Instead, she applied her solid singing skill and trendy looks to pop music and TV series roles in the 1990s. That won her a stable fan base and several national singing awards, but the more success she achieved, the more she missed Huangmei Opera. In 2003, she returned to her old love by giving a performance in her hometown, where more than 1,500 local fans gave her a standing ovation.

"When I sing a pop song or play a role on TV, I can't help wondering, what if the song is performed in Huangmei Opera style? Or what if the TV drama's story is adapted into Huangmei Opera?" she says. "I just cannot totally forget it. I love it and I don't want to watch it dying."

In 2010, she created a modern work, Yan Fengying, as a commemoration of the 80th birth anniversary of the legendary Huangmei Opera actress (1930-68). As one part of her upcoming performances, the show tells the tragic life story of Yan, who helped the traditional opera to flourish during her short life. Yan, considered the biggest Huangmei Opera star, struggled with opposition from her family because of prejudice against local opera performers at that time. She suffered greatly during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) and committed suicide in 1968, aged 38.

Another modern creation Wu will perform next month is The Visit, in which she mixed Huangmei Opera with modern music and dance in a drama. Adapted from Swiss writer Friedrich Durrenmatt's story of the same name, Wu sings Huangmei Opera as well as rock and pop songs in the show. The adaptation received warm feedback during a national tour last year, which gave Wu more confidence that she could make Huangmei Opera alluring to today's audiences.

Last month, she played in Anna and I, a contemporary theater drama, which was adapted from Russian writer Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina. Wu played Countess Vronsky, a role that represents society's hypocrisy. She says the experience inspired her to use a modern theater approach to design stages and portray characters in Huangmei Opera works.

"As versatile as she is, I believe she could shine by playing different roles. But I can see that she is faithful to Huangmei Opera," says the drama's director and Wu's longtime friend, Yang Ting.

If you go

7:30 pm, Dec 23-28. Chang'an Grand Theater, 7 Jianguomennei Dajie (Street), Dongcheng district, Beijing. 400-610-3721.

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