East Kowloon Cultural Centre | East Meets West in a Groundbreaking Fusion! Original East-West Opera Sleepless Moon Debuts at East Kowloon Cultural Centre This October for Its World Premiere

Description

Presented by the Fringe Club, produced by Amore Xiqu, and title-sponsored by The Bank of East Asia and Central Asset Investments, the original East-West opera Sleepless Moon will make its world premiere this fall. The opera runs for a total of five performances at The Hall, East Kowloon Cultural Centre, from October 1 to 4, 2026.

“In 2023, due to venue constraints, we waited patiently for a year. In 2024, we offered the audience a glimpse of our grand vision by presenting an excerpt of Sleepless Moon at the Xiqu Centre. Now, by 202C, after overcoming countless challenges and undergoing extensive refinement, we are thrilled to present the first full-scale world premiere of Sleepless Moon this October at the brand-new East Kowloon Cultural Centre!”

First-Ever East-West Fusion Opera: The Pioneering of a Bold New Artistic Horizon Sleepless Moon is the world’s first “East-West Fusion Opera”. It fuses the vocal power and scale of breathtaking Western opera with the delicate gestures, unique vocality, and profound heritage of traditional Cantonese opera.

The production boasts a star-studded creative team, spearheaded by financial leader and cultural advocate Eddie Tam, who personally conceived the concept, developed the story, and executive-produced the show; producer and co-librettist Ivy Tse, a former investment banker turned multi-disciplinary creator; composer and music director Lora Chow; Cantonese opera co-librettist Man Wah; and modern lyricist Serena Tong*. By uniting local talents, the opera creates a fresh and spellbinding audiovisual experience for audiences. It seamlessly weaves together the wartime conflicts between ancient, rivalrous kingdoms and the cutting-edge AI era, making the love story unforgettable.

Sleepless Moon is an innovative blend of the performing arts. Through the incorporation of world-class stage design, the team breaks traditional boundaries by uniting Western opera with Cantonese opera’s traditional "singing, acting, reciting, and the martial arts", alongside the vigor of Chinese martial arts and the elegance of modern dance. Celebrating cultural harmony, this opera conveys a global message of peace while taking the audience on an imaginative artistic journey.

The Original Score and East-West Orchestration stands as a key highlight. Driven by the beautiful melodies and a grand orchestration, the score blends the colourful textures of Western symphonies with the distinct timbres of Chinese instruments, which deepens the emotional depth of the narrative.

Soul-Bound Across a Millennium: Leading Technology Towards Goodness Through the Light of Humanity A thousand years ago, Prince Wumian of Empire Ha and Princess Biyue of Empire Leung drank a poisoned chalice in a tragic double-suicide that was catalyzed by political treachery. They only left behind one sacred vow: a reunion across lifetimes. After cycles of reincarnation, in present-day Leung Kong, AI scientist Nox, visiting on business from Summer City, catches a glimpse of the Cantonese opera diva Moon performing The Flower Princess in a theater. As their eyes locked, haunting memories linked to their thousand-year-old bond are instantly awakened.

In order to unravel this inescapable knot, the two decided to intertwine their dreams with reality, creating the East-West opera Sleepless Moon, hoping to reconstruct their tale. However, conspiracy and jealousy follow behind. Nox’s AI company co-founder and CFO, Shane, orchestrates a scheme of intrigue, pointing a gun at Nox and Moon.

In the final crisis, Nox's AI robot, Galatea, is moved by the lovers’ devotion. This moment triggers an awakening within the robot, divulging hidden truths just in time. Can this thousand-year love break free from the shadows of reincarnation?

The human flesh may be fragile but the human spirit can transcend boundaries. Life is finite but love is infinite. Sleepless Moon uses a suspenseful, cross-millennium narrative in the style of a East-West opera to explore humanity and the boundaries of life on stage.

Star-Studded Cast Crafting a World-Class Stage

The production brings together legendary and new-generation artists:

•    Alis Lin as the Lead Female, playing Princess Biyue / Moon

　　o    Recipient of the 2025 Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award, renowned Cantonese opera diva

•    Henry Ngan as the Lead Male, playing Prince Wumian / Nox

　　o    Opera tenor who has starred in core opera roles across Europe and Asia

•    Acclaimed actress Michelle Yim, soprano Vivian Yau, Cantonese opera actor Wong Chi Leung, musical theatre stars Marco Tang, Hailey Mak, and Sum Cheuk Yiu.

•    Music Director Lora Chow, Conductor Jeff Leung, veteran Theatre Director Tang Wai Kit, Scenographer Moon Yip, together building a dramatic and captivating show.