Butterfly lovers still crazy after 40 years

To relive the sentiments of 40 years ago, the show's organizer has brought back the original cast: Lee Kun (李崑), now 73 years old, played Liang Shan-po's valet Si-chiu in the film; Ren Jie (任潔), now 68 years old, who played Chu Ying-tai's maid. Both are back on stage playing the same roles. The only major cast member not in the original film is Hu Chin (胡錦), who will play Chu Ying-tai, as Le Ti (樂蒂), who played her in the film, died 30 years ago.

Hu, also a veteran actress in Shaw Brothers movies, is now like Ling Bo, a breast cancer patient. In a way, the show represents a team fighting against age and illness for the sake of recapturing the sentiments and art of this southern Chinese opera.

At rehearsal, Lee Kun expressed some worry about his physical condition. In one scene, he has to get down on his knees before his master's grave. "What if I can't get up," Lee asked. "It's all right," said the 68-year-old Ren, "it you can't get up, I'll pull you up."

This revival is a lavish production accompanied by the live Chinese orchestra. All the costumes were tailor-made in Shanghai and Ling even had a pair of boots specially made for the show.

Ticket sales have been extremely brisk and performances today and tomorrow in Taipei have been completely sold out as have all seats for Taichung. Some tickets remain for the Kaohsiung show, and Taipei audiences have the chance of catching the musical in two additional performances scheduled for Jan. 10 and Jan. 11, for which tickets remain.

What: Liang Shan-po and Chu Ying-tai

When and Where: Tomorrow and Sunday at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Taipei at 7:30pm (sold out); Jan. 10 and 11 at the National Theater Taipei at 7:45pm; Dec. 15 in Taichung; Dec. 21 and Dec. 22 in Kaohsiung

Tickets: NT$1,500 to NT$2,500 are still available through Era ticketing