Making music

Scenes from the Tale of Guoyun Lou, that tells the story of an important Chinese library. It will be staged on Mar 20, 21.

More importantly, a growing amount of investment is being poured into the making of Chinese stories told through the musical. Fei and his colleagues have witnessed much improved quality in the Chinese musicals staged at the theater.

The festival will open on Mar 14 with the performance of Peach Blossoms Again. The play, created by the Songs and Dances Theater of Suzhou of Jiangsu province, tells the story of an artist's family in Taohua Wu (Peach Blossom Dock), an ancient town famous for its traditional print art.

The rich cultural heritage of the area will be the greatest highlight, says Xie Shouxian, director of the theater. This is the first musical production from his company.

"We have given 100 shows in the past two years, and changes are constantly made to improve the production. I feel like a student taking a big examination, presenting the show in Shanghai."

The Tale of Guoyun Lou, composed by Jin Fuzai, is also set in Suzhou. Jin was the first director at the musical department of Shanghai Theater Academy and he was given the story for the subject of a musical.