Shanghai Culture Square announces year-end program
Both classic and new musicals are featured in Shanghai Culture Square's newly announced 2024 year-end program.
It has been a tradition for the venue, known for its musical performances, to introduce blockbuster shows at the end of each year. The 2024 grand finale includes seven musical and concert productions lead by the original French musical "Notre Dame de Paris."
With music by Richard Cocciante and lyrics by Luc Plamondon, the musical proved its popularity among Shanghai audiences during its last two visits in 2019 and 2020. The return of the show from January 3 through 27, 2025, is also part of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France.
The Italian musical "Casanova" and two German musical concerts "Rebecca" and "Ludwig² – The King is Back" will play to Shanghai audiences for the first time.
"Casanova," scheduled from December 20 to 28 at the Culture Square, gives life to the Venetian adventurer Giacomo Casanova, one of the most popular and controversial European characters during the 18th century.
Italian musical actor Gian Marco Schiaretti stars in "Casanova."
Based on Matteo Strukul's best seller, "Giacomo Casanova - La sonata dei cuori infranti," the musical investigates Casanova's golden years after his return from exile, when he defends Venice from the power games it was living through in that period.
Italian musical actor Gian Marco Schiaretti, who played legendary fictional character Don Juan in front of Shanghai audiences in January, will take the role of Casanova.
German musical concert "Rebecca" is adapted from the 1938 novel of the same name by English novelist Daphne du Maurier. It revolves around wealthy Maxim DeWinter and his new wife's life in DeWinter's Cornish estate, Manderley.
Shanghai Culture Square vice general manager Fei Yuanhong introduces the year-end program.
As a musical concert version, the performance, scheduled from November 5 to 17, has the same costumes and length as the original German musical, but features new choreography, stage and lighting design, as well as a live orchestra.
"Ludwig² – The King is Back" tells the story of the fairytale king Ludwig II, whose life and death are to this day a mystery.
Ludwig ascended to the Bavarian throne in 1864 at the age of 18 but increasingly withdrew from daily affairs of state in favor of artistic and architectural projects. From his patronage of the composer Richard Wagner, Ludwig commissioned the construction of the lavish palace Neuschwanstein Castle, which is now visited annually by more than 1.5 million people.
The concert version of the musical at the Culture Square from December 12 to 15 is also a national debut, showcasing an inner struggle between the hope of a peaceful society oriented to the arts and nature, and a reality that mercilessly opposes this utopia.
The Culture Square's year-end menu also includes two original Chinese musicals "Hamlet" (November 22 to 24) and "The Orphan of Zhao" (November 28 to December 1).
The Piccolo Coro dell'Antoniano from Italy will make a return to Shanghai at the end of the year for six New Year concerts during which both classic and new songs will be performed.
Those interested can follow Shanghai Culture Square's WeChat account "SCS_Ticketing" for more information.
If you go:
Venue: Shanghai Culture Square 上海文化广场
Address: 597 Fuxing Rd M. 复兴中路597号
