|
|
The Seventh-rank Sesame Official is a Henan Opera production staged by the Hebi Henan Opera Niu School Art Research Institute and directed by Xie Tian. It revolves around a grassroots official adjudicating a case as its core plot, employing a witty and humorous approach in character portrayal.
1
During the
2026 National Two Sessions
, National People's Congress deputy Jin Buhuan submitted a proposal using The Seventh-rank Sesame Official, staged by his troupe, as an example. The production has won the
Wenhua Award
and the Hundred Flowers Award. It contains classic arias such as I, the County Magistrate, Am Filled with Joy, vividly depicting the witty image of the seventh-rank county magistrate skillfully dealing with the powerful while adjudicating the case. On September 27, 2023, the first VR technology version of the play was released in Zhengzhou. It reconstructs the stage space through 360-degree panoramic imaging technology, preserves traditional artistic elements like
Henan Opera
vocal tunes and body movements, and achieves an immersive viewing experience. The Henan Opera Film The New Seventh-rank Sesame Official, released on April 17, 2025, was jointly produced by the Hebi Henan Opera Niu School Art Research Institute and the China Theatre Association. Jin Buhuan plays Tang Cheng. Set during the
Ming Dynasty
's Jiajing era, it tells the story of the seventh-rank county magistrate Tang Cheng who, undaunted by the powerful, outwits the titled lady Yan Shi.
1
On April 26,
HENAN SATELLITE TV
's program Li Yuan Chun broadcast the fourth episode of its "Opening Box Grand Opera" series, a special edition dedicated to The Seventh-rank Sesame Official. It employed a crosstalk mode for linking segments, featuring performances by renowned
Henan Opera
artists including
Jin Zhenxiu
, Xuan Yuting,
Wang Quanzhen
,
Hu Xihua
, Li Genwang, Yang Shuaixue, Sheng Honglin, and
Bai Junxuan
.
8
- Chinese Name
-
七品芝麻官
- Production Technology
-
VR Panoramic Shooting3
- Premiere Date
-
September 27, 2023
- Lead Cast and Inheritance
-
Niu Decao, Jin Buhuan4
- Representative Aria
-
I, the County Magistrate, Am Filled with Joy1
Background and Innovations of the Production
"The Seventh-rank Sesame Official" has garnered the
Wenhua Award
and the
Hundred Flowers Award
. It was directed by the renowned director Xie Tian, with provincial-level experts and renowned performers providing guidance to the troupe. The 2023 version of "The Seventh-rank Sesame Official" reconstructed the stage space using 360-degree panoramic imaging technology, allowing the audience to freely choose their viewing perspective. This innovation preserved traditional artistic elements of
Henan Opera
such as its vocal style and physical movements while achieving an immersive viewing experience.
2
Plot Summary
The 2025 opera film adaptation is set during the
Ming Dynasty
under the Jiajing Emperor. It narrates the story of the newly appointed county magistrate Tang Cheng, who cleverly contends with the Lady of Rank Yan Shi in a legal case. The plot includes core elements such as a young ruffian forcibly seizing a commoner's daughter, the chivalrous Du Shiqing conducting undercover investigations to gather evidence, and the courtroom trial where he outwits the powerful. Through classic lines like "Yamen runners, all of you, take a look," the story depicts the direct confrontation between an upright official and corrupt forces.
5
Artistic Features
-
The linguistic style integrates Central Plains dialects and slang, with vivid and figurative metaphors such as "from a small hole, I fished out a big crab".
-
The aria design highlights the characteristics of the Xiangfu Tune in Henan Opera. The performance of the Clown Role incorporates stylized movements, and its artistic pursuit is summarized as "Ugly but not vulgar, there is skill in ugliness, there is reason in ugliness", possessing a unique and sophisticated beauty.
-
The plot employs the contrasting technique of "portraying an honest official through a clown role", shaping a clean and honest image through lyrics like "I do not covet solid gold ingots".
Representative Aria
The excerpt "I, the County Magistrate, Am Filled with Joy" centrally showcases the character's personality: the line "I don't covet solid gold ingots; I'll buy you a coffin when your wife dies" uses black humor to satirize corrupt forces; "Who among you has ever seen a petty seventh-rank county magistrate like me interrogating a lady?" intensifies the dramatic conflict through self-deprecating rhetoric. In contemporary stage performances, the opera is often presented by linking several classic excerpts, such as The Seventh-Rank Petty Official: Emperor Jiajing Sits in Beijing, The Seventh-Rank Petty Official: Tang Cheng Reviews the Petition, The Seventh-Rank Petty Official: Stopping the Sedan Chair to Shout Injustice, The Seventh-Rank Petty Official: The Imperial Lady Causes a Scene in the Court, and The Seventh-Rank Petty Official: Wisely Interrogating the Imperial Lady. Among these, the lyric "If an official does not serve the people, he might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes" easily resonates deeply with the audience during performances.
1
Performance Activities
On April 26, 2026, the fourth episode of the "Opening Box Grand Opera" segment of the
HENAN SATELLITE TV
opera program Li Yuan Chun aired a special performance of The Seventh-rank Sesame Official. The entire program adopted the 'Crosstalk Mode' format to link the segments, with crosstalk performers
Fu Xiaokang
and Han Xin introducing the play in the Henan dialect. The performance gathered renowned
Henan Opera
artists such as
Jin Zhenxiu
, Xuan Yuting,
Wang Quanzhen
,
Hu Xihua
, Li Genwang, Yang Shuaixue, Sheng Honglin, and
Bai Junxuan
, who performed classic excerpts including Emperor Jiajing Ascends the Throne in Beijing, Tang Cheng Reviews the Petition, Stopping the Sedan to Cry for Justice, The Imperial Consort's Wife Causes a Scene in the Court, and Wisely Interrogating the Imperial Consort's Wife. Among them, Xuan Yuting, who was eighty years old at the time, has been continuously portraying the role of Tang Cheng since 1978. The program was supervised by
Xiaoge Pang
.
8
References
1
.
【豫剧】七品芝麻官
.
酷狗音乐 - 就是歌多！小说相声也很多！
.
2025-02-10
2
.
豫剧- 七品芝麻官
.
酷狗音乐 - 就是歌多！小说相声也很多！
.
2023-11-10
3
.
豫剧- 七品芝麻官 (唱段)
.
酷狗音乐 - 就是歌多！小说相声也很多！
.
2025-01-04
4
.
牛得草 - 【豫剧】七品芝麻官
.
酷狗音乐 - 就是歌多！小说相声也很多！
.
2022-11-19
5
.
《新七品芝麻官》(戏曲 豫剧)
.
电影数字节目管理中心
.
2025-04-17
6
.
【豫剧】七品芝麻官
.
酷我音乐网
.
2024-10-13
7
.
全国人大代表金不换：坚守“戏曲为民”，让基层群众共享戏曲振兴红利
.
百家号
.
2026-03-07
8
.
“当官不为民做主，不如回家卖红薯”今晚《七品芝麻官》专场
.
百家号
.
2026-04-26