How does a myth come alive on stage? The answer may be in the music.
In celebration of SCCCA’s 50th anniversary, LEGENDS: Chang’e Flies to the Moon will take the stage at Orange County’s Segerstrom Hall on May 30.
Blending music, dance, martial arts, aerial performance, and multimedia, this new production uses sound to awaken an ancient legend for today’s stage.
Myth Awakes · Music Shines
On performance day, conductor Bin He will lead nearly 200 performers through 17 instruments, six movements, and a 360-page original score.
“This is not music written for dance,” He said. “Music itself becomes the storyteller. The audience is not first drawn in by what they see, but by what they hear.”
The work opens with powerful rhythms. Drums and trumpet strike like arrows in flight, capturing the force of Hou Yi Shooting the Suns.
The music then softens, as hulusi and saxophone weave together, bringing Chang’e and Hou Yi’s love from legend into the human heart.
East Meets · Ages Echo
The blend of Chinese and Western instruments is key to bringing the myth into the modern age.
“Saxophone and trumpet add a contemporary breath,” Bin He said, “while harp, guzheng, and xiao preserve the Eastern space of imagination. Together, they make the legend feel both ancient and alive.”
As the story moves to the Queen Mother of the West and the gift of the elixir, the musical language shifts. Harp and Guzheng create a floating, mist-like sound, drawing the audience into a world between earth and heaven.
“This section is not about writing a melody,” He said. “It is about writing the sound of an uncontrollable fate.”
Rhythm Chases · Moonlight Rises
The true climax comes in Chang’e Flies to the Moon.
To capture flight and weightlessness, Bin He uses bold seven-beat rhythms and chromatic motion, breaking musical stability to create a sense of suspension and tension.
Fast-moving erhu and violin solos trace the feeling of an aerial chase, precisely matching the performers’ movements in flight.
“The audience sees flying,” He said, “but it is the music that creates the feeling of flight. Once the rhythm becomes unstable, the body feels weightless. That is exactly the effect we wanted.”
After the climax, the music turns inward, moving into longing and the passage of time. It finally opens into the warmth of Mid-Autumn reunion, leaving the journey with a lasting emotional glow.
Lights Fade · Legend Lives
From its sweeping opening to its intimate emotional turns and technically demanding aerial scenes, Chang’e Flies to the Moon is more than a visual spectacle. It is a full-scale musical challenge.
With a 360-page score, nearly 200 performers, and real-time coordination among stage, lighting, and multimedia, the production reaches a high level of artistic and technical ambition.
When all these elements meet on stage, audiences may experience more than precision and spectacle. The myth is no longer simply told—it is awakened through music, unfolding before their eyes.
As the lights fade and the melodies linger, Chang’e Flies to the Moon leaves more than a visual memory. It offers a deeper question: If music can bring myth to life, can we also see ourselves in its meaning today?
On May 30, Chang’e Flies to the Moon will shine at Segerstrom Hall, inviting audiences into a stage celebration where sound awakens legend.
On May 30, Chang’e Flies to the Moon will bring the myth back to life at Segerstrom Hall—and leave audiences moved.
Tickets: www.sccca.org/legends
Date: May 30, 2026
Venue: Segerstrom Hall