A rousing season of music, dance, drama to begin
A concert featuring the music of the popularly paired short operas "Cavalleria Rusticana" and "Pagliacci" will kick off Shanghai Grand Theater's new season of more than 200 shows.
The opening concert will be presented by Shanghai Opera House on September 3-5.
It will feature soprano He Hui, who sang the title role in Puccini's "Turandot" at the Grand Theater in 2019. The venue has long been associated with some of He's most important musical milestones, including her debut in the title role of Verdi's "Aida" two decades ago.
Soprano He Hui
The theater's 2021-22 session will also feature six Shanghai debuts, including the symphony concert "Grand Canal of Beijing," which merges Peking Opera with Western symphony formats. The performance will be presented by Beijing Symphony Orchestra and the Peking Opera Theater Company of Beijing on October 18.
The poetic dance "The Painting Journey – The Legend of a Panorama of Mountains and Rivers" will make its Shanghai debut on September 24-26. The dance, highlighting the aesthetics of traditional Chinese painting, is the latest creation by Han Zhen and Zhou Liya, the joint directors and choreographers of the very popular dance drama "The Eternal Wave."
The symphony concert "Grand Canal of Beijing" merges Peking Opera with Western symphony formats.
"Buddha Passion – An Audible Silk Road" is a traditional Chinese music concert with music composed and conducted by multicultural master Tan Dun, under commission of Shanghai Chinese Orchestra. Tan's works are inspired by the ancient paintings in Dunhuang's Mogao Caves in northwest China's Gansu Province.
The classic drama "Thunderstorm" and its sequel "Thunderstorm II" will be staged on October 22-24 as a tribute to late Chinese playwright Cao Yu.
The Chinese adaptation of the popular musical "Matilda" will be staged at the Grand Theater later in the year. The original version of the West End production was well received by Shanghai audiences three years ago. The Chinese adaptation will keep the immersive stage design and the live band featured in the musical.
Composer and conductor Tan Dun
The original Chinese musical "No Longer Human," based on a 1948 Japanese novel of the same name by Osamu Dazai, will make its debut on December 10-19. The production features an international creative team, including American composer Frank Wildhorn and British set and costume designer Leslie Travers.
Other highlights of the new season include an opera gala concert entitled "When Verdi Meets Wagner" by Shanghai Opera House Symphony Orchestra on November 13.
Shanghai Ballet will bring the enduring Tchaikovsky favorite "The Nutcracker" to the Grand Theater on December 23-26.
Pianist Yin Cunmo will present a recital on December 27, and violinist Wang Zhijiong will perform with Ensemble Epoch for a New Year's concert on January 5.
Shanghai Opera House Symphony Orchestra will present an opera gala concert "When Verdi Meets Wagner" on November 13.
