河北梆子从山西、陕西梆子脱胎而出,经河北人民按照自己的语言音调、文化特点、生活习俗改造后,发展为一种新剧种。天津并设立了河北梆子科班,致使人才济济、高手如云。当时的演出场所茶园,成了河北梆子的一统天下。
        特别是庚子事变前后,在天津出现的直隶新派梆子,即 “卫派梆子” ,影响更大,不仅成了河北梆子的主流派,而且大举进军京城,并且扩展到外埠各地。
        “卫派梆子” 的显著特征是: 老生行当创造了新腔。当时,河北梆子界最红的演员是魏联陞,艺名小元元红。他扮相英俊,嗓音高亢,既擅演唱,又善刻画人物。他演出的《战北原》、《大蝴蝶杯》、《南北合》等戏,都很成功。
        天津西郊大孙庄王庆林,艺名银达子,最初拜老达子红为师,学河北梆子老生,其演出场状并有几分与小元元红的 “神似” ,他还把京剧唱法中的 “气口”技巧和大鼓中发音吐字的方法,融化入河北梆子之中,成为驰名全国的河北梆子演员。
        从民国初期到解放前夕,河北梆子在津的演出,主要在天桂、北天仙、大乐、庆云、宝兴、丹桂、新天仙、天华景、中华等戏院,并在京东、冀南、锦州等地巡回演出。
        尤其是卫派梆子女伶的出现,既推动了河北梆子艺术,又促进了旦角艺术的发展,可以说是戏剧舞台的一次革命。在旧社会不容许妇女登台演出,天津开埠较早,受到西方文化影响,女伶在天津首开戏剧舞台之先。当时知名的河北梆子女演员就多达数十位,如当时有“梆子大王”之称的金钢钻及小香水、刘喜奎等。1912年,天津女伶应邀赴京演出,开女演员京城公演之先,并一度使河北梆子获取了北京剧坛的主导权。一些报刊载文惊叹: “卫派梆子” “唱做俱佳” ,“男伶几无立足之地” 。
        20世纪40年代,银达子与金钢钻搭班,比较固定的在天津的中华茶园(今中华曲苑)演出,并帮衬和提携过后来成为著名表演艺术家的韩俊卿。韩俊卿从小被卖到河北雄县韩胜恒家,十岁便能演整出戏了。很快成为青衣、花旦、武生、刀马、彩旦兼长的演员。1928年春到天津卫演戏,因患天花而嗓音沙哑,生活无着。银达子便收她搭班,使她在河北梆子传统的艺术上成就了大业。

        

·银达子剧照(左)

        Originating from the Bangzi operas of Shanxi andShanxi,it absorbed Hebei`s tone,culture and daily lifeand grew into a new genre,Hebei Bangzi TrainingProgram was established in Tianjin ,which cultivatednumerous talents. Hebei Bangzi was performed in nearlyall the tea houses in Tianjin.
        Especially after the Gengzi Event,Zhili NewBangzi,namely Wei Bangzi,came into being in Tianjinwhich had a greater impact not only becoming themainstream of Hebei Bangzi but being played in Beijingand other provinces.
        The outstanding feature ofWei Bangzi was that it created anew tone of the elderly character.At that time,the most famousactor in Hebei Bangzi was WeiLiansheng whose stage namewas Little Yuanyuanhong. Hehad a handsome appearance anda vigorous voice and was good atsinging and portraying characters.Operas like Fighting on theNorthern Plain and Big ButterflyCup and Union of South andNorth were great successes.
        Wang Qinglin with a stagename of Silver Dazi from Tianjin`s suburb the DasunVillage learned from Old Dazi of how to be an oldcharacter of Hebei Bangzi and whose performance had akind of common with Little Yuanyuanhong in spirit. Healso combined the breath-mouth singing skill in BeijingOpera and the way of uttering words in Big Drum intoHeibei Bangzi and thus became a famed Hebei Banghziactor nationwide.
        From the early Republic of China to the eve of theliberation,Hebei Bangzi performance in Tianjin mainlywere showed at the theaters like Tiangui,Beidaxian,Dale,Qingyun,Baoxing,Dangui,Xintianxian,Tianhuajing,and Zhonghua,and also made round showsin the east of Beijing,south of Hebei and Jinzhou,etc.

        

·著名河北梆子演员韩俊卿

        The appearances of actress in Wei Bangzi,in particular,promoted Hebei Bangzi and femalecharacter`s performance. This was a revolution forthe opera,because feudal China did not allow womanto perform,only Tianjin was open and influencedby the western culture. There were dozens of femalecharacters such as Jingangzuan,Xiaoxiangshui and Liu Xikui.In1912,Tianjin female actresseswere invited to perform inBeijing,which was the firsttime. Hebei Bangzi acquired themonopoly of opera performancein Beijing. Some newspaperexclaimed that Wei Bangzi was"adept at singing and acting",and"male actors nearly did not haveopportunities to perform".
        In 1940s,costarring withGolden Drill,Silver Dazimainly performed at ZhonghuaTea House (now Zhonghua Quyuan). He assisted HanJunqing who became a famous actress later. Han wassold to Han Shengheng living at Hebei Xiong Countywhen she was young and could perform at 10. Notvery long,he became a versatile actress performing theroles of qingyi,huadan,wusheng,daoma,and caidan.In the Spring of 1928,when she came to Tianjing forperformance,Silver Dazi took her a costar which helpedher have a wonderful career in traditional Hebei Bangzi.