'FAN' OFFERS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.

Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic

THE SPECTACLE begins before the action does - in a pulsating after- hours clublike brothel. Amid mirrors, scrims and a spiraling staircase, provocatively dressed courtesans mingle and mince. They even spill into the lobby of the Walt Disney Concert Hall's Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theatre (REDCAT) to perform God-awful karaoke. The end of the world - as we know it - is about to commence.

And wouldn't Mr. Bertolt Brecht have been utterly delighted.

``Peach Blossom Fan,'' the modernized version of a 17th-century Chinese opera, is an orgy of images. Slinky courtesans, falsetto-voiced emperors, warriors and panderers compete with an off-stage band in director Chen Shi-Zheng's look at love in an age of social corruption. Written by Edward Mast with music by Stephin Merritt, ``Peach Blossom Fan'' is thrilling to look at. And while much ink has been spilled extolling the merits of the Disney Concert Hall, that's one honey of a space that CalArts' Center for New Theater gets to call home.

The sight lines are excellent, the seating close to the action. Chen and set designer Christopher Barreca have used the side wings, the top and bottom, and a kind of catwalk that cuts through the audience. The ambience is dark, befitting the mood of the piece, but lighting designer Shaun Fillion takes care of that. Props and set pieces are sparse except for that staircase and an enormous dragonfly that functions - among other things - as a throne.

A riff on Chinese opera, ``Peach Blossom Fan'' also takes care of business in 90 unbroken minutes. Chen's ``Peony Pavilion,'' commissioned by the Lincoln Center Festival, was 19 hours.

In ``Peach Blossom Fan,'' a young poet named Hou Fang-Lou (played by Alan Loayza) falls for Shiang-Jun (Ja'Nai Amey), the newest lady of the evening in Chastity Plum's (Fran Bennett) house of ill repute. We're in the final days of the Ming Dynasty and Shiang-Jun will end up a pawn in political machinations to oust the emperor (Matthew Steiner). Which won't make the romance any easier.

Also on hand are Prime Minister Ma Shi-Ying (Mary Lou Rosato); a powerless general, Shih Ko-Fa (Zhou Long); and Yuen Da-Cheng (David Patrick Kelley), a playwright with a hand in politics.

In a cast that mixes professional actors with students, Steiner is a scream as the petulant and reluctant emperor. Seasoned pros Bennett and Kelley - in a couple of wonderfully decadent roles - anchor the proceedings. The physically striking Amey sings beautifully.

Overall, ``Peach Blossom Fan'' is sleek and peculiar, a feast for all the senses.

Evan Henerson, [phone]

evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com

PEACH BLOSSOM FAN - Three stars

Where: REDCAT at Walt Disney Concert Hall, 631 W. Second St., Los Angeles.

When: 8:30 tonight through Saturday. This weekend only.

Tickets: $20 to $38. Call [phone].

In a nutshell: Visually striking reimagining of a Chinese opera from CalArts students and professionals.

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``Peach Blossom Fan,'' an imaginative update of a 17th-century Chinese opera, is playing at Disney Hall's REDCAT through Saturday.