Comedy-opera adaptation remains faithful to beloved characters

A Buddhist monk, the Monkey King and the shape-shifting Lady Whitebone are instantly recognizable to generations of Chinese readers.

Their encounter, one of the best-known episodes from the 16th-century classic Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en, has now been reimagined as an original comedy-opera by Beijing's National Centre for the Performing Arts.

Premiering on July 17 after three years of development, Wukong Thrice Confronts Lady Whitebone is the NCPA's 122nd original production and its first Chinese comedy-opera. The premiere run continues through July 26.

Created by composer Hao Weiya, librettist Wang Yuanfei, director Wang Xiaoying, and stage designer Liu Kedong, the production replaces the familiar images of mountains and temples with a cyberpunk world of giant LED screens, rotating platforms, metallic costumes, and skeletal structures.

"Competing with the images people have carried for decades is impossible," Wang Xiaoying says. "So we chose another path."

The futuristic design, however, serves the story yet remains faithful to the novel's spirit. Rather than presenting a simple battle between good and evil, the opera explores truth, prejudice and the danger of judging by appearances. A giant red eye hanging above the stage symbolizes the demon world, while a golden Buddha's eye watches over the pilgrims, suggesting that their 81 trials are part of a larger spiritual journey.

The score is equally inventive. In place of a full orchestra, Hao writes for a 32-piece chamber ensemble performed by musicians from the National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra, the China NCPA Chorus and resident singers under conductor Lai Jiajing. Western orchestral instruments are blended with traditional Chinese instruments, including the guzheng, sheng and bamboo flute, while Chinese opera percussion and computer-generated sound effects create a musical world that shifts between comedy, fantasy and suspense.

Humor is central to the production. Wang's libretto mixes operatic singing with lively dialogue and playful contemporary touches, including the comical song Tang Monk Hot Pot Banquet staged by demons, while still reinforcing the story's themes of justice and morality.