Xiqu

“Forty Years of Cherished Love”
Based on the life of the patriotic poet Lu You, Forty Years of Cherished Love recounts the heart-wrenching story of Lu’s separation from his first wife, and young love, Tang Wan. When Tang fails to produce a male heir and Lu’s political aspirations flounder, Lu’s mother forces the couple to separate, insisting that Tang has brought her son bad luck. A few years later, after Tang and Lu have both remarried, the couple meet accidentally in the Shen Garden. Full of exquisitely written songs, the produciton features a touching portrayal of the poet by the male lead – from a passionate young patriot to an old man lamenting the loss of his love.