Vision of Splendor set to endure

Those who are not familiar with Chinese history may not know 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.

But they soon will be, as international theater director Franco Dragone has incorporated the Xi Shi story into his new show, which will premiere on Sunday in Wuxi, an ancient city on the banks of Taihu Lake in Jiangsu province, East China.

The Taihu show, known as Splendor, is being hailed as the first step on a new creative path by Dragone.

"This really is one of the first shows I would call a'Dragone musical'," says Damien Long, director of creation, who has worked with the Belgian maestro for 15 years on a number of productions, including La Perle, Land of Legends, The Dai Show and The Han Show.

"Typically, our shows are stories told through emotion and the audience has a moment where they can decide what the story means for them. This is a story-driven show that we've adapted into more of a musical-style piece," says Long.

Choreographer Phenix Lin says that Splendor embodies a broad fusion of body languages, including martial arts and modern dance, helping with the development of the characters while revealing their inner strength.

The addition of universal comedy elements into the performance gives the show a fresher, more modern interpretation, says casting director Wayne Wilson.

When asked about his favorite character in the show, Wilson says to his surprise, it was Xi Shi, as he was unaware of the traditional story before the project. "To see the character (Xi Shi) set off on her journey from a naive, young lady to become a strong, independent hero, has been really satisfying to watch."

The tale of Xi Shi incorporates many aspects of traditional Chinese culture into its characters, customs and locations.

"Everything that we've built here has taken inspiration from something that is local... We really wanted to capture the key essence of the story," says Long.

He observes that in every culture, the younger generations are losing their connection with the past, partly due to the rise of modern technology such as smartphones. The stage artist from Las Vegas says he hopes the show will spark interest in younger audiences, and entertain them with stories about their culture and history.

This said, the work remains a blend of cutting-edge stage technology and tradition. With a modern theater featuring a revolving stage and a 360-degree LED screen surrounding the stage at a height of 9.5 meters, Splendor is expected to push the boundaries of performing arts and enhance the visual experience for audience members.

The 60-minute show will be staged in Wuxi's 2,000-seat Taihu Show Theater, which has been tailor-made for the permanent show that has taken six years to bring to fruition.

With a design concept inspired by a bamboo forest, the theater has been rated as one of the "top 10 buildings for 2019" by the British newspaper, The Times. It is a theater worthy of presenting a show that is ready to stun the audience.