Separating the human from the genius

​A scene from the staged concert production of Mozart!. The German-language musical is presented at Shanghai Culture Square from Nov 27 to Dec 14. GAO ERQIANG/CHINA DAILY

Dec 5 marks the anniversary when the great Salzburg-born musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91) finally had a long rest. Centuries later, audiences in Shanghai still get enchanted by his legendary stories.

The Shanghai Culture Square recently unveiled its big New Year performing season with a new production of the German musical Mozart!. After its global premiere at the theater on Nov 27, the venue will present 18 shows by Dec 14 before the concert production sets to tour Guangzhou in Guangdong province, Beijing, and Suzhou in Jiangsu province, with a total of 34 performances.

Composed by Sylvester Levay, with lyrics by Michael Kunze, the musical recounts the life story of Mozart, from being a child prodigy and struggling with his domineering father, to his financial difficulties and social constraints.

Mozart! is the second musical jointly created by Levay and Kunze. Speaking in Shanghai on Nov 28, Kunze said: "I wanted to write the human Mozart, not the legendary musician or the prodigy known as the "porcelain child".

"I've worked with huge stars as a record producer for almost 20 years, writing lyrics and recording songs for them," he says. He finds that stars have to separate their personal lives from the audience's perspective. "The musical tries to do this. We separate the human from the genius.

"As a human being, Mozart had a task to serve his genius. This is hard, because you want to lead a simple life and be happy," he said, explaining Mozart's struggles, which are encapsulated in the show's most significant piece, How Can You Get Rid of Your Shadow?, a song from the musical.

The musical debuted in 1999, has toured 10 countries, and has been seen by 3.2 million people.

The German-language musical made its China debut in 2016, when 40 shows were presented at the Shanghai Culture Square. The youthful vitality, fast tempo, and contemporary style found a strong resonance with Chinese musical fans. "Many people fell in love with the show and looked forward to its return," says Fei Yuanhong, general manager of the Shanghai Culture Square.

​A scene from the staged concert production of Mozart!. The German-language musical is presented at Shanghai Culture Square from Nov 27 to Dec 14. GAO ERQIANG/CHINA DAILY

The newly staged show is jointly produced by the Austrian Vereinigte Buhnen Wien (VBW, translated to United Stage Vienna) and Nordic View Entertainment, featuring an international cast from nearly 20 countries.

In the past few years, a series of concert productions have toured China. Compact stage designs and reduced props have made it more convenient to transport and enabled the productions to adapt to different venues. However, "this doesn't work for all musicals except for those with especially strong composition," Fei says.

Some productions adapt smoothly into a staged concert. For Mozart!, "it really does adapt because of him being a composer, and being in his element with the music", according to the musical's producer, Liv Eirin Francis. "It was a very conscious choice to do it as a staged concert. It's convenient for touring, but it's also very appropriate for Mozart as a composer."

The stage design is simplified without changing sets and requires less movement by the performers. A grand piano stands in front of the orchestra, putting Mozart at the center of the music, giving a visual impression of the composer.

"We do everything we can to keep it affordable, so more people can see it," Francis says. Still, it is a big, expensive production, she says.

"We have more than 80 people, from the cast, crew, orchestra, production personnel, and the creative team," she adds. "We are proud that a lot of the sets and lights are made or rented here in China."

Mozart! is VBW's third staged concert production that has debuted at the Shanghai Culture Square in the past two years, following Elisabeth and Rebecca.

Last year, the staged concert production of Elisabeth embarked on an eight-month tour through Europe, after touring three Chinese cities.

It's a natural decision for the Austrian producer to have these new productions premiere at the Shanghai Culture Square, Francis says, praising the Shanghai theater team as "amazing, brave, and bold".

"We are very close with our audiences and very much appreciate our interactions with them. The venue is a natural birthplace for this production," she says.