Chicago Opera Theater will continue its 50th Anniversary season with the Midwest Premiere of Huang Ruo’s opera “Book of Mountains and Seas.”

The opera will be presented in partnership with the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and produced by Beth Morrison Projects.

The work will feature six puppeteers wielding beautiful, larger-than-life puppets designed by the opera’s Director, world-renowned puppeteer Basil Twist.

“Book of Mountains and Seas” is inspired by the ancient compilation of Chinese myths and legends of the same title.

In a statement, COT Edlis Neeson General Director Lawrence Edelson said, “Over the centuries, the stories that make up the Book of Mountains and Seas have become part of Chinese written and oral history. They have been told and reimagined through the voices of many artists. Huang Ruo and Basil Twist’s perspective on these timeless tales combines a haunting, evocative score with visually stunning puppetry – juxtaposing our relationship with the natural world today to these beautiful and deeply moving ancient stories of creation and destruction. COT is thrilled to be partnering with the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and Beth Morrison Projects to bring this truly unique production that challenges audiences to see the world in a new way to Chicago audiences for the first time.”

The opera is set to be performed from Jan. 26 to Jan. 28 at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building.