Two of a kind

Now, the actress who assumes the role in this stage version is a legend in her own right.

While Liu Xiaoqing did not save Beijing residents from foreign ransacking, she was probably the first Chinese woman since the country's reform to proclaim her right to love, fame and controversy.

In the 1980s, she proudly claimed herself to be the best actress in China. In the 1990s, her love life was fodder for tabloids almost on a daily basis. And like Sai, she briefly lost her freedom - in her case for alleged tax evasion.

With an illustrious career spanning three-plus decades, Liu is known for roles that go from a teenage girl all the way to old age. And like Sai, her age has been a mystery. Some documents show she was born in 1955, others 1950, with other years thrown in as possibilities.

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With makeup, she appears much younger than her age, between 57 and 62. She has been the target of plastic surgery rumors, which she flatly denies, and a paragon of everlasting youth, or rather, youthfulness.

As co-written by Tian Qinxin and An Ying and directed by Tian Qinxin, The Beauty is a comedy that milks the bittersweet moments of modern China's history for their slapstick value. Half the story, Acts One and Four, are set in Shanghai, and the remainder in Beijing - both in Sai's saloonlike bordello.

The sets are mostly painted curtains, which look shabby, but the costumes are glamorous.

But between the main character and its stage interpreter, there are more parallels.

The parade of officials is a reminder of what little has changed over the past century. Even though the most talked-about venues of high-end entertainment, such as Paradise on Earth, have been shut down since the Beijing Olympics, the habit of political or corporate powers congregating in houses of dubious fame has been an age-old tradition.

Back to Liu Xiaoqing and her star vehicle. The screen and the stage have always shared talent - in China or other countries. But it appears to be a recent trend for a few screen icons to tap into live performances for the kind of work rarely available in movies or television.

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Ge You has been associated with Looking West to Chang'an, a play by the inimitable Lao She, in which he plays a con artist. Chen Daoming took Beijing by storm when he starred in a dark comedy adapted from a Japanese play, with a searing look into the censorship system. And Huang Bo tackled To Live, a modern literary classic turned into a film and then a play. These productions are so successful it becomes hard to separate the player from the role.

The Beauty opened in April 2012, and has toured the country with 76 shows. Liu is under contract to play 54 more times, including tours to Singapore and the United States. The upcoming show is March 23 in Peking University.

Many actresses have played Sai Jinhua, and that includes Jiang Qing, aka Madame Mao, in the 1930s. But the current edition was initiated by Liu Xiaoqing.

"When she stands on the stage," says Tian Qinxin, the director, "she does not play Sai Jinhua. She is Sai Jinhua."

raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn