Russian literary classic Anna Karenina brought to life on stage
The Chinese version of the musical "Anna Karenina" is debuting at the Shanghai Grand Theater tonight, treating the audience to a mellifluous and faithful rendition of the Russian literary classic.
"Anna Karenina" is an 1878 novel by Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Dealing with topics such as betrayal, faith, family, marriage, desire and the imperial Russian society, it is widely considered one of the greatest works of literature ever written.
Over the years, the novel has been adapted into numerous works in the form of drama, opera, film, television and other stage productions, including a 2016 Russian musical with a libretto by Russian poet and playwright Yuli Kim, and music by Roman Ignatyev.
The Chinese version is based on a 2016 Russian musical.
The musical is loyal to the original novel with the story centering on an extramarital affair between Anna and dashing military officer Alexey Vronsky that scandalizes the social circles of St. Petersburg and forces the young lovers to flee to Italy in a search for happiness. After they return to Russia, their lives further unravel.
"We required every actor to read the original novel at least once before joining the crew," the Chinese musical's joint producer Wang Lu told Shanghai Daily. "Anna Karenina is such an appealing literary work, attracting a lot of talented domestic directors and actors for the auditions."
The crew spent four months studying the script and another two months on a closed rehearsal in Beijing before bringing the production to Shanghai.
Alina Chevik, director of the original Russian musical, has been giving online instruction to the Chinese performers over the past three months.
The musical is loyal to the original novel.
"Anna Karenina" is the first original Russian musical to have a Chinese version. Liu Wenfei, head of China's Russian Literature Institute was invited to work on the Chinese translation of the lyrics.
"It's a time-honored story about the awakening of women," said Chinese version director Lei Yue. "Anna is awakened in an era when women's self-awareness is not accepted by the society. The story is still appealing to modern audiences, especially literature lovers and those interested in feminism topics. Both director and choreographer of the original Russian musical are women."
The Shanghai production has 50 actors, including 18 ballet dancers and eight chorus singers. The 40 songs will be presented by a live band behind the stage.
The performance features elegant costumes.
The sumptuous costumes and stage setting will give audience an authentic taste of the life of Russian nobles.
According to director Lei, the train captain is the highlight of the musical, who plays multiple roles including the ambassador of darkness, who looks down at the characters and decide their fates.
After the Shanghai performances, the musical will go on with its national tour and visit another 10 cities including Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Xiamen and Chengdu.
Performance info:
Dates: Through October 23, 2pm/7:30pm
Tickets: 280-1,080 yuan
Venue: Shanghai Grand Theater
Address: 300 People's Ave
