China's musical stage-play market, especially in Shanghai, saw a growth of 166 percent in box-office receipts compared with 2017, according to a press release by SAIC·Shanghai Culture Square. The development of musicals increased not only in audience number but also in variety. Since French musical Les Misérables was premiered in Shanghai in 2002, the city has grown into the largest musical market in China. As of August 2018, 351 performances have been staged across 45 theaters in the city, attracting over 323,000 ticket-holders.

In the wake of this rising musical momentum, Shanghai will hold the first Shanghai International Musical Festival in 2019 in a bid to build the city into Asia's stage-play performance center. Organized by Shanghai Huangpu district government and Shanghai Grand Theatre Arts Center, together with Huangpu district culture bureau and Shanghai Culture Square Theatre Management Ltd, the festival contains four segments.

These segments include a collective showcase of Chinese-language original musicals, a star-studded international musical forum, a Chinese-language original musical talent-nurturing program as well as a singing contest opened to the public. Chinese-language original musicals will be a highlight. After years of importing stage plays and translating foreign productions, the local industry has matured.

"In order to have a future in our industry, we must cultivate original musicals and promote the development of original musicals with sincerity and professionalism," said Fei Yuanhong, deputy general manager of Shanghai Culture Square Theatre Management Ltd.

Touching people's hearts

According to Fei, there has been a significant increase in Chinese original musicals staged at SAIC·Shanghai Culture Square in terms of numbers and diversity. Six original Chinese musicals will be staged for the 2019 festival, including My Farewell Lady - which was humorously written and adapted to tell the Chinese legend of one of the Four Beauties of ancient China, Diao Chan; Art School Musical gives the ancient story of the Butterfly Lovers - Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai - a modern twist; and the first AI-themed musical, BA-DUN.

Jonathan Lee, legendary musician and producer in the Chinese-language pop music scene, will also join the festival with his first-ever musical compiled from over 20 songs out of his 300 own playbills. "I think musicals are a good form to extend my career, to make my songs more lasting and touch people's hearts in the years to come," said Lee, adding that he is glad to see that there is now a platform to promote and nurture original Chinese-language musicals.