The Wuxi opera The Grass Root Emperor delighted audiences at Poly Theater in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, on Nov 11 during the 2014 Yangtze River Culture and Art Festival.

It tells a complicated story of a young prince who is stolen from the royal palace as a baby and strives to reclaim his throne after growing up.

Adapted from another Wuxi opera Wanghua Purchases a Father, the play maintained the original arias of Wuxi opera, while highlighting modern music, distinctive costumes, magnificent stage dressing and popular online language, presenting the tragic plot in a humorous way.

Lead actor Zhou Dongliang attracted a huge group of fans who expressed their hope for more fine works of Wuxi opera.

The play crew paid attention to feedback from audiences and made adjustments and modifications accordingly in order to gain a foothold among the youth.

The Wuxi operaThe Grass Root Emperor delights audiences at Poly Theater in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, on Nov 11, 2014.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Zhou Dongliang, the lead actor of the Wuxi opera The Grass Root Emperor. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]