backstage pt.5

Dressed in funereal garments, Yingtai makes her way to Shango's final resting place. A storm ensues. Ma Wenchai, narrates the final scene as the procession crosses below him. The procession stops and for one fleeting moment, as Yingtai appears from the wedding sedan, you see that Ma and Yingtai are identically dressed. And in that moment they both look at each other for the one and only time in the entire show. However, she immediately notices Shangbo's tomb that sits right behind Ma. She calls out his name and runs past Ma. I walk away and Yingtai begins her final lament with thunder claps echoing her every word. She sings for the gods to allow her to join her true love in death. Then the storm, intensified by strobe lights, show Shangbo calling out to her. She runs into the grave and disappears.

The storm breaks and the members of the procession notice she's gone. They call out for her. The music rises and suddenly two giant butterflies appear from the shattered tomb. They realise it's the Lovers and everyone falls to their knees. The final song.

A thousand rainbows and a hundred flowers
Never equal a love this eternal
For this is their story
Liang Shangbo and Zhu Yingtai

This is Dominique Devorsine, the costume designer and personal make-up artist to me and most of the boys. The rest of the cast have the sponsored make-up crew, A Cut Above.