Shining all the same
The eight-hour stage drama A Dream like a Dream directed by Stan Lai is half way through its 14 day run at Beijing's Poly Theatre. For most of the actors, the heavy workload and requirement for energy and emotion are real challenges in this long production. However, for pop singer Li Yuchun, this is a rare opportunity for her to concentrate on only one task.
"It was like a crocodile running after you all the time," Li described her life as a singer. "Being part of the show is like an excuse to make a change, learning from other actors and director Lai. I have really enjoyed the process," she said.
Eight years after winning the Super Girl singing competition by receiving over 3.5 million votes sent in by text message, Li is still as popular a singer as she has ever been. On top of that, she has also been writing music, directing music videos and concerts, acting in films and now she is stepping into the world of theater.
Seize the opportunity
"I never considered playing stage dramas before... Acting is like a surprising journey to me," Li told the Global Times.
Li has participated in three feature films so far: Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) produced by Peter Chan, The Guillotines (2012) directed by Andrew Lau and Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011) directed by Tsui Hark. Although the names that she has cooperated with are all A-listers in the Chinese movie industry, Li is still very green compared to the experienced professionals she performs with in A Dream like a Dream.
Being attracted by director Lai's closed training process, Li decided to take this opportunity and do it "comparatively beautifully" in her words.
In Dream, Li plays a doctor who has just graduated from college. Although her role is not one that carries a deep background story, it is a key character leading the whole storyline. The staging requires her to enter her role immediately while the audience is still settling in their seats after the intervals.
Now, almost a year after first reading the script and being puzzled by the complicated director's notes (the stage goes around the audience and contains eight different positions), she has managed to fit in with the other actors. Instead of the positive feedback from critics, what she enjoyed more was the process of building up "from nothing to what it is today."
'Why me?'
In the entertainment industry, there are always stories of long harsh years before "overnight" success. But for Li, things went very smoothly. She was still a graduate student at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music when she won Super Girl.
Many people may have heard Li's story from the famous TV host Chen Luyu's talk show A Date with Luyu. In 2005, Super Girl went to Chengdu, Sichuan Province to audition candidates for its second season. It was a hot sunny day. After seeing so many people rushing to sign up, Li lost patience and wanted to go home. Then she met her classmate He Jie, who later won fourth place on that year's edition of Super Girl.
"You're already here. Why not stay?" He encouraged Li and changed both their lives.
During those emotional moments when contestants cry over winning or losing, Li remained confident and calm, making her look very different from other girls.
Liang Hongda, a media critic once commented about Li's popularity in his TV show Lao Liang Talks about TV. He said Li gives hope to all the ordinary people who want to become a superstar.
Yet, Li is representative in a sense because she is the first "elected" idol in China. Moreover, she never had any intention to become famous nor did gaining millions of fans change her personality.
Li told the Global Times that the only time she realized a possible change was during an interview in which she was asked if she likes to go to bed early and get up early. She doesn't, but she hesitated to admit it out of concern that her answer might influence kids.
"Still, I never felt like I'm a star and I don't actually like this word 'star.' The form of my work is easier for everyone to see. Besides that, I'm no different from others at all," said Li, adding that she loves to spend her spare time at home watching movies and listening to music, exactly the same as before.
In 2006, Li created her original concert brand "Why me?" for all the labels, all the love and all the hate thrown at her.
"Why me?" is more like an attitude, showing her strong personality - not too outrageous, just quietly cool.
The Li phenomenon
Individuality isn't a trait Chinese society has traditionally cherished. Celebrities' aesthetics were similar. For a good singer, you needed to have a powerful voice and high pitch. For a female celebrity, you needed to be good looking and feminine. The sound of Li's voice and tomboy style is just the opposite. She proved that you can be successful by being yourself and free from those restrictions and clichés.
The Queen and the Dreams, Youth of China, Old if not Wild and so on - the themes and images of Li's albums are all straightforward, nothing sophisticated but easy to connect with for the young generations in China.
Li and her team know very well what she can best represent and what the public likes. At a time when music is not only for your ears but also includes music videos, design and concerts, Li shows her creativity and personality at every turn.
If her win in 2005 was a result of the Chinese young people seeking individuality, her changes over the years and continued popularity can be seen as a reflection of the post-1980s and post-1990s generations trying to find a balance between maturing and being true to oneself. She has the "X factor" that China's pluralistic cultural age is looking for.
"Is the answer to 'why me' important to you?" I asked.
"No answer is important to me. That's probably the reason I want to keep trying all kinds of works," said Li.