Credits                                                                                                                                 More abou Xi Shi
Composer: Lei Lei
Lyrics: Zou Jingzhi
Director: Cao Qijing
Conductor: Chen Zuohuang (Oct. 30-Nov. 01)
                  Zhang Guoyong ( Nov.02-05)
Stage Designer: Huang Kaifu

Cast
Oct. 30  Zhang Liping, Dai Yuqiang, Yang Xiaoyong, Wu Bixia
Oct. 31  Xu Xiaoying, Wei Song, Sun Li, Xiong Yufei
Nov. 01  Zhang Liping, Wei Song, Yang Xiaoyong, Wu Bixia
Nov. 02  Xu Xiaoying, Dai Yuqiang, Sun Li, Xiong Yufei
Nov. 03  Zhang Liping, Dai Yuqiang, Sun Li, Wu Bixia
Nov. 04  Xu Xiaoying, Wei Song, Yang Xiaoyong, Xiong Yufei
Nov. 05  Zhang Liping, Dai Yuqiang, Sun Li, Wu Bixia

It is the first original opera produced by National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), which adoptsWestern opera to interpret the ancient legends about Xi Shi in a brand new way, recreating grand view of the war between the Kingdom of Wu and the Kingdom of Yue, as well as the legendary story of a beauty.

Opera Xi Shi gathers the first-grade domestic creation crew, with famous director Cao Qijing as director and well-known playwright Zou Jingzhi as playwright; meanwhile, Xi Shi is also the first opera work of famous composer, Lei Lei. The classical songs created by Lei Lei for many Chinese TV dramas such as Plainclothes Policeman, Aspiration, The Yellow Storm and etc., have been frequently heard by the Chinese people; stage designer Huang Haiwei, whose representative work is the highly praised Qunqu Opera: The Peony Pavilion, is also a first-grade artist in China; besides, Zhang Yunfeng, who is well-known for being an award-winner and creating dancing works such as Begonia, Whisper of the Wind, The Rouge Knot and etc., is going to be the choreographer of this opera, creating a series of magnificent dancing plots for pretty Xi Shi…all of these are going to be the highlights of the opera.

The opera is co-produced by the NCPA and Shanghai Opera House, interpreted by famous conductors Chen Zuohuang and Zhang Guoyong, famous vocalists Zhang Liping, Xu Xiaoying, Dai Yuqiang, Wei Song, Sun Li, Yang Xiaoyong, Wu Bixia, Zhu Qiuling, Xiong Yufei and more together. Zhang Liping, the first Chinese vocalist in the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, will play the leading lady——Xi Shi.

Synopsis
In 494 BC, during the battle in Kuaiji Mountain, the King of Yue, Gou Jian is defeated by the King of Wu; with no other options at hand, he promises that Yue would forever submit to Wu. After having been a slave for three years, he is finally released by the King of Wu, Fu Chai, and returns to Yue.

In order to defend and revive Yue, Gou Jian sends two beauties from Yue, Xi Shi and Zheng Dan into the luxurious palace of Fu Chai. Despite the love, beautiful jewelries and wines from Fu Chai, Xi Shi still misses her country all the time. General Wu Zixu has always opposed Fu Chai in releasing Gou Jian back Yue, and regards Xi Shi and Zheng Dan as Troy's Helen. During a banquet, after another dehortation turns out in vain, he becomes furious and kills Zheng Dan. Xi Shi is so grief that she threatens Fu Chai with death, and makes him had Wu Zixu beheaded. 

The death of Wu Zixu increases Yue's faith in conquering Wu. Gou Jian takes the opportunity to declare a war; his troops sweeps Wu and successfully revenges for past humiliation. After Wu's defeat, in Fu Chai's palace, Xi Shi changes into her own country's costume, hoping to return to homeland, but she ended up with facing the queen of Yue whose supremacy was threatened by Xi Shi.