Going gaga over German musicals

One of the most successful German musicals, Elisabeth, has kicked off a new tour of China with 21 shows at the Shanghai Culture Square from Aug 29 to Sept 15.

The musical will go on to play at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center in Beijing from Sept 18 to 22, and at Guangzhou Opera House in Guangdong province from Sept 26 to 30.

Elisabeth, with lyrics by Michael Kunze and music by Sylvester Levay, premiered in Vienna in 1992. It has been performed more than 9,000 times, with shows attended by more than 12 million people in 14 countries. Based on the story of Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie (1837-98), Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, it portrays a new-age queen fighting for freedom against suffocating imperial court life.

The touring production, Elisabeth in Concert, premiered in the grand forecourt of Schonbrunn Palace in 2019. It features 39 songs and a cast of 30. However, in place of sets, the orchestra is on stage, and a theatrical effect is achieved through the use of background video projections and dynamic lighting design.

According to Annemieke van Dam, who plays the title character, singing with the orchestra on stage is always a new and intense experience, although she has performed the role over 1,000 times. "The melodies create my emotions, so every crescendo and decrescendo … all the little things make me feel everything in Elisabeth," the actress told media in Shanghai. "I don't have in-ear monitors, so I hear the orchestra directly next to me: the cello being here, and the trumpets being there, and it is such an intense experience."

The musical made its first tour of China 10 years ago, when 40 shows were given at the Shanghai Culture Square. The performances opened a door to a wider world beyond Broadway and the West End for musical lovers in China, according to Fei Yuanhong, general manager of the Shanghai Culture Square. Since then, the theater has gone on to host productions in German, French and other languages.

"Chinese audiences resonate easily with musicals from France, Germany and Austria," Fei says. "The melodies, theatrical structure and the philosophical significance all evoke strong resonance with people in China."

Christian Struppeck, artistic director of Vereinigte Buhnen Wien, the Austrian production company behind Elisabeth in Concert, feels the same. "There's a lot of interest in musicals, especially in European musicals, so that's why we always love to come here. I think it's a growing market, and especially at the Shanghai Culture Square. The audience loves musicals and knows a lot about them."

The popularity of the shows encouraged the theater to work with the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center and the Guangzhou Opera House to introduce two German-language shows, Elisabeth in Concert, and later this year, Rebecca in Concert, which has 16 shows scheduled at the Shanghai Culture Square from Nov 5 to 17, and more in Beijing and Guangzhou through Dec 1.

Fei also believes that the success of German and French musicals has provided China's own musical industry greater insight. "They have each developed their own style and aesthetics, deeply rooted in their own musical and cultural heritage. I think in China, we are also exploring a creative path of our own, which has to feature our own artistic genes. That's what we have learned from German and French musicals," Fei says.

One of the lead roles in the musical, Death, will be performed by two different actors in Shanghai. Lukas Mayer made his debut in Shanghai as Death, while Mark Seibert, who played Death 10 years ago, reprises the role this month.

"Mark is like a strong male who knows what he is doing, Lucas is more androgynous. He can be male and female. That is the fascination of this role, and I think the audience loves both styles," says Levay, commenting on their different interpretations.