Golden Bough Theatre wraps up 16-year tour with 'thank you' show

Taipei, June 29 (CNA) The Golden Bough Theatre put on a special performance of "She is So Lovely..." (可愛冤仇人) in Taipei on Saturday to thank those who supported its 16-year nationwide tour, which aimed to bring the joy of performing arts to towns across Taiwan.

A few hundred people were seated and waiting for the show -- a singing and dancing comedy about the trials of love -- staged next to the Liberty Square Archway when Golden Bough founder Wang Rong-yu (王榮裕) appeared on stage at 7 p.m. Saturday.

"The dream has come true," Wang said in English, joking that it was rare to hear the language, as Golden Bough's works are primarily in Taiwanese Hokkien.

Wang, the son of an actress in a Taiwanese opera troupe, said he was happy to see people attend the show, which, like the performances he grew up watching at temple festivals and local events, had been staged at school sports fields, community centers and temples.

In a statement promoting Saturday's show, Golden Bough said the tour began in Niaosong -- then still part of Kaohsiung County -- in June 2009, and concluded with four performances in Kinmen County from June 6-11, bringing the total to 329 shows.

More than 210,000 people attended the show during the tour.

"She is So Lovely..." incorporates the "o-pei-la" style, which uses more conversational language and modern-day stories compared to traditional Taiwanese opera. The shows also feature enhanced lighting and sound effects.

The show begins with singer Louise Tsuei's (崔苔菁) 1970s hit "God of Love" (愛神) and features several classic songs in Taiwanese Hokkien and Mandarin to create a nostalgic 1950s-1970s backdrop.

After the curtain call, Wang introduced each actor on stage, including several who have been with the tour since its start in 2009.

"I have the highest respect for them," Wang said.