traditional local opera popular in Northwest China, and the drama has attracted wide attention since it came out.
Qinqiang serves as the main thread. Every opera piece in the show matches the characters’ situations. Some young viewers might find it a bit tedious — sometimes a single line or a gesture can take a long time to perform, but the wonderful story and vivid characters make these scenes interesting. This helps young audiences experience the unique charm of Qinqiang art.
This is not Li’s first work about Shaanxi culture. He once directed Stage Builder, another popular drama also rooted in Shaanxi culture. Compared with his last work, The Lead is more like an epic about ordinary people. It shows the life changes and spiritual struggles of several generations. The series is set in Shaanxi and rich in local color. It includes many real-life details, such as local snacks, amateur Qinqiang singers near the city wall and daily customs. However, creating this time-spanning (跨越时间的) drama faced many challenges. The team worked hard to restore historical scenes, match actors’ accents to local dialects and train actors to perform traditional Qinqiang well.
The drama has received mixed reviews. Some viewers love it, while others think the pacing at the start was slow. However, the director thinks these opinions are normal. Many young people know little about Qinqiang at first, but they finally fall in love with the touching story and lovely characters.
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