Audience members at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston on Dec. 28 described stories of humor, faith, a battle between good and evil, and something greater than us all.

“There were a lot of stories,” said Julie Villanueva, an analyst for an oil and gas company, who saw the performance with her family.

“Everything was tied into a greater positive attitude and always being very proactive, and just drawing all that great vibes, and doing what’s right also,” she said. “I saw that where evil and good battle each other ...  good always prevails. The good always prevails.”

The ancient Chinese believed their culture was divinely inspired, a gift from heaven, and the spirituality of the culture was evident to the audience.

“They’re saying to believe in something good, and to be good, to do good. You know, even though all odds are against you, just keep going for what is good and what you believe in,” Ms. Villanueva said. “Eventually, some power will come and assist, and you’ve got to believe in that, that it will, in the end, work out for the best.”

Rodney Anthon, NASA Gulfstream team lead, similarly found the references to the divine in the ancient Chinese stories to be universal.

“I learned through the message of being spiritual and that you can overcome any obstacles in your way, as long as you have faith and belief,” he said.

“They brought everything out, and you could feel their actions brought in emotion, and you could feel that inside of you,” he said.

Mr. Anthon saw the matinee performance with his wife, Lasonya Runnels, who found the performance beautiful.