CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Friday, December 13, 2019 | 21 LIFE SHANGHAI A quest to champion local creativity Shanghai Culture Square is ramping up efforts to promote Chinese musicals by establishing a research center for performances and productions, Zhang Kun reports. AIC Shanghai Culture The three winning plays from the Square announced on Dec 2 first incubation program consist of that it will host the second a thriller about a teenage survival Shanghai International game, a contemporary interpreta­ SMusical Festival in 2020 and join tion of the life of Li Yu, a legendary hands with new partners to pro­ poet from 1,000 years ago, and a mote the development of original fantasy love story involving time Chinese musical productions in travel. Shanghai. “We are still taking our first steps Shanghai has arguably been the in creating original musicals,” says largest and most developed market theater director Gao Ruijia, a men­ for musical shows in China. tor on the incubation program. According to the live show trade “You will only be able to achieve union of Shanghai, 292 musical steady development after you have performances took place in theaters mastered these first steps.” across the city in the first six There are as yet no plans to push months of 2019. These shows were any of these plays into the commer­ watched by more than 287,000 peo­ cial phase, but professor Jin Fuzai ple and had raked in more than 61 with the Shanghai Conservatory of million yuan ($8.68 million) in box­ Music, who is also a mentor on the office takings, more than any other incubation program, says that the sector in the theater industry. three productions have great Many Broadway productions and potential to progress to the live musicals in foreign languages have show market. proven to be popular with audien­ Ayanga, a young actor who ces in Shanghai. For example, the played the lead role in the 2017 Chi­ French musical Notre Dame de Par­ nese adaptation of the Korean is recently completed 31 performan­ musical My Bucket List at Shanghai ces at Shanghai Culture Square, Culture Square, is optimistic about with audiences singing along in the development of local produc­ French to the chorus of the theme tions. The ambassador for the 2020 song Le Temps des Cathedrales. The Shanghai International Musical musical will be staged 10 more Festival, Ayanga achieved national times in Shanghai from Jan 16 to 23 fame last year through the reality before concluding its China tour. show Super Vocal on Hunan TV. “All the tickets available for pur­ “It was in Shanghai that my chase have been sold out,” says Gu career began to take off and I Ying, a staff member at the theater. believed that the golden age “There are still a few tickets availa­ would soon come for musicals in ble for the matinee show that are Art. All three have undergraduate “It is a process of filtering China. I am excited to discover not open to the public yet.” programs for musical performance. through seeds and nurturing them that this time has finally come,” The popularity of original Chi­ Together with the three academic to see which ones will grow into a says Ayanga. nese musicals, on the other hand, institutions, Shanghai Culture big tree,” says Fei, who has been Shanghai Culture Square has pale by comparison to their interna­ Square plans to establish a research involved in the musical industry announced that six Chinese pro­ tional counterparts. Only a few center for musical performances since the first Broadway produc­ ductions will be presented during local productions have managed to and productions. tion of Les Miserables was present­ the second Shanghai International achieve box­office success in Shang­ “What we want to achieve ed at Shanghai Grand Theater in Musical Festival in March. Among hai, let alone other cities in China. through the festival, forums and 2002. them is Spring in Shanghai, a story Despite Shanghai’s reputation for new partnerships is to facilitate the “We have successfully built a about Chinese revolutionaries in hosting high­profile musicals, the formation of a healthy mechanism working mechanism and created the early 20th century which fea­ city itself has created few of its own, for the process of musical creation,” the rules. Anyone is welcome to tures rising star Fang Shujian, West industry insiders explained at the says Fei Yuanhong, artistic director come and give it a go.” Chamber, an ancient Chinese love news conference announcing the of Shanghai Culture Square. Fei points out that the incuba­ story starring Liu Yan, a new idol 2020 Shanghai International Musi­ Since its opening eight years ago, tion program will return in 2020. born from the reality TV show cal Festival. Shanghai Culture Square has The reception to these initiatives Super Vocal, and Nine Colored Deer, “There has been much anxiety always given priority to the promo­ has been heartening. In the past a fairy­tale play with music com­ about original creativity in China’s tion of original Chinese shows. Over eight years of promoting Chinese posed by Howard Moody from musical scene. The lack of high the past eight years, the theater has Top and above: Scenes from two of the three Chinese musicals musicals with Shanghai Times Britain. quality original Chinese musical showcased new productions in its selected from 77 submissions to an incubation program that staged Square, Fei says that he has seen a Shanghai Culture Square also productions is not a problem that spring show season every year, pre­ a 45­minute showcase for media and industry insiders at the sea change in the industry. announced that there will be a can be easily fixed with heavy senting a total of 95 performances Huangpu Theater on Dec 7. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY “I used to have difficulty finding preferential ticket policy where investment. This has been proven of 36 original Chinese creations. enough Chinese productions to audience members can enjoy a 20 by a number of failed attempts in “We have been subsidizing origi­ showcase. Now, I often have to turn percent discount if they buy a set the past few years,” says professor nal Chinese musical productions down requests to show their plays.” of two tickets. Fei points out that Tao Xin from the Shanghai Con­ with the box­office income from According to professor Wang having such a policy is important servatory of Music. popular overseas shows,” says Fei. What we want to achieve through the festival, Luoyong, the head of the musical as watching a theater production “It is time we go back to art and to In 2019, the theater expanded its forums and new partnerships is to facilitate department at the Shanghai Con­ can be quite an expensive affair the root of creativity. We need to special showcase of original Chi­ servatory of Music and a veteran compared with other forms of begin by nurturing talent and culti­ nese musicals to a festival that the formation of a healthy mechanism for the Broadway actor, the process had a entertainment. vating the creative environment for included forums, panels, work­ process of musical creation.” lot in common with the creation of “We have to provide high quality their development.” shops alongside an incubation pro­ new Broadway shows. He notes shows that enhance people’s confi­ The Shanghai Conservatory of gram for new musical productions. Fei Yuanhong, artistic director of SAIC Shanghai Culture Square that even internationally dence in the theater,” he says. “Oth­ Music is one of the three institu­ When the incubation program acclaimed musicals such as Rent erwise, they might be lured into the tions that has forged a partnership kicked off last December, 77 musi­ went through humble preliminary theater by one play but eventually with Shanghai Culture Square for cals were submitted, with five win­ and other professionals to polish final three production teams, which rehearsals using buckets as drums, turn away from it after being disap­ the promotion of Chinese musical ners selected at the end of the their creations. After several rounds allowed them to stage a 45­minute and that only a small amount of pointed by another.” productions. The other two colleges judging process. The five winners of script­reading, revisions, rehears­ showcase at the Huangpu Theater investment was required for each are the Shanghai Theater Academy then got to work with a team of the­ als and workshops, the festival pro­ on Dec 7. The incubation program round of script­reading, rehearsals Contact the writer at and the Shanghai Institute of Visual ater industry insiders, musicians vided 200,000 yuan for each of the cost less than 2 million yuan. and revisions. [email protected] Briefly The Search for Sound Spring in Shanghai An Accident of Love Flying with Martin Nine­colored Deer West Chamber Featuring an all­children cast, this Based on true events that took place Adapted from the 1983 film Papa Presented from the perspective of a Based on an ancient Chinese folktale Starring Liu Yan and Xu Yao, the musical provides a glimpse into the in Shanghai in 1949, this musical Can You Hear Me Sing, the play is boy named Martin, this musical about a deer returning to its rescuer musical is based on one of the most real­life situations faced by children revolves around a group of 17­year­ about a young woman who leaves about the history of mankind’s to repay his kindness, this musical celebrated love stories in Chinese lit­ from ordinary Chinese families. old middle­school students who her beggar father to become a pop attempts to fly takes audiences on a production was jointly created by erature.