The Taihu Show, entitled Splendor, is a theater production combining cutting-edge stage technology with traditional performance techniques. [Photo provided to wuxinews.com.cn]
In the new version of the show, the story has been streamlined and more Chinese elements added to the music, offering up a sensory feast for audiences.
The Taihu Show, a musical incorporated by the world stage maestro Franco Dragone, returned to the stage in Wuxi, a city on the banks of Taihu Lake in East China's Jiangsu province, on July 1, after a five-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
The show, also known as Splendor, features a love story about Xi Shi, one of the great legendary beauties of China who is said to have lived around 500 BC and helped overthrow a kingdom. Since the show premiered last December, it has become a cultural trademark of the lakeside city.
The show blends various performance arts including musical, comedy, dance and acrobatics. To better meet the preferences of Chinese audiences, the new show has been adapted with a smoother storyline and upgraded acoustic effects, and Chinese dance, martial arts and tai chi have been added, according to Xiao Chang, rehearsal director of the new show.
Sunac Taihu Show Theater, where the show is staged, has made full preparations for its reopening. A series of measures have been taken to ensure safety, including ventilation and disinfection. Audiences are required to show their real name when buying tickets and entering the theater, and sit one seat apart while watching the show.
