They say anyone can rise from an underdog to become a lion. But can a stage musical make audiences believe it too?

With its rich regional culture and vibrant lion dance scenes, the 2021 Chinese animated film "I Am What I Am" became a breakout hit. Now, the heartfelt story has been transformed into a musical theater production, bringing its energy and emotion to the live stage.

The story follows A-Juan, a young boy from a village in southern China who is drawn into the world of lion dance. Through training, setbacks and self-discovery, he grows into himself and learns the true meaning of courage.

For Hong Kong actor Jordan Cheng, who plays A-Juan, stepping into the role required a very different performance style.

He said he had rarely portrayed a fictional character before, and that the acting style of the show carries the heightened energy of animation. Once that creative door opens, he added, it creates endless possibilities for shaping A-Juan and the other characters.

For singer and actress Kit Chan, who plays A-Zhen, the wife of A-Juan's lion dance coach, the production became a personal journey of reconnecting with family roots.

Although she is a third-generation Singaporean, Chan said her grandfather came from Panyu, a district of Guangzhou City in south China's Guangdong Province.

While rehearsing in Guangzhou, she tried to find her grandfather's old home.  

"I couldn't find it, but I knew it was in the vicinity," she said. "And since then, I've returned to Panyu several times. I can't explain it, but I like it a lot. My manager was saying it must be in your blood, and you are feeling it."

Lion dance on the musical stage

Lion dance originated in Guangdong Province and is a treasured symbol of Lingnan culture. Long associated with celebrations, community spirit and blessings for good fortune, it was included in China's first batch of national intangible cultural heritage items in 2006.

Bringing that tradition to the stage meant the actors had to start from zero.

"It was tough," said Cheng. However, he said that taking up the challenge of doing lion dance through this production has given him professional confidence, besides allowing him to admire this cultural heritage even more.

To ensure authenticity, the production team invited inheritors of the tradition to teach the cast lion dance techniques.

Chen Rui, producer of the musical and deputy general manager of Guangzhou Opera House, told CGTN that the experts also shared stories about the history and spirit of lion dance.

She said the young actors not only learned the performance itself, but also gained a deeper understanding of the heritage it represents. The theater has also organized lion dance workshops for the public, attracting many young participants who later became more interested in traditional Chinese culture.

For Leon Ko, the composer and arranger from Hong Kong, capturing lion dance in music meant recreating a powerful childhood memory.

He recalled that lion dance sounded "loud" to him as a child, full of drums, gongs and crashing percussion. At the center of it all, he said, was the heartbeat-like drum rhythm. Building melody and harmony on top of that pulse, he believed, could create something fresh and unforgettable.

'Lion' going north and beyond

Performed in Cantonese, the 2026 tour marks the musical's first run in regions where Cantonese is not the dominant language.

Chen said audiences in Guangzhou had posted comments online welcoming viewers from other cities and inviting them to ask about Cantonese slang and expressions. She described it as an encouraging sign that the musical is helping promote the local language through art.

Ko said he was once told that a Cantonese-language production would struggle to tour beyond Cantonese-speaking areas. He never agreed.

Instead, he believes the language adds to the show's beauty. Hearing Cantonese on stage, he said, may inspire audiences to explore meanings and nuances not found in Mandarin, creating another layer of exchange between creators and viewers.

The production team also hopes the musical can eventually travel overseas while staying true to itself.

Chan said there should be no assumption that a Cantonese Lingnan story must be diluted or reshaped for foreign audiences. What matters most, she said, is telling the story authentically, something far more compelling than trying to assimilate into another culture.

Ko echoed that view, saying Chinese creators are still developing their own musical language, drawing from the country's culture and long history. Countless stories, he said, are still waiting to be told.

Cheng believes this production could be part of that journey.

If given the chance to reach audiences beyond China, he said, the show could serve as a cultural calling card, helping people understand what Chinese people think, how they think and why they think that way.

And for a story about an underdog learning to roar, that may be the boldest leap of all.

Executive producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Director: Guo Meiping

Videographer: Tian Rongzhen

Graphic designer: Sha Yunjin