An ordinary night in front of the TV, who would have thought that it would be Wang Ping's last night? On February 22, 2013, a seemingly ordinary night, Wang Ping and his family sat in the warm living room, and the plot of the TV series gradually pushed to a climax, however, the script of life prepared a sudden ending for him. Just as the laughter of the family had not completely dissipated, Wang Ping suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, his wife's face was full of horror, and the child's eyes were full of puzzlement. The atmosphere at home suddenly became tense, and then a race against time began, but the ruthlessness of fate made all efforts in vain. What took Wang Ping's life?
The dream trip of the first acquaintance with the trumpet
One day in spring, the sun shines through the window lattice and shines in the small living room of Wang Ping's house. The neighbor, carrying a basket full of vegetables, stepped through the door, smiling, and went straight to the point, making an offer to Wang Ping's father. The neighbor has been in contact with the chief trumpet player of the Liaoning Song and Dance Troupe for many years and has a unique view of music. He mentioned Wang Ping's musical potential and suggested that Wang Ping go to Shenyang to learn from the trumpet master. Wang Ping's father listened, his expression gradually changed from doubt to thinking, and he seemed a little hesitant.
Seeing his concerns, the neighbor put down the basket and passionately described the beauty of the trumpet art and the extraordinary talent of the teacher. He said that the teacher has a good reputation in the music industry, and the students have achieved a lot under his guidance. After Wang Ping's father heard this, there was a glimmer of light in his eyes, and he seemed to be moved by the neighbor's words.
When 9-year-old Wang Ping came back from playing outside, his eyes lit up when he heard the news. Although Wang Ping is young, he is particularly sensitive to music, and can often hum melodies by himself in unmanned afternoons. Knowing that there was an opportunity to learn the trumpet, he showed great interest almost without any hesitation.
A chance encounter with cross talk
One day when he was 13 years old, Wang Ping was a guest at his classmate's house, and several children sat around an old-fashioned tape recorder, a cassette tape was slowly rotating, playing Hou Baolin's cross talk "Night Travel". The voice of the tape recorder was a little hoarse, but Hou Baolin's voice was still clear and smooth, and his unique intonation and rich expression changes were transmitted to everyone who listened through his voice.
The classmate's father is a cross talk enthusiast, and his family has a lot of classic cross talk recordings. This time, he saw that the children seemed to be interested in cross talk, so he deliberately released this precious recording. In the room, the children sat or lay down and listened with relish. Wang Ping was particularly engaged, his eyes were glued to the tape recorder, as if he could see Hou Baolin's figure on the stage.
Hou Baolin's recording tells an interesting story about walking at night, his voice is sometimes high-pitched and impassioned, sometimes low and subtle, his expression is richly varied, and the sense of humor revealed between the tone and the frustration is unbearable. Especially in the dialogue between him and his partner, one voice is mellow and rich, and the other voice is sharp and fluctuating, which is perfectly coordinated, so that the children present can't help laughing.
After the recording, the students had a lot of discussions, and expressed their opinions on the laughter and language skills in the cross talk. Wang Ping was silent for a while, he had never felt the charm of cross talk so closely, and Hou Baolin's performance deeply touched him and made him strongly interested. He began to ask his classmate's father more details about cross talk, such as how performers train, what are the classic cross talk, etc.
The classmate's father saw Wang Ping's interest and enthusiastically introduced him to the history of cross talk and the styles of some famous performers. He also took down a few books about cross talk from the bookshelf and recommended them to Wang Ping. Wang Ping took the book and promised to read it carefully when he returned home.
Back home, Wang Ping excitedly told his parents about his new discoveries and interests. Although Wang Ping's parents were initially surprised by his sudden switch from music to cross talk, seeing Wang Ping's enthusiasm for cross talk, they also began to gradually understand and support his decision.
The road to study in Tianjin
In the early morning of Tianjin, with a hint of the salty and humid smell of a fishing port, Wang Ping carried a simple bag on his back, standing in this city full of cultural atmosphere, his mood was full of anticipation. Tianjin, as one of the birthplaces of Chinese cross talk, has a profound cross talk cultural heritage. Wang Ping's arrival is a pursuit of his infinite enthusiasm for the art of cross talk.
After arriving in Tianjin, Wang Ping began to inquire about the whereabouts of Mr. Li Boxiang. From the backstage staff of the cross talk theater to the cross talk fans who often gather in the teahouse, he gradually pieced together Li Boxiang's information. After several days of hard work, he finally found Li Boxiang's disciple in a time-honored teahouse, and through the disciple's introduction, Wang Ping was fortunate to meet Li Boxiang.
Li Boxiang is a personable old artist, and when he met Wang Ping, he was drinking tea with a few old friends in the teahouse. Seeing Wang Ping such an enthusiastic young man, Li Boxiang did not immediately express his position, but invited Wang Ping to sit down, and first listened to him talk about his understanding and enthusiasm for cross talk. Wang Ping talked about his learning experience and desire for the art of cross talk, and his tone was sincere.
After several meetings and conversations, Li Boxiang was gradually moved by Wang Ping's sincerity and enthusiasm, and decided to take Wang Ping as an apprentice and teach him the skills of cross talk. Under the guidance of Li Boxiang, Wang Ping began to systematically learn various skills of cross talk. Li Boxiang has a unique insight into the art of cross talk, he not only teaches Wang Ping how to use voice intonation, but also pays attention to teaching him how to control the rhythm on stage and how to establish a subtle connection with the audience.
Every time he practiced, Li Boxiang would carefully point out Wang Ping's shortcomings, from the modulation of his voice to the movement of his steps, every detail was not missed. Wang Ping also showed a very high enthusiasm for learning and progress speed, and his hard work and love for cross talk are valuable in Li Boxiang's eyes.
In the process of studying, Wang Ping had the opportunity to participate in various small performances, and gradually accumulated experience on the stage. He began to appear in some more formal cross talk performances under Li Boxiang's partner. Every time he stood on the stage, Wang Ping tried his best to show the skills he had learned, and his performances were more and more recognized and loved by the audience.
With the passage of time, Wang Ping's fame has gradually grown in the cross talk world. His articulation, precise timing, and interaction with the audience often earned him applause and laughter during his performances. Every time he hears the audience's response, Wang Ping deeply feels that his efforts have not been in vain, which strengthens his determination to continue to study and interpret cross talk in depth.
Wang Ping's study career in Tianjin made his performance style more and more mature, and gradually occupied a place in the cross talk industry.
The dream of the Spring Festival Gala came true
The stage layout of the 1992 Spring Festival Gala was dazzling, and the stage was busy in front of and behind the scenes. Wang Ping and his partners, Yan Yueming and Li Jianhua, are nervously preparing backstage. The cross talk "On Praise" co-starred by the three is a work that they have carefully prepared for several months and is highly anticipated.
In the dressing room, three comedians, dressed in traditional tunics, are checking their costumes in front of the mirror to make sure everything is neat. Their makeup artists are busy polishing them to ensure that their skin and expression look their best under the light. The lighting and sound engineers in front of the stage are also putting the finishing touches on the stage to ensure that all the technical details are optimal.
As the clock approached, Wang Ping and his partners had their last rehearsal. During rehearsals, they repeatedly practiced the key dialogues and movements of the show, and every rhythm point was precisely calculated and adjusted to ensure that it was accurately presented in the official performance. The director carefully observed from the sidelines, and from time to time made suggestions for modifications, striving to polish the show to perfection.
Before the official performance began, the host enthusiastically introduced the program on stage, and the applause and cheers of the audience gradually increased. Behind the side of the stage, Wang Ping, Yan Yueming and Li Jianhua looked at each other and smiled, and then stepped into the center of the stage. The lights focused, the three of them bowed, and then the show officially began.
"On Praise" is a classic dialogue that explores the roles of praise and tease in cross talk, and shows the profound connotation of cross talk art through humorous rhetoric and clever interaction. Wang Ping played the role of a teaseman in it, his typhoon was steady, the speed of speech was properly controlled, and the tacit understanding with Yan Yueming and Li Jianhua, the interaction between the three was natural and smooth, which attracted bursts of laughter from the audience.
In the show, they use typical cross talk techniques, such as word overlapping, misalignment and imitation, so that the audience can feel the charm and artistry of cross talk in laughter.
As the show ended, the audience burst into applause and cheers, and the audience's response exceeded the actors' expectations. Wang Ping and his partners bowed deeply on the stage to thank the audience for their enthusiastic support. Walking off the stage, the director and other staff of the show came forward to congratulate him.
The regret of an untimely death
On the evening of February 22, 2013, Wang Ping sat on a sofa in the living room with his wife and children, while a popular TV series was playing in front of the TV. Outside, it was getting dark, but the lights inside were soft, and the laughter of the family rang out from time to time. Wang Ping has just returned home from the crew in Suzhou, he has been filming TV series for more than ten days in a row, and his body is slightly tired, but at the moment he is enjoying a rare family time.
At around 9 o'clock in the evening, Wang Ping suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his face instantly turned pale. Seeing this, the family immediately panicked and hurriedly called the emergency number and asked for an ambulance to arrive as soon as possible. As he waited anxiously for an ambulance, Wang Ping's condition deteriorated rapidly, and his family tried to comfort him while doing some basic first aid, but his breathing became weaker and weaker.
The ambulance finally arrived, and paramedics quickly entered the room for emergency rescue. Despite all possible efforts by the medical staff, Wang Ping's vital signs eventually stopped, and he died of sudden cardiac death at the age of 51 due to overwork and lack of rest.
The news of Wang Ping's death quickly spread throughout the entertainment industry, and many peers and friends felt disbelief and deep grief. A few days later, a memorial service was held in Beijing, where many insiders, as well as Wang Ping's relatives and friends, came to express their condolences and remembrance of the talented artist.
At the memorial service, the famous cross talk actor Jiang Kun and the famous actress Cai Ming, as Wang Ping's old friends, spoke on the stage with choked voices. They reminisced about their days working with Wang Ping and praised his artistic talent and style of conduct in the world. Jiang Kun cried bitterly, saying that Wang Ping's cross talk art had made outstanding contributions, and his sudden departure was unacceptable. Cai Ming mentioned that Wang Ping has always brought laughter to those around him in his life, and his early death is a great loss to the entire art world.
In the corner of the venue, Wang Ping's posthumous photos and some precious items from his lifetime were placed, including his cross talk recordings and the script of a TV series. People who attended the memorial service came to lay flowers and pay their last respects.
References:[1]Cheng Yun. Wang Ping· cross talk · firefighting——Wang Ping: painting life in the spring and autumn on the mouth——Wang Ping, a famous cross talk actor and a colonel of the Liaoning Provincial Fire Brigade[J].Shanghai Fire Protection,2003(6):89-99