After waiting and waiting, this July, many original imported dramas will return and be performed lively in the Greater Bay Area.
After 9 years, the original English version of "Phantom of the Theater" returns and will be performed at the Shenzhen Esplanade for 40 consecutive performances! This is the first time the play has landed in Shenzhen since its premiere in 1986. This is also the 2024 international tour in China first stop. Many drama fans watched the Chinese version of "The Phantom of the Opera" last year, and this time they can experience the authentic charm of the English original version.
Also seen for a long time is Matthew Bourne, the legendary British choreographer who is loved by Chinese audiences. He once presented the male version of the phenomenal dance drama "Swan Lake" in 2019. After 6 years, he will present the dance drama The work "Romeo and Juliet".
The original musical "Mamma Mia!" returns to China for the first time in 17 years after its first China tour in 2007. In July this year, it will land in Shenzhen for the first time.
In addition, there is the ever-lasting classic drama "No Survival", which makes people scream again and again; two popular dance dramas "The Eternal Wave" and "Wing Chun" by the twin dance stars Han Zhen and Zhou Liya It will also come to the Greater Bay Area, giving you a movie-like experience.
The joy of the audience is really back! See you in the theater!
Musical "Phantom of the Opera"
Performance schedule
July 2nd - August 4th Shenzhen Esplanade
"Phantom of the Opera" on October 9, 1986 Premiered at Her Majesty's Theater in London, with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman as the male and female protagonists, creating a "legendary" world musical classic. Andrew Lloyd Webber's mesmerizing music, majestic stage scenes, and outstanding actors' performances brought the ultimate romantic night to 193 cities in 46 countries, attracting more than 160 million viewers and winning 70 More than one drama award.
The original English version of "Phantom of the Theater" coming to China this time is produced by Shanghai Media Group (smg Live), operated nationwide by Shanghai Musical Theater Center (smc), and cooperates with Crossroads North America Group (Crossroads Live) and the British Real Good Jointly presented by RUG, it will faithfully perform the classic international tour version produced by Cameron Mackintosh and the British Really Good Group in 1986 and continues to this day.
In the hearts of many Chinese audiences, "The Phantom of the Opera" is synonymous with musicals. In 2004, the original version of "The Phantom of the Opera" came to mainland China for the first time and was performed at the Shanghai Grand Theater for 100 consecutive performances, creating a landmark cultural event. From 2013 to 2015, the original version of "The Phantom of the Opera" visited Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing one after another. The theaters were packed with seats and applause continued, allowing more people to enter the night of "enchantment".
In the past 20 years, many cities have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Phantom, but unfortunately they missed it due to many reasons. In 2024, the original Phantom returns.
Dance Drama "Romeo and Juliet"
Performance Schedule
July 5-7, Guangzhou Grand Theater
New Adventure Dance Company's "Romeo and Juliet" is a passionate contemporary interpretation of Shakespeare's classic love story. Based on the classic score for the ballet by Soviet composer Sergei Prokofiev, Matthew Bourne, a genius in the contemporary British dance world, has made a new story adaptation.
The legendary British choreographer Matthew Bourne is known as the most popular and successful dance choreographer in the UK. He is the only phenomenal artist in the world who has won the Tony Award for "Best Choreography" and "Best Director" at the same time. As the first person in modern dance, he was awarded the OBE and the Hamburg Shakespeare Award. and British Spirit Awards.
Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet infuses Shakespeare's timeless story of forbidden love with raw passion and youthful energy. The play follows two young lovers who are bound by a society that seeks division and must follow their hearts and risk everything to be together.
Like its world-renowned successful works such as "Swan Lake" and "Cinderella", this version of "Romeo and Juliet" continues its explosive narrative style and complex and smooth choreography style to express the love story between Romeo and Juliet It is vivid and vivid, allowing us to see another possibility of interpreting the classics. The play premiered in the UK in 2019 and was well received after touring. The Times praised it as "refreshing" and the Guardian said it was "full of insight and creativity".
Drama "No One Survived"
Performance Schedule
July 10-14, Guangzhou Grand Theater
"No One Survived" is the best-selling suspense mystery novel in history and a masterpiece by Agatha Christie, the Queen of Mysteries. British writer Agatha Christie is known as the "Queen of Crime" and is famous for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections. Guinness World Records lists her as the best-selling novel author of all time, with more than 2 billion copies of her novels sold, and her representative works include "The Mousetrap," the longest-running play in the world.
"No One Survived", which began performing in 1943, sold out quickly upon release, and performed a total of 260 performances in less than half a year before the theater was bombed.
In 2007, the Chinese version of the drama "No Survival" was performed in Shanghai for the first time. During the performance, there were screams in the theater. It was called "the most terrifying drama" and created a box office myth of 100% attendance. It became a A timeless classic drama. In August 2023, the number of performances of the Chinese version of "No Survival" exceeded 700.
The drama "None Survived" will start a global tour in 2024 and will tour in China from May to July. This version is directed by Lucy Bailey, director of the London West End version of the high-scoring drama "Witness for the Prosecution", a British film and television star Joining the cast, focusing on the original flavor of the original version, the audio-visual and stage design has been upgraded in all aspects, and the ending has been praised as "refreshing". The presentation and interpretation of the drama "There Are No Survivors" from the original British version is worth looking forward to.
The musical "Mamma Mia!"
Performance schedule
July 2-7, Zhuhai Huafa China Theater Grand Theater
July 12-21, Shenzhen Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center Theater Grand Theater
"Mamma Mia!" (mamma mia!) is a musical created by British playwright Catherine Johnson. The songs in the play are all taken from the Swedish four-piece group "abba" which became popular around the world from the 1970s to the 1990s.
On April 6, 1999, on the 25th anniversary of the abba choir "waterloo" winning the Eurovision Song Contest, the Prince Edward Theater in London's West End grandly premiered this new music composed of 22 abba best-selling hits. The play caused an unprecedented sensation.
The charm of the play is still the same since its premiere. It has set records for 14 consecutive years since it landed on Broadway. It has toured 42 countries around the world, adapted in more than 10 languages, and held 3,500 performances. It has attracted more than 60 million viewers worldwide and generated more than 2 billion US dollars worldwide. Box office myth. The audience ranges from 6 to 60 years old. In 135 minutes, you will get 45 knowing smiles, 28 unexpected bursts of laughter... and an unforgettable good time. The play won multiple awards including the Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Musical Screenplay, Grammy Award for Best Musical Album, and Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
This is the show’s first return to China in 17 years after its first China tour in 2007, and will land on the stage of Shanghai Cultural Plaza from May 1 to 16, 2024. In July this year, it landed in Shenzhen, a city in the Greater Bay Area for the first time, giving you an unforgettable summer time.
The dance drama "The Radio Wave That Never Dies"
The dance drama "The Radio Wave That Never Dies" helps the audience understand the relationship between the characters through the delicate interaction between the characters.
Performance schedule
July 19th-20th, Dongguan Yulan Grand Theater
Adapted from the real events of martyr Li Bai, compared to other types of dance dramas, this dance drama itself has more historical significance and sense of mission.
Chief editor-directors Han Zhen and Zhou Liya refined and designed the unique core language of the dance drama "The Eternal Wave" through research on the life and deeds of martyr Li Bai.
There is no preaching or slogans, only beautiful dances and exciting plots to reproduce the heroic deeds of the pioneers who fought for the revolution without fear of hardships and dangers.
From sharing weal and woe to staying together forever, the sincere revolutionary love between "Li Xia" and "Lan Fen" touches the hearts of the audience all the time.
Mist, cold rain, dark night, black umbrella, an old newspaper... dim lights, simple dance beauty, and extremely tense overall design create an immersive experience and a very modern dance context, bringing the audience back to the thrilling eve of the liberation of Shanghai.
In addition, as a dance drama, "The Eternal Wave" also adds many contemporary elements to the dance, perfectly integrating "dance" and "drama".
The intense dance of newspaper staff writing and printing newspapers, the slowly unfolding cheongsam dance accompanied by "Yu Guang Song", showing the group dance of life in old Shanghai alleys, the group dance of black people walking in the rain holding black umbrellas... this section Group dances with different styles became an unforgettable highlight.
The whole play relies on the delicate interactions between each character, as well as the newspaper texts and telegram contents cleverly matched with the scenes, which not only enhances the atmosphere of the era, but also naturally helps the audience understand the relationship between the characters.
In the tense and oppressive music, you can always hear the faint but continuous beeping sound. It is the invisible and intangible red radio wave. It is the powerful beating of the revolutionary pulse. It tells the story of the hero. Continued. A poem that expresses people's innermost beliefs.
Dance Drama "Wing Chun"
"Wing Chun" is the masterpiece of the "twin stars" Han Zhen and Zhou Liya in the domestic dance world. It will be performed in Shenzhen again in July.
Performance schedule
July 3-7, Shenzhen Poly Theater
"Wing Chun" is the work of the "Twin Stars" Han Zhen and Zhou Liya in the domestic dance world, following the "hot hits" dance drama "The Eternal Wave" and the dance poetry drama "Only The latest masterpiece after "This Green".
This is a dance drama that adopts a two-line narrative. It starts with the filming of the movie "Wing Chun" by a certain crew, which kicks off the whole drama. In the movie, Master Yip went to a foreign country, holding a plaque of "Wing Chun Hall" in his arms and stepped into the Wuguan Street filled with heroes, just to open a door to Wing Chun. And everyone on the stage and on the set is busy working, just to pursue the light in their hearts.
The fusion of "dance" and "martial arts" is the biggest attraction of this drama. The most exciting part of the drama comes from the "peak showdown" of the five masters. Wing Chun, Southern Mantis Boxing, Bagua Zhang, Bajiquan, and Tai Chi all appeared on stage. The wonderful martial arts moves, the confrontation between top masters, and the film-like stage design brought a visual feast to the audience. People were amazed and exclaimed, "The master's one-on-ten skills are so amazing!" This clip instantly swept the screen after it appeared at the B station New Year's Eve party, and then appeared on the stage of the China Film Huabiao Award Ceremony, stunning the entire audience.
In order to achieve the visual beauty of combining dance and martial arts, the actors of the dance drama "Wing Chun" started martial arts training a year in advance, learned Wing Chun from scratch, insisted on standing every day, and constantly explored the inner world of the characters, just to perfectly present a clean and neat performance. His skill and flowing style restore a vivid world of martial arts on the stage.
"Wing Chun" perfectly combines the power of martial arts with the beauty of dance. It is another new attempt by Han Zhen and Zhou Liya to expand the possibilities of dance art.
Written by: Nandu reporter Li Chunhua
Pictures: provided by the organizer
