民國前期,上海新興的城市精英熱衷于參與京劇娛樂活動,尤其追捧來自北京的"京角",借此形塑了自身在地方社會中的領導地位。民初以降,文人學士以多種方式提升了京劇的文化層次,并賦予京角前所未有的文化光環。上海精英群體通過為京角捧場、與之交際往還、以票友身份學習表演并登臺獻藝等活動,確立了相對于普通民眾的文化優越地位,使其城市社會領導者的身份獲得文化上的"合法性"。同時,各種京劇活動場合為本地精英人士提供了跨行業甚至跨地區社交聯誼的渠道,強化了彼此之間的階層認同,而邀請京角參加公益演出或親自參與其中則成為他們贏得社會聲譽、提升公眾形象的重要方式。

In the early Republican period,the new Shanghai urban elites were devoted to the Peking Opera as an entertaining activity,especially supporting star singers from Beijing,to establish their leading role in the local society.The literati enhanced the cultural level of the Peking Opera in various ways and conferred to unprecedented cultural aura to Peking Opera singers.By involving in activities related to the Peking Opera,the Shanghai elites assured their cultural superiority to common people and obtained their cultural"legitimacy"as social leaders in the city.Meanwhile,numerous settings for Peking Operas provided channels for the local elites to build trans-professional and trans-regional networks and reinforced their class identity.It was an important way for them to gain social prestige and improve their public images to invite Peking Opera singers to charity performances and even participate in the performances themselves.