Charity

Public welfare culture cares for AIDS groups
The musical "Love and Life" will enter the university campus

Text: Ai Qun

December 1, 2015 was the 28th World AIDS Day. On the stage of Shanghai Daning Theater, Chinese-American musician Dong Rongcan, with his Chinese heart and great love for the Chinese nation, led nearly 200 Shanghai music workers and children's choirs to perform a touching, tear-jerking, love-awakening, and positive-energy charity original musical "Love and Life" with the theme of "Caring for the Vulnerable Groups of AIDS". This is the first musical in Chinese art history with the theme of "Caring for AIDS". The beautiful and gentle music, touching plot, dramatic conflicts and excellent performances in the play made the old, middle-aged, young and young people on the scene shed tears at the same time. Even the musicians of the orchestra had tears in their eyes. The applause continued to ring, and people's heartstrings were gently plucked by the sincere love exuded in the music. Everyone was moved by the singing and the true feelings of the characters in the play, and burst into passion for caring for the world in the emotion.

Inspired by the charitable activities of "World AIDS Charity Ambassador" Ms. Peng Liyuan during her visit to the United States last September and at the United Nations General Assembly to care for vulnerable groups affected by AIDS, Dong Rongcan used his insights into artistic life and his sense of responsibility for realizing the "Chinese Dream" to work continuously day and night to create the touching story and script of the musical "Love and Life", wrote the songs and music for the entire play, and spent 16 hours a day at his desk to complete the extremely heavy instrumentation writing for the symphony orchestra. He arrived in Shanghai on November 11, set up a performance team, completed the assembly and rehearsal of the entire play, and presented a tribute to the "World AIDS Day" on December 1.

This is a charity performance, and tickets are not sold to the public. Dong Rongcan was faced with the difficult situation of putting an original musical on stage without any funds. However, Dong Rongcan made a decision that ordinary people could not understand. In addition to being willing to devote his huge creative energy to the script, composition, and orchestration, he also took on all the expenses required to produce the musical, and paid for all expenses such as venue, lighting, sound, and scenery.

What moved him was that his act of love was not lonely and helpless. Just as he wrote in the script: "The world is moving! China is moving!" Cultural figures and students from all over the world gathered on this loving stage. Parents of participating primary and secondary school students said in the WeChat group that this performance was a profound life education for the 70 children on the stage and an unforgettable memory in their lifetime.

The story describes a couple who died of AIDS. They left behind a boy who was infected with AIDS during pregnancy. A pair of volunteers, Mr. and Mrs. Norin, promised the dying woman that they would raise the child. However, Mr. and Mrs. Norin were subjected to incomprehensible looks, pressure, discrimination and fear of AIDS patients from the people around them, which led to the separation of the couple's family, the child running away from home, and the pressure from the mother-in-law. However, keeping her promise and loving her, Norin insisted on taking on the responsibility of living with the child alone. The mother and son faced the future bravely with dreams and hopes.

The world is taking action, China is taking action, the society is extending its loving hands to the AIDS patients, and Mother Peng sends warm greetings to the AIDS orphans. The child's condition is getting better, and Norin joins the volunteer team caring for the AIDS patients, bids farewell to everyone, and leads them to a distant place.

When the theme song "Thanks" was sung, Ambassador Peng Liyuan's public welfare film "We Are Together" appeared on the LED screen, as if Ambassador Peng was among us, and the audience burst into warm applause. The plot was tortuous and exciting. It also promoted awareness of AIDS prevention and dispelled the misconception of fear.

The most touching scene came at the end of the play: when the volunteer team caring for AIDS was about to say goodbye and go to other places to continue their journey of love, the host of "Volunteer", Hong Kong film actor Liu Xin, said affectionately, "Dear friends, goodbye, today we are leaving for love, just like yesterday we came for love: 20 days ago, a composer came to Shanghai from the United States, dedicated the entire stage tonight with his love, and made this musical "Love and Life" with 18 days of hard work. He is the People's Artist Dong Rongcan, who is a producer, producer, chief director, artistic director, screenwriter, composer, orchestrator and band conductor!" At this time, the audience burst into long applause. With infinite emotion in his heart, Dong Rongcan walked to the front of the stage and said in a sentimental voice: "20 days ago, I came with love, and in a few days, I will leave with longing. I deeply thank the 200 actors and band musicians standing on the stage tonight, and thank all the audience. It is your love that makes my "China journey" complete. With you, there is love, with love, there are dreams, and with dreams, there is China's tomorrow!" As soon as the passionate words fell, the atmosphere in the audience reached a climax when he bowed deeply to all the actors to express his gratitude.

Then, Dong Rongcan closed the curtain of the musical "Love and Life" with these words: "Friends, let us see you at the next stop of love!" At this time, the audience stood up to show their respect.

The musical ended, leaving people with a feeling of being touched and reflecting. What power could allow such a large-scale musical without any financial support to be completed in 18 days? That power is, "Love can change everything!"

Dong Rongcan graduated from Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1981, and later served as a composer for the Shanghai Orchestra. In 1985, he went to the United States to pursue a degree. He held two solo concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1992 and 2000. During the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, he went to the disaster area and created the music album "Hand in Hand, Wind and Rain" for the victims. He returned to the disaster area on May 12, 2009, and successfully staged the large-scale song and dance evening "Hand in Hand, Wind and Rain" to comfort the victims and armed police officers. For this reason, the Overseas Edition of the People's Daily reported on his 365 days of nostalgia for the disaster area under the title "Dong Rongcan: A Chinese American Chinese" on June 12.

A few days after the musical, Dong Rongcan returned to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he lives. The mayor of Salt Lake County, Byrne McAteer, wrote a letter of thanks to every participating unit in Shanghai, saying, "Caring for people with AIDS is a common theme between our two peoples. Thank you for your excellent charity performance in the large-scale musical "Love and Life"; thank you for your love and support for the composer Dong Rongcan from Salt Lake City, USA. You have connected the friendship between the two countries and two cities with your actions. Let us come together to bring love to the world stage."

Recently, Dong Rongcan started the second round of his musical "Love and Life". Based on the fact that the incidence of AIDS has increased in Chinese colleges and universities in recent years, he has started to adapt the script, trying to reflect college campus life and re-establish the correct ethical and moral values of college students. He plans to start a publicity tour for AIDS prevention and treatment in universities across the country in the fall of 2016. In order to encourage more people to participate in this charity event, he plans to mobilize college art troupes or social art groups to participate in the performance, so that AIDS care and prevention will become a trend.

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