Chinese version of the musical "Anna Karenina" premieres tonight

The rehearsal photo of the Russian musical "Anna Karenina" was taken by Xinmin Evening News reporter Wang Kai. On the track that symbolizes destiny with

, the locomotive of punk wind is glowing with a cold metallic luster, as if it will whizz towards you at any time Come, crush everything. In the face of this unstoppable force, there are words of warning sing in my ears - don't deviate from the track, but Anna is desperate for true love, even if she ends up shattered... The Chinese version of the Russian musical "Anna Karenina" will be released. It will premiere at Shanghai Grand Theater tonight, and will start a national tour later.

Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina" is the crown jewel of 19th-century Russian realism literature and has been staged countless times. Yuli Kim, one of the four major Russian bards, cut it down and simplified it into a 2-hour musical, which became popular as soon as it was released in 2016. As the first Chinese version of the musical imported from the original Russian version, the play has been exclusively authorized by the producer of the original version, and the main creative team of the original Russian version participated in the entire production. The production and launch of the Chinese version of the

musical "Anna Karenina", in the eyes of the producers and producers Zhang Nianxian and Wang Lu, is a difficult journey to make the impossible possible. Affected by the epidemic, interviews, translation, team formation, and rehearsal are all subject to variables. And their dedication stems from the weight of Anna Karenina in the hearts of the audience and the immortal power of this literary masterpiece.

The play has conducted several rounds of online and offline auditions across the country since February this year, and finally selected nearly 50 outstanding actors. The Chinese creative team includes young drama director Lei Yue, musician Zhao Jiyun, choreographer Yu Chenxi, vocal music director Li Ruoyi, etc. Musical actors such as Xu Lidong, Zhang Huifang, Hong Zhiguang, and Jia Fan are eager to join. In addition, the lighting, dance and costumes of the original Russian version also ensure that the Chinese version reproduces the exquisite grandeur and epic temperament of the original.

From 19th-century opera houses to ice skating rinks, from gorgeous court balls to summer villages, the meticulous stage setting gives musicals greater artistic integration, figure skating , modern dance , ballet , court dance and Russian folk dance, plus more than 40 songs that incorporate classical, pop and rock elements, bring an audio-visual dual experience.

In order to ensure a unified style and accurate expression, the play also specially invited Russian literature translator Liu Wenfei as a literary consultant and Chinese translation. Of all Russian literature, Anna Karenina is the most translated work and the most adapted into other art forms. In his opinion, the musical version of "Anna Karenina" is faithful to the original work and retains the poetry of the original work to the greatest extent possible. Lei Yue, the Chinese director of

, emphasized the atmosphere of the whole play, "We have nearly 50 actors, each of whom has his own story on the stage, and together they build a vivid picture. Capture the atmosphere of the group portrait. , which captures the essence of the show." At the same time, Russian director Alina Chevik is also working with the Chinese cast and crew online, and she believes that Chinese audiences will love this musical. (Xinmin Evening News reporter Zhu Yuan)