Classic tale revived as comic opera

That impulse becomes most visible in the production's visual world. Stage designer Liu Kedong describes the aesthetic as a kind of collision between myth and technological fantasy — where familiar characters are filtered through a cyber-influenced visual grammar. The intention is not novelty for its own sake, but resonance: to reflect a world in which perception is constantly mediated and clarity is never guaranteed.

Costume designers extend this idea into character design, aiming for figures that feel both culturally rooted and visually futuristic, while makeup artists integrate elements of traditional opera aesthetics into highly stylized facial and accessory designs, carefully calibrated for singers who must balance vocal precision with theatrical expressiveness.

"All of these elements converge most intensely in the performers themselves," says Li. "And in that space between recognition and reinterpretation, the old story begins to sound unfamiliar again."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn