China's only 'empress' to go on tour

The new play Wu Zetian, based on the story of the only female emperor of China, will kick off its North American tour next week.

Following its world debut in Beijing in December, the play will be performed in six US cities, including Seattle, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, and Vancouver, Canada for 10 shows from February to March. The first overseas show will be staged in Seattle on Feb 13.

The play is produced by Tianjin People's Art Theater. Acclaimed Chinese actress Liu Xiaoqing will play the title character.

The role of queen isn't new to Liu as she has played Wu Zetian in TV shows, like Wu Zetian, Shadow of Empress Wu and Secret History of Empress Wu, as well as Empress Dowager Cixi in a few TV shows and movies.

The TV drama Wu Zetian broadcast in 1995, with Liu as the lead actress, is among the most popular TV shows in China.

'I've never tried the role in a play. I hope to surpass myself in this very different art form,' Liu told a press conference on Wednesday in Milpitas, California. 'The play's diff erence from the 1995 TV show, to me, is I've gained more experience from life and improved my acting skills even further.'

The two-hour play was adapted with a focus on the important moments in Wu's life, including her love story and her rise to power during the Tang Dynasty, to tell the tale of the legendary fi gure's controversial life. Liu will play the character from age 16 to age 82.

'In this show, a legendary woman will play another legendary woman,' said Chi Tai, president of Chinese Ticket Box, a Bay Area-based entertainment promotion company that is sponsoring the play in North America.

Born in Chongqing, Southwest China, Liu dominated the country's silver screen in the 1980s and 1990s, winning top public-choice honors of the Hundred-Flower Awards and the Golden Rooster, one of China's top movie prizes, six times.

At the peak of her career, she left movies to open a restaurant and video - production company and became a success story, eventually listed by Forbes as the 42nd richest Chinese businessperson in the late 1990s.

Last year, another Liu play, Stunning Beauty, based on the story of the famous Chinese courtesan Sai Jinhua, was a success. 'But so far, my favorite play is the Wu Zetian,' she said.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com