It is a casting call to top all casting calls. The project in
question is a television adaptation of A Dream of Red
Mansions, a mammoth novel that is indisputably the pinnacle of
Chinese literature in the fiction genre. There are some 100 roles
with names and the Beijing Television Station has made the casting
process an ongoing talent contest show.
The runaway success of similar reality-based programming has
made it possible for the producers to recoup much of the investment
through a reality TV search, which has the added advantages of more
melodrama and the creation of new stars.
"Many of the winners from such shows as Supergirls and My Hero
are here to audition for the television series," said Tan Fei, a
judge for some of the audition sessions. "This is the ultimate
contest show."
Heated audition
On the first day of open auditioning in early November, 3,000
people queued up in Beijing's Daguanyuan theme park, built in the
1980s to the specifications of a previous CCTV series based on the
same novel. That series has had some 700 reruns.
In addition to this 36-episode adaptation, there are a dozen
prominent dramatizations, including those from Hong Kong and
Taiwan, that were popular during their day. The new version, slated
for 2008, is burdened by this historical baggage as well as
unrealistically high expectations and some say it will likely be an
anti-climax when it debuts.
Ang Lee, whose temperament fits the "Dream" like a glove,
explained to China Daily on a previous occasion that
filming this landmark novel would be like "a moth flying into a
flame."
But Hu Mei, with a bevy of television hits under her belt, is
ready to tackle the job. "She is the only woman director for all
known Dream projects and she will bring her own unique sensitivity
to it," said Tan Fei.
Many of the contestants do not seem to be aware of the looming
shadow of the original work or previous adaptations. Rather, they
have come face to face with so many other competitors, who, like
them, want to break through into the entertainment industry via
this high-profile project. Beijing was just one of 10 audition
sites nationwide. By the end of November, 244,000 contestants had
walked through the audition door.
There are three rounds of open auditions coupled with two more
rounds of contests, altogether taking months and building momentum
towards a lucrative undertaking. Rumour has it that each episode of
the finished product will sell for US$1 million in the overseas
market and that a scriptwriter from the 1987 version has raised
money for a parallel series, with 111 episodes.
Beijing's Round Two, completed last week, whittled down the
local list of contestants from 600 to 100. With fewer competitors,
each one got more time to showcase his or her talent. (In Round
One, everyone got one minute and was scored on appearance,
disposition and acting.)
Yet, many played up their singularities rather than implicit
associations with the characters they want to portray. A girl who
was in the running for Lin Daiyu, the female lead with porcelain
fragility, strutted her stuff in a hot jazz dance. A lady who
covets the role of Liu Laolao, a country bumpkin, elegantly recited
a poem.
Do the homework
Tan told China Daily that about 60 per cent of the contestants
has a college education. "Some are very familiar with the novel and
have made exhaustive preparations," he said. "I'm impressed." But
he admitted that there are people who did not do their homework.
One contestant did not even recognize the name of the leading
character Lin Daiyu and thought the judges were discussing her
future salaries and perks, a homonym "daiyu."
Chen Miao did not make the grade even though she dazzled all
three judges with a rendition of a Peking Opera aria. The
14-year-old was going for a minor role, but the contest has set a
minimum age limit of 18, as required by government regulations.
"I've read the book many times," she said, with a hint of
disappointment, "and I'm not deterred. I will go seek other roles
that may better fit me as I grow up and opportunities arise."
Like Chen, many contestants are students or graduates from
performing arts schools. They see the open audition as both a
training ground and a possible launching pad for their career. Xiao
Wen, who got through Round Two with a dramatic reading of a poem,
is a recent graduate from the famed Beijing Film Academy, a
background which obviously gave her an edge in this kind of
manoeuvring.
The length some wannabies took to win the plum roles was nothing
short of amazing. Zhang Di, in the running for the male lead Jia
Baoyu, immersed himself in the world of the character. His parents
and friends redecorated his room according to descriptions in the
book. However, his knowledge proved to be skin deep. Once the
judges asked him to "demonstrate more talent," he opted for the
ubiquitous poem reading. Even though he made the cut, he got so
scared that he swore he would immerse himself in the novel before
the third round.
"Rudimentary understanding of the original work is necessary,"
said Zhou Ling, one of the judges for this round and a writer for
the 1987 version.
The televised casting call has been accused of "cheapening and
commercializing the great masterpiece," but for those hoping to get
into the costume drama and to profit from the spotlight, there is
nothing cheap or easy about it.
(China Daily December 12, 2006)