The musical “Tang Xianzu” meets with Shanghai audiences.

 

Press conference venue

Shanghai — By special correspondent Xie Mengli: On November 19, a press conference was held in Shanghai to announce the premiere of the musical “Tang Xianzu,” with the official performance scheduled for that evening. This production is a key event in the series of activities marking the 400th anniversary of Tang Xianzu’s passing, and it is expected to play a positive role and exert a significant impact in advancing research and public outreach on Tang Xianzu, as well as in promoting China’s fine traditional culture.

According to reports, since its premiere in Fuzhou this September, the musical “Tang Xianzu” has continued to draw widespread attention from all sectors of society. This time, it will stage five consecutive performances in Shanghai, with all advance tickets sold out, creating a highly sought-after buzz. The majority of ticket buyers are young audiences, and the market response has far exceeded expectations. The resounding success of “Tang Xianzu” underscores the extraordinary enduring appeal of Tang Xianzu, whose legacy has remained vibrant after four centuries.

It is reported that this Shanghai premiere has undergone further refinement and polishing, both in its storyline and libretto, with the student cast expanded from two groups to three. Musically, the production seamlessly blends “classical‑style, operatic, and contemporary” influences, alongside the composer’s distinctive “Xu style.” The overture serves as the overarching thematic motif, drawing on traditional opera forms such as Kunqu, Pingtan, and Huaiyang Opera, while also incorporating elements of Nuo opera and Yihuang opera—both contemporaneous with Tang Xianzu—and even integrating modern musical idioms like jazz, rap, and disco. This unconventional, eclectic musical palette delivers a fresh and invigorating listening experience.

Fuzhou is the hometown of Tang Xianzu. This year, Fuzhou City has staged three productions: a Fuzhou‑dialect adaptation of “The Four Dreams of Linchuan,” the musical “Tang Xianzu,” and an immersive live‑action show titled “In Search of a Dream: The Peony Pavilion.” Among these, the Fuzhou‑dialect version of “The Four Dreams of Linchuan” toured the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Peking University, and Tsinghua University in October, while “In Search of a Dream: The Peony Pavilion” is scheduled to premiere before next year’s May Day holiday. Meanwhile, the musical “Tang Xianzu” was co‑created in collaboration with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

The play “Tang Xianzu” employs a distinctly Chinese artistic idiom to embody the quintessential Chinese spirit of Tang Xianzu—“to establish a heart for heaven and earth, and to secure a destiny for the people.” In its scriptwriting, it for the first time turns its gaze toward Tang Xianzu’s life, and while respecting history and remaining faithful to historical facts, deliberately draws on the master’s signature technique of depicting dreams. By ingeniously weaving several pivotal episodes from his life into his “Four Dreams of Linchuan,” the play also employs a cross‑temporal narrative device to explore how contemporary audiences interpret Tang Xianzu.