WOULD BUTTERFLY LOVERS' Liang Shanbo fall for Zhu Yingtai again if she came back as a man?
It's a question pop singer Denise Ho Wan-sze and W Theatre pose in their contemporary adaptation of the romantic Chinese folk tale.
With Ho as the producer, Butterfly Lovers is more rock musical than Chinese opera, with a nine-member cast dancing and singing to a mixture of Chinese melodies, piano accompaniment, heavy metal and rock music.
The adaption by W Theatre's Wong Chi-lung doesn't focus on the traditional themes of overcoming parental opposition or love ultimately transcending death. Rather, it delves into whether people can overlook gender in pursuing true love.
The adaption is the product of Ho's love of rock musicals. 'When I was in high school [in Canada], I thought musicals were all like the Broadway shows until I got to play a small role in Hair,' she says. 'I always like to do something with a glam-rock feel. It's interesting to do it this way, especially pairing it with something so very Chinese. With the live band, it has the mood of a rock concert.'
Ho, 28, picked Butterfly Lovers because she says the story fascinates her. She thinks it's more than just a poignant tale passed down the generations.