Alice's Adventures in China
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During the summer vacation, a vast array of children's plays is gearing up for the onslaught of young theatergoers in China. Among them, Montreal-based company L'Arsenal à Musique presents Alice in Wonderland, a magical and innovative musical inspired by one of the world's most beloved stories. Scheduled for August 7-8 at Beijing's Poly Theater, Alice will be the first L'Arsenal à Musique musical performed in Chinese.
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Scenes from the musical Alice in Wonderland. [Global Times] |
Based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll, the show chronicles the story of Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world, with a modern twist.
"This musical is a very modern and contemporary work, even though the story is a British classic," artistic director Reggi Ettore told the Global Times. "We employ technology such as projections and electro-acoustic special effects. And also innovations in acting, such as the actress talks to video projections, it's quite new!"
First premiering in Quebec with a symphony orchestra in 2005, Alice in Wonderland is set to an original score by Denis Gougeon and Yves Daoust. As one of Canada's most notable contemporary composers, Gougeon's score is both demanding and dynamic, while Daoust gives a modern touch with electro-acoustic composition.
"The most interesting aspect of the show is that it's a mix of three disciplines: we have music; we have the drama, and we have video projection. The videos are animated sequences which are projected on a transparent screen placed between the audience and actress, and Alice interacts with the video," Ettore added.
The dynamic audio and visual innovation attempts to redefine the musical theater experience as the audience sees a gigantic monstrous cat, a teacup that magically fills itself and pokers flying across the stage.
Founded by Lorena Corradi and Reggi Ettore in 1978, L'Arsenal à Musique combines orchestras, contemporary music, multimedia and acrobatics to form a unique style of its own. After 20 original musical productions and 10,000 shows in North America, Europe and Asia, this is the company's first tour of China's mainland.
"This extraordinary momentum is driving all of our creative team and we are all very excited," said Ettore. "We are working everyday in Montreal, rehearsing and preparing for our trip because we are doing it in Chinese."
To help tackle the linguistic challenge, Ettore cast Canadian actress Wensi Yan, whose parents are natives of Shanghai.
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