has never learned to perform, just a singer who loves to sing. With respect for Li Zongsheng's works, the mainland female singer Jin Chi took part in the interview of Li Zongsheng's musical "When Love is a Past" with the mood of experimentation, and was given the opportunity to play the role of "Cai Lili".
instructs professional teachers to perform, read scripts, and practice lines. All the content of these performances must be learned and mastered in a short time and be skillfully used in stage performances. This is really a big challenge for Jinchi. I will try my best to record every performance detail on the stage, record lines, songs, schedules, dance moves, etc., and ponder over and over in my free time.
And this musical brings more touch to Jin Chi. Whether it is the love and tenderness between the characters in the play, and the unremitting efforts to complete the dream, many of the kind and soft aspects of human nature can be seen in the play. Outside the play, between the actors and between the main creators, they also became very good friends through long rehearsals. Li Zongsheng’s musical "When Love is a Past", premiered at SAIC Shanghai Cultural Square on November 22, has been continuously improved and adjusted.
When it comes to the domestic musical drama market and its development, Jinchi is still very optimistic. From the introduction of foreign plays to occupy the market, to the emergence of more excellent original musicals. Both the audience group and the training of professional talents provide a very good guarantee for Chinese musicals.
Q: This is not the first time you have appeared in a musical. What is the opportunity to appear in Li Zongsheng's musical works this time?
A: First of all, because of the three words "Li Zongsheng". Brother Li Zongsheng is a master of music that I like and admire very much. I believe that all those who make music or who love music have respect for Li Zongsheng's works. So when I received this invitation, I heard that it was a musical by Li Zongsheng, so I decided to fight for this opportunity anyway. I went to the interview with the mood of trying, but I didn't expect to get the director's affirmation on the spot. Soon after I received the news that I could join this musical, I was really happy.
Q: Is it stressful for me to appear in Li Zongsheng’s musical works? What is the song that Mr. Li Zongsheng influenced you most?
A: To be honest, there is indeed a lot of pressure. I have never studied acting, but a singer who loves to sing. Although it is not the first time to appear in a musical, the nature of the guest performance is still very different. This time there are a lot of "performance" requirements, and there is really no contact in this aspect before, so I feel a little nervous.
Q: In order to play the role of Cai Lili, what preparations did you make in advance? What is the biggest challenge?
A: After taking over this musical, I first did a lot of script reading homework, and asked the professional performance teacher around me to help me guide the performance part, and establish a sense of faith in this role. In addition, as a Fujianese, Mandarin is weak, and I have to work harder on the lines, so I started to practice my lines as soon as I was free, and I tried to change my emotions almost all the time to say my lines. Then consider which tone is more suitable.
Q: How do you understand the character Cai Lili in the musical? What qualities do you think you are more similar to her?
A: Cai Lili is a character in the play. She is a superstar with temperament, aura, self-confidence, and some pride. But she is also an ordinary woman. She would act coquettishly with her boyfriend when she was drunk, and she would be very virtuous and cook soup for her boyfriend at home. I think Cai Lili needs more love and care than his career.
I am more similar to her. Of course, I love singing first. In addition, maybe we are all images of "big women", more independent and confident.
Q: Was there anything impressive during the rehearsal?
A: During this rehearsal process, I will not be on the crew for part of the time due to schedule. So every time when I was on the crew, I would be like a "war reporter" next to me with a mobile phone to record the lines, songs, scheduling, dance moves and so on that I needed to remember. I am most grateful to the actor who played the role of Cai Lili like me, and Huang Ling, a singer I like very much. The relationship between us is more like a relationship of good friends and sisters. Whenever I am not on the crew, if there are any changes to our role, she will tell me immediately and helpI video. There is also Brother Pinguan, because we will spend less time on the scene, he will also take the initiative to spend more time with me outside the daily rehearsal before helping me with the lines. The confrontation with Bai Baihe before the preview also helped me a lot, because she is a very professional actor and helped me find the context of my lines during the confrontation with her. Thank you very much for your help from every actor in the crew.
Q: How do you feel about working with the Broadway professional team this time?
A: This is the first time I have worked with a Broadway professional team. Another aspect that attracted me to join this crew was to have such an international top team. It is an honor to work with them. The director John Rando also helped me a lot during the rehearsal stage. He will use his own unique way to help the actors sort out the psychological state of the characters and the rationality of the plot development. The entire team cooperates very well.
Q: This musical tells a story about love and parting. Did you touch yourself? What do you think of the "love" between Han Jiang and Cai Lili in the work?
A: The story of our musical is very moved. The heroine Nuannuan's persistence in her music dream and her optimism, I think it is a state of very positive energy that can give the audience strength. The mutual appreciation and encouragement between Nuannuan and Hanjiang also made me feel very valuable.
The relationship between Hanjiang and Cai Lili should be experienced by many mature couples. If two people have been together for a long time, their feelings may be slowly consumed by their own state or external influences. Judging from the songs written by Hanjiang and his feelings towards Lili, I feel that there is always that love between Hanjiang and Cai Lili.
Q: It is said that there will be more intense scenes with the actor in the play. Will it be a bit embarrassing at first?
A: In the play, Cai Lili and Han Jiang have some relatively close or fierce quarrel scenes. When they were not familiar with Pin Guan at the beginning, they were indeed a little embarrassed. But later in the formal rehearsal, everyone entered the state of the role and blended into the storyline. This was a natural thing, so it didn't feel awkward.
Q: Judging from the theme, do you think this work is a tragic story?
A: The plot developed by this work is like the great joy and great tragedy that a person must experience in his life. There are not only joyful and funny plots, but also plots that make the audience feel sorry and distressed. I don't think it is a tragic story. Instead, I feel that it is full of a lot of youthful breath. It is actually a very warm story. The heroine Nuannuan’s own optimism and the attitude of striving to pursue her dreams, the actor Han Jiang’s love for Nuannuan, Cai Lili’s support for her as an idol, and the encouragement of a group of friends in the play all show our story. The overall tone is very warm and upward. Maybe the heroine in the play, Nuannuan’s career did bring some regrets, but the theme of the story is actually warm and positive.
Q: When watching a musical script, what do you think is the most touching episode?
A: I think what touched me most is that Nuan Nuan, Han Jiang, and Cai Lili sang the part of "Comprehension" together. No matter what kind of conflict occurred between the three people, at that moment, everyone was supporting Nuan Nuan and encouraging Nuan Nuan to fulfill one of her dreams. I think this is the kind and soft side of human nature.
Q: From the perspective of a musical actor, what do you think of the future development of the Chinese musical theater market?
A: From the experience of participating in two musicals, I think that our Chinese musicals are slowly forming a complete market. Nowadays, the musicals already have a large loyal audience group, and the general public also Began to have the habit of walking into the theater to watch musicals. I think maybe in the future everyone going to the theater to watch a musical will be like going to a movie or a concert, and it will become a more popular way to appreciate art.
Q: In terms of musical talents, what do you think are the opportunities and challenges in the current Chinese musical theater market?
A: I think in this respect, more and better talents will definitely emerge as our Chinese musical theatre market is formed. It's like the young actors in these musicals that I work with are all musical actors who perform well in singing and dancing. Including our behind-the-scenes team, they are also very professional. Nowadays, there are also TV programs that are dedicated to creating a display platform for musical actors. I think this is a good way of publicity that can make more audiences feel the charm of musicals. ToLooking at the current situation of our musicals market, more are the introduction of foreign dramas, so we are very looking forward to more original musicals like "When Love is a Past". I have also learned that the musical theatre majors in many schools are becoming more and more popular, and I believe it will send a lot of excellent fresh blood to our Chinese musical theatre field. I believe that in the near future, our original musicals in China will also be able to go international and be recognized by the world.
