In December 2014, the original German musical "Elizabeth" came to China for the first time as the year-end drama of the Shanghai Cultural Plaza and was performed for 40 consecutive performances, opening the door to German musicals for Chinese audiences. After an absence of ten years, "Elizabeth" has returned in the form of a newly produced musical version of the concert. It recently landed on the stage of the Cultural Plaza again, presenting 21 music and drama feasts to the eagerly awaited Shanghai audience.
This is considered to be the most successful German-language musical in the world so far. It is based on Elisabeth Amali Eugenie, Princess of Bavaria, Queen of Austria and Queen of Hungary. It tells the life of the real Princess Sissi - a A queen with a strong sense of self, a woman who fought tirelessly against the court for her personal freedom. The play uses a multi-time and space narrative method to condense the perspective from the era to the individual: 15-year-old Sissi fell in love with Emperor Franz at first sight, and accidentally entered into a royal marriage. But after marriage, she was bound by palace etiquette, and the empress dowager's discipline also made her suffer. A few years later, she finally realized her most powerful weapon and gradually began to get involved in politics. At this time, the God of Death, who has been with her since she was a child, appears again, longing for her vitality and love, constantly tempting her to go into the dark world and seek eternal freedom...
In the 32 years since its performance, the German musical "Elizabeth" has attracted 12 million viewers around the world and has been performed more than 9,000 times in 14 countries including Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Finland, and China, and has been translated into 10 different languages. , not only set a box office record, but was also hailed as "reviving the glory of Viennese theater art."
The musical version of the concert performed in China this time is jointly produced by the Austrian Union Theater of Vienna, the producer of the original musical, and the Danish Lion Entertainment Company. It inherits the traditional version of the Schonbrunn Palace concert of "Elizabeth" and not only has a condensed and concise The stage presentation also brings original gorgeous shapes and exquisite costumes; the performance lineup invites European first-line actors, and with the support of a specially invited European orchestra, nearly 30 actors and outstanding dancers complete 39 of the play A live performance and dramatic performance of the first hit.
"What we bring to the audience is a dual listening experience of a full play performance and a symphony concert. The only difference from a musical performance is that we put top European musicians on the stage and use a huge LED screen on the stage. Use poetic and freehand videos to present some of the scenes in the play," said composer Sylvester Reeves, who is over 80 years old.
In order to repay the ten-year wait of the German drama audience, through the unremitting efforts of the Cultural Plaza and the production side, this China tour invites the "goddess" Annemieke van Dam, the poster of the 2014 musical "Elizabeth" to join the tour. As the top supporting actor of "Elizabeth" who has performed "Elizabeth" in 3 languages in 18 cities in 5 countries, Anne Michael told reporters: "In the more than 20 years since I starred in "Elizabeth", my own identity has also changed from cardamom to "Elizabeth". A young girl becomes a mother, which also makes me feel that I can understand the role of 'Elizabeth' more deeply."
came to Shanghai in 2014 and 2016 to play in "Elizabeth" and "Mozart!" "The German musical star Mark Seibert, who plays the Grim Reaper and the Archbishop, also made a surprise return this time, specializing in some performances in September. After ten years, he once again brought a wonderful performance of "The Grim Reaper" to the Shanghai audience. Lucas Meyer, as the youngest person to play "Death" in history, completed the world premiere of this role at the Cultural Square.
Regarding the two "Death" actors, Sylvester Reeves said: "Mark Seibert is a very familiar image of 'Death', and Lucas Meyer can present it on the stage. A neutral 'Death', Chinese audiences should like both feelings. In the performance of 'Elizabeth', 'Elizabeth' will always be played by the same female actor, but 'Death' will choose different actors because of 'Death'. 'There's something magical about it, which allows people to have more room for imagination.”
From 2014 to 2024, ten years have witnessed the indissoluble bond between Cultural Square and German musicals. It also demonstrates that Cultural Plaza continues to expand the Shanghai audience’s theater viewing horizons and aesthetics in addition to the traditional English musical pedigree. The original intention of experience. As Fei Yuanhong, deputy general manager of Shanghai Cultural Plaza, said, "We hope to present more wonderful musicals of different types, styles and countries to Shanghai. "
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Source: Shanghai Huangpu
