is a specially invited work of Shanghai Cultural Plaza's "2022 Chinese Original Musical Incubation Plan", "Lady Macbeth" Launching the Sino-foreign joint creation format for the first time, it will become the first new English original musical to be incubated and produced by a Chinese team and have its world premiere in Shanghai. "Our musical has gone through a process of imitation and learning from introduction, adaptation to originality, and has entered a new stage of independent innovation." Director Xu Jun revealed that this musical has both the attributes of "international incubation" and "Chinese original" The new work will premiere at the 1862 Fashion Art Center on May 9. "The all-English musical jointly created by China and foreign countries is naturally international. I look forward to its first overseas tour stop in London, and hope that more audiences can see the strength of China's original musicals."
The creative cast team is internationalized and broadened Musical Theater Creation Path
The song "What Must Bed One" conveyed Lady Macbeth's inner desire. Maya Hackford's singing voice was so tearful and full of strong emotional tension that it triggered warm applause from the scene. "I have played many villains before, but it is a new challenge to interpret the journey of a kind-hearted person who is deceived by desire and falls. This role deeply attracted me." Maya told reporters that she had been to the Shanghai World Expo in 2010. In 2014, the crew of "Elizabeth" came to Shanghai again, and then sang more than ten golden songs in the "German Musical Stars Concert" in 2019, thus forming a deep friendship. "As soon as I received the invitation from Shanghai Cultural Plaza, I agreed without hesitation."
In addition to the heroine Maya, the cast of "Lady Macbeth" is full of international styles. The British Carl Queensborough who plays Macbeth, Richard Carson who plays Macduff, and Tom Hill who plays Banque have all been active on London's West End stage for a long time. "I was deeply shocked by the story, music and music!" Karl, who participated in the play's workshop project in the West End, said: "I am very excited to have the opportunity to cross the border and come to China to create and perform this complex character. ." Although Richard and Tom came to China for the first time, they quickly adapted to the food and environment in Shanghai. "We were all very surprised to learn that we had the opportunity to come to Shanghai to participate in this musical. In the early communication, we felt the power of cultural exchanges, shared a common love, and faced a common future." They will work with Chinese actors In-depth cooperation to achieve exchanges and exchanges of outstanding talents in Chinese and foreign musicals gives this new drama a special significance.
breaks down the production team of "Lady Macbeth". The screenwriter and composer are played by young British creators James Beaney and Gina Georgia. The creative team also includes director Xu Jun, music director Jin Peida, stage designer Xu Xiaohuan, lighting and Xiao Lihe, chief designer of light and shadow media, and other major Chinese stage art creations. The birth of the play brought together many forces from around the world and also demonstrated the vigorous development of China's musical theater creative power. Fei Yuanhong, deputy general manager of Shanghai Cultural Plaza, said: "The paths and methods of original incubation should be diverse and flexible. This premiere of "Lady Macbeth" in English mode absorbs foreign ideas, is based on the original, faces the future, and further expands
Lock the essence of Shakespeare’s original work and inject modern experimental elements
In recent years, musicals adapted from literary classics have become common.How will "Lady Macbeth" reconstruct Shakespeare's classic text? "In the context of an era of war and turbulence, Shakespeare used an abnormal and disordered perspective and a small incision to deeply explore and think about human heart and human nature. He has the dual aesthetic qualities of tragedy of fate and tragedy of character. Therefore, "Macbeth" has Enduring influence and current 'presence.'" Xu Jun believes that the original work left multiple mysteries for Lady Macbeth, such as her memory of her children that may become the driving force of the plot. "The musical has chosen a new perspective and weaved clues from this mysterious and complex woman. We will break through the framed stage and conduct experiments in open and multi-dimensional spaces. Let the audience walk with us into the maze of the heart and the world to complete themselves A puzzle of feelings and thoughts."
"For more than a year, Xu Jun has been meeting with me regularly. We discuss "Macbeth" together and deepen our understanding of this new work by constantly reviewing the classics. Help broaden the thinking background of creation." Literary consultant Shi Zhikang said that "Lady Macbeth" strives to lock in the essence of Shakespeare's original work and inject modern and experimental elements to make the work closer to modern people's aesthetics. Xu Jun’s old partner, composer Jin Peida, is full of expectations for the performance of the play. “This is an original work that combines Chinese and Western styles. Western pop music is combined with a sung-through (whole-singing) performance form. The cooperation of an international actor team It has great potential and is also quite challenging. I hope we can find the tension between music and drama together, use singing to shape characters, and use music to convey energy."
Author: Xuan Jing
Text: Xuan Jing Editor: Jiang Fang Editor: Xing Xiaofang
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