Shanghai Grand Theater’s ‘Don’t Miss’ list
The Shanghai Grand Theater gets its 20th anniversary celebration and new season, “Dream Beyond the Stage,” off to a rich start this month
The season of more than 149 programs running through August next year will be highlighted by a “top 10” list featuring star performances by the Teatro Alla Scala Ballet Company, the New York City Ballet, Staatsoper Hamburg and Juliette Binoche.
“The Top 10 list is actually the ‘you-should-not-miss’ list. We hope it can help some of our audiences select programs more easily,” says General Manager Zhang Xiaoding.
Two operas and a concert lead the top 10 — Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” newly co-produced by the Staatsoper Hamburg and the Shanghai Grand Theater, Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Hollander” co-produced by Theater Erfurt and the Shanghai Opera House, and a concert by Orchestre de Paris conducted by Daniel Harding.
The new production of “The Magic Flute” on August 25-16 has kept the classic Mozart music, yet set the story in a city more familiar to modern audiences.
Tamino, a teenager growing up in a big city who lost his way, is determined to re-discover his existence in a strange world. Video clips of real cities are liberally used to help portray the world on stage — including many familiar Shanghai scenes.
The list also covers four dance programs by top world ballet troupes, including “Don Quixote” by Teatro Alla Scala Ballet, “Sleeping Beauty” by the Australian Ballet, “Swan Lake” by Ballet de Opera National de Paris and “All Balanchine” by the New York City Ballet.
“Don Quixote” and “Swan Lake,” to be staged this August and next June, are based on Rudolf Nureyev’s choreography, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the legendary ballet star’s birth.
Three crossover performances — “C’est Presque Rien” starring Juliet Binoche, Barbican Lon’s production “The Dark Mirror Zenaer’s Winterreise” starring British tenor Ian Bostridge and a new interpretation of “La Traviata” by Theatre des Bouffes du Nord — are also on the list.
Binoche will tell the legend of chanson queen Barbara — Monique Andree Serf — by acting, singing and dancing in “C’est Presque Rien” this September. With a pen and a piano, the legendary woman sang about life, love, pain, rage and hope. The performance was created largely based on Barbara’s memoir and historic documents.
“As people enter the theater, the lights fade and the curtains are raised. A new journey for a dream thus begins,” says Zhang, proud of the 20th anniversary celebration.
“Our dream will not stay within the confines of the stage. We hope that we shall present audiences with diversified arts in various formats that transcend the limitation of time, venue and seats.”
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