"Sisters on Stage", a Shaoxing opera produced by the Shanghai Shaoxing Opera Studio, was performed in Beijing December 14 to an enthusiastic Beijing audience.

Originating in Shaoxing of east China's Zhejiang Province, Shaoxing opera is popular in southeast China. The Chinese classic story "A Dream of Red Mansions" is a masterpiece of Shaoxing opera.

Adapted from a film, "Sisters on Stage" is one of the very few Shaoxing operas staged in Beijing, where Peking opera is the dominant form. It depicts the bitter experiences of a pair of sisters in the 1940s who lived on Shaoxing opera.

The actresses playing the sisters are best known for their portrayals of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu in "A Dream of Red Mansions. " Their mellow voices delighted the audience, who frequently burst into applause.

Zhengxie Hall, which hosted the performance, was packed; some of the opera-goers traveled from Shanghai for the show. A number of people from Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces who now work in Beijing said they were thrilled with the opera and some were even moved to tears.

Li Na, a member of the Beijing Shaoxing Opera Association (BSOA) , said, "I was born in Beijing, but I love Shaoxing opera. It's just beautiful."

"It's not easy for Shaoxing opera to gain acceptance in Beijing, " said Huang Min, chief of the Youth Troupe of BSOA. "However, Beijing audiences are looking forward to more of it."