Musical festival ends, but the show goes on
The curtain has come down on the 2024 Shanghai International Musical Festival with a forum at Shanghai Culture Square where professionals shared their insights on the music industry.
Among them were American musical director and choreographer Joey McKneely, German musical actor Martin Markert, as well as managers and directors from Japan and South Korea.
A musical development forum at Shanghai Culture Square.
Joey McKneely shared his 40 years of experience in the musical industry and emphasized the importance of synchronized collaboration among all parties in his speech "Collaboration and Evolution in Creating of a New Musical."
Martin Markert reviewed the development of musicals in Germany, and explained his "nothing beats quality" theory.
Apart from the forum, the Shanghai International Musical Festival presented an original Chinese musical showcase, a singing contest, and a musical cultivation project to nurture original Chinese musicals and talented personnel since December.
The cultivation project has already produced more than 10 original musicals since 2019. Six of them have been introduced to the market, including the latest "Lady M" which will debut in Shanghai next month.
This year's cultivation project received 80 submissions by 144 creators. Those selected will be nurtured with the help of professionals in the rest of the year, and the best works will be showcased at a workshop by the end of next year to find investors.
Winners of this year's singing contest perform at the closing ceremony of the musical festival.
