In the 2016 version, actors Liu Lingfei sang with Ding Zhenying
The stage play "Spring Awakening" has been repeatedly banned for nearly a hundred years, because it involves teenagers' exploration of sex, which has been controversial and questioned.
Its script, from the German playwright Frank Wedkin's play of the same name published in 1891, depicts several adolescents who grew up in an extremely conservative society, the awakening of sexual psychology, and the confusion and pain of adolescence.
In 2016, Shanghai Culture Square Theater Management Co., Ltd. adapted this banned work into a musical and produced a "campus version" of "Spring Awakening". After three years, "Spring Awakening", co-produced by Shanghai Culture Square Theater Management Co., Ltd. and Hongyang International, returned, and will be performed in 13 consecutive performances at the Shanghai Theater in January 2020.
Whether it's the actors, the choreography, the costumes, the scheduling, the style of directing or the way the story is told, it's a brand new musical, with director Spencer Reeve from Broadway and music director Fitz Sharpe from London's West End.
Spencer said the new version will have some unexpected designs in the choreography and choreography, while adding Chinese elements. Fitz said that the new version of the music style includes pop rock, classical music, and will add chinese national instruments to the processing of sound. Overall, the new version of the "Chinese flavor" is stronger.
Asked whether some of the relatively sensitive content in the play will be adjusted, Spencer replied, "The original author had his intention to express when writing this story, we must respect, there are many ways to avoid sensitive content in artistic expression." In addition, "the story has different versions in different places, and there have been very diverse attempts to represent sensitive content to adapt to audiences in different places." This is not a rare thing. ”
The main creative team took a group photo with the actors of the 2016 version
The new version continues to retain the Chinese dialogue + English singing.
"The lyrics of 'Spring Awakening' are very poetic, and during the translation process, it is difficult to retain its original meaning and express its depth, if translated into Chinese lyrics, the tone must be consistent, which is more difficult, so we decided to sing in English." Spencer said.
Fei Yuanhong, deputy general manager of Cultural Square, said that three years ago they were also wondering whether the audience would not be accustomed to Chinese dialogue + English singing, and when the two languages appeared at the same time, the scene did not violate the harmony, "The translation of poems is particularly difficult, and in the future we may make a completely Chinese version of "Spring Awakening", but it will take a long time." ”
In order to select the most suitable actors, the producers have completed the recruitment of actors in New York and Shanghai with the help of Broadway resources, and more than 200 resumes include experienced Chinese actors, foreign actors who can speak fluently Chinese, and more fresh faces.
"Spring Awakening" is known as a "star-making machine", and when it first appeared on Broadway in 2006, the actors were a group of fifteen or sixteen-year-old teenagers who had no experience in performing on Broadway at all, and finally became popular.
"Fifteen- and sixteen-year-old actors are best suited to interpret the stories that take place at their age, and we hope to continue this tradition in China and help the Chinese musical theater scene discover more future stars." Spencer said.