'The Painting Journey' back in Grand Theater's schedule

Shanghai Grand Theater will present 60 theater productions out of a total of 200 performances during the 2022 spring and summer season, which runs through August.

Three new works produced by the Grand Theater's creation and producing center – the Chinese adaptation of the musical "The Brothers Karamazov," Kunqu Opera "The Peony Pavilion" and a Sino-UK cooperation on the play "Frankenstein" – will premiere this year.

Others are "The Merchant of Venice" by veteran director Chen Xinyi and comedy company Mahua Fun Age, the musical "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and the play "Diary of Mystery."

Ti Gong

The season will also feature popular performances. They include avant-garde theater director Meng Jinghui's "Rhinoceros in Love," Tony Award-winning play "The Pillowman," musical "Man of La Mancha," musical "No Longer Human" and poetic dance "The Painting Journey: The Legend of a Panorama of Mountains and Rivers."

"The Painting Journey" opened in September and highlights the aesthetics of traditional Chinese painting. Han Zhen and Zhou Liya, the joint directors and choreographers of the popular dance drama "The Eternal Wave," are the people behind the production.

According to the Grand Theater, tickets for the performances were sold out. It plans to add more shows to meet the demand.

Ti Gong

"The popularity of productions like 'The Painting Journey' and 'No Longer Human' largely surpassed our expectations," said Zhang Xiaoding, general manager of the Shanghai Grand Theater.

"It also proved that Shanghai audiences have the capability to recognize good works. All the troupes, state-owned or private, are willing to bring their new works to Shanghai to test the market."

Other productions to be listed this year include the crosstalk play "Still Beautiful;" and the opera "Tea: a Mirror of Soul," whose music is composed by well-known composer and conductor Tan Dun. Both works will be making their Shanghai debuts.

Ti Gong