Can anyone suggest a musical set in China?- Page 2

[Elphie3]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 12:00am

I actually really do know the show - just couldn't remember...

[After Eight]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 12:04am

There's also the 1928 Rodgers and Hart musical, Chee-Chee. This also had a very nice whimsical little song in it, Moon of My Delight, sung also, quite delightully, by Mary Martin on an album of Rodgers songs.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 1:45am

Chee-Chee (which I was just about to mention) is, if I am not mistaken, a musical about the forced castration of the star (Eunichs r Us). Then there is always Chu Chin Chow, which was the Miss Saigon of its period (ie huge commercial hit in London and New York and numerous touring companies.)

[mallardo]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 2:07am

Why not expand your horizons a bit and fill your ipod with Puccini's fabulous opera Turandot - not only set in China but with many authentic Chinese themes.

[tommyboy]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 10:23am

THE RUPTURED MAN

Music by: Wun Hung Lo
Lyrics by: Oh Dat Hurt

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 12:31pm

"Why not expand your horizons a bit and fill your ipod with Puccini's fabulous opera Turandot - not only set in China but with many authentic Chinese themes."

Amen to that. One of the greatest scores ever. Try listening to "Gloria Gloria O Vincitore" as you arrive - BRILLIANT!

From there to the end of Act II is particularly perfect and atmospheric!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 12:49pm

Chu Chin Chow is actually based on Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves and is set in Baghdad, Iraq.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 1:18pm

nomdeplume, I'm from Hong Kong AND live in the New Territories! I am highly insulted by your comments on my hometown. You can call China communist (cuz they are) but Hong Kong is not at all like this. Yes there are a lot more mainland and taiwanese tourists in Hong Kong now who are rude but Hong Kong is still an exceptionally good place to visit for tourists. This is what happens to international cities when they are so many different people in the city, London, New York especially are no less different! I've been treated poorly by some Spanish and Mexican tourists in New York, SAME THING! Thailand is an amazing place to visit but you just cannot compare the two, it is just like comparing Sondheim with Kander & Ebb, both are good and each to their own tastes.
I have no idea how bad your experience in China or Hong Kong was but I have friends from all over the world to visit me all the time and all they ever complain about is the hot weather and how crowded the place is. But I guess you should've expected that WHEN you have decided to come and it's just part of the experience and culture! If you can't take it, don't come, don't go anywhere in fact, stay and sit at home and watch Discovery Channel and play with your cats.

Speaking from experience as well, Asia is no less dangerous than a lot of countries in Europe (Czech, Turkey, Marrakesh..etc). people feel more threatened somehow in Asia because it is more 'exotic' and they have no scope of the language at all.

To the original poster: They are currently playing a first Chinese Broadway musical in Shanghai right now 'Mamma Mia', and I believe West End's ZORRO is touring to Shanghai soon too. I saw it in London and it was surprisingly fantastic, hope you can watch it!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 1:39pm

I loved Zorro in London! I wasn't expecting much, but I was surprised by its charm and heart. I knew there was a French production of the show, but had no idea about a Chinese production. I honestly wish I could see it again. Too bad it will probably never see the light of a Broadway stage.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 2:05pm

A new show is supposed to open in the West End next year set in China called "Sacrifice"
Sacrifice website

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 2:29pm

Wow, you guys, never thought I'd get such varied responses. Another huge XIE XIE (thanks)!

@ mallardo, Awesome suggestion on Turandot. Coincidentally LAST summer we were at the staggeringly beautiful Arena in Verona for an evening of -- what else? Zeffirelli's over-the-top production of Turandot! One of our best evenings of theater ever.

@ ruthiefan_felix, Accept our apologies for nomdeplume's out of line remarks on Honk Kong, not to mention Beijing-- a city he disparages though only having seen from an AIRPLANE. Please ignore his communism-obsessed comments; we know we will. We're fascinated by the idea of a Shanghai production of Zorro (sorry, but nothing will convince us to endure another night of Mama Mia, no matter how cross-cultural the cast). Curious to know if Chinese productions of West End shows would be performed in English or Mandarin?

Sorry to say, we will only be in Hong Kong long enough to switch planes to get to Beijing, then on to Xian (with side trips to Maiji Shan in Tianshui), and Shanghai (with side trip to Suzhou). All of Southern China, Hong Kong included, will have to wait for another trip. But, ruthiefan, anyone with a Billy Elliott avatar on their BWW profile is thoroughly trustworthy in our book! So if you have must-sees in these towns we might not have heard about, do let us know.
Updated On: 8/29/11 at 02:29 PM

[Salene]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 2:31pm

"I apologize for my poor knowledge of Geography. I would also like to apologize to the many Scandinavians whom I have hurt with my aforementioned knowledge.

Just curious: Where did you think Scandinavia was?

[Salene]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 2:39pm

Surely some of these must take place in China:

http://castalbums.org/recordings/search/?language=Cantonese&page=1
http://castalbums.org/recordings/search/?language=Mandarin

[Salene]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 2:46pm

Mulan soundtrack in Mandarin
https://castalbums.org/recordings/Hua-Mu-Lan-/6205

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 4:39pm

"Nightingale" by Charles Strouse.

There's a great cast recording featuring a young Sarah Brightman.

Great fable/story, humorous moments, serious moments, BEAUTIFUL score. Very traditional-sounding.

Updated On: 8/29/11 at 04:39 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 5:08pm

"Umm... CharlesJGuiteau, A Little Night Music is based on the film SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT made by legendary SWEDISH director Ingmar Bergman, It's not set or based on anything from Scandinavia."

And, Mr. Guiteau, it should also be pointed out that Zorba is based on the novel, Zorba the Greek by the legendary GREEK novelist, Nikos Kazantzakis. It's not set (well actually it's set on Crete and Kazantzakis was Cretan but after all Crete is at least partially a part of Greece although it wasn't when Kazantzakis was born and may not have been at the time the story is set, I can't remember offhand, but that's a whole other megilah...) or based on anything from Greece.

Apologies, Addie, but I just couldn't resist

thelateorratherlater

and, not, incidentally, quite Scandinavian, invention of the equally Scandinavian auteur Ingmar Berman

H.E.



Updated On: 8/29/11 at 05:08 PM

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 6:21pm

True enough, Henrik. Never got to Crete though, and didn't want to miss an opportunity to enjoy that great K&E score when abroad. :)

A few other mismatches I've tried: "Fiddler on the Roof" really doesn't work well when wandering through St Petersburg, but it felt more right for touring the Jewish ghettos of Kracow and Prague.

Berlin will always scream out for "Cabaret" of course, whereas "The Rothschilds" felt REALLY all wrong for Germany, but worked swell as a backdrop when in Vienna. Still waiting to get to Salzburg one day for the obvious cliche matchup with "The Sound of Music".

It's physically impossible for me to wander through London and NOT be singing "My Fair Lady" under my breath. (My honey is used to it by now.) But then there are countless homegrown choices as musical backdrops to England too from Novello to Coward to "Billy Elliott". Embarrassment of riches there.

Paris has endless Broadway song choices, I know, I know, but there's a different soundtrack I always gravitate toward when near the Seine: the brilliant Mark Isham score for the film "The Moderns".

As has been noted, "Pacific Overtures" was MEANT for travel to Japan, and Japan only.

I tried playing "The King and I" when we were in Bangkok, and though March of the Siamese Children was a great fit, Richard Rogers planted most of that score squarely in the realm of Broadway (and possibly England). And frankly, Thailand was so intoxicating it needed no additional musical accompaniment anyway.

These are some of my favorites. What about yours?

[PennybankBill]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 6:22pm

I am literally laughing out loud at my mistake. I don't know what was going through my head to think Sweden was not part of Sc., but what whatever it was, it's gone and my mind is back to normal, at least I think it is. Thanks for the responses!

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 6:44pm

I always sing "Another Little Victory" to myself when in London...and I bloody live here! :P

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 6:45pm

A good look at the political history and situation of Hong Kong, which has some autonomy ("one country, two systems"), but only until 2047, unfortunately.

"...Britain ruled Hong Kong as a "benevolent autocracy" from start to finish. Political reforms designed to prepare all its other colonies for evolution toward elected self-government were not introduced until the 1980s, after Beijing declared its intention to take back Hong Kong. The first direct election for a few legislators by universal suffrage was not held until 1991, giving British negotiators little right to demand that Beijing include Western-style democratic self-government in the package of guarantees."
2047: The Writing on the Wall Updated On: 8/29/11 at 06:45 PM

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 7:26pm

@clap yo hands. What, no "London Pride"?

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 9:20pm

I've always found it best to listen to Tenderloin on 14th Street, I Can Get It For You Wholesale in the West 30s, How Now, Dow Jones on Wall St., Saturday Night in Flatbush, Guys and Dolls in Times Square, Rags on the Lower East Side, Funny Girl on Henry St., on my way to the Ziegfeld, or in a tugboat in the harbor, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in Williamsburg, Hello Dolly in Yonkers or while shopping for a hat downtown, How to Succeed in New Rochelle, Promises, Promises when I'm being stood up outside the Garden, and Sweet Charity whenever I wake up in a stranger's midtown hotel room.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 9:36pm

Addie, thanks for having a sense of humor about this - it is pretty funny I have to say but good that we are all laughing together. Anyway, there's a reason this isn't geographyworld.com.

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 8/29/11 at 10:03pm

@henrik, What, no SeeSaw at Lincoln Center? On The Town at Battery Park? Follies in Washington Heights?

Frankly I've never felt the need to lay any outside soundtrack onto my treasured trips to New York. Humming Broadway tunes in the vicinity of Broadway just seemed redundant somehow. :)

[Samanthacq]

Posted: 8/30/11 at 5:32am

As a Chinese who live in Beijing for more than 7 years, I also feel insulted by nomdeplume's comments. I'm sure Beijing, and other cities too, has some problems, but judging from what you saw from air, seriously?

charlesjguiteau, if you have anything you want to know before or during your trip, feel free to ask me, I'm happy to answer it if I can. But in case you don't already know, Beijing Capital Airport (probably Shanghai airport too) raised security levels yesterday and will remain so for a few days, so leave some extra time for your check in and check out.

Back to the original topic, I also think Turandot would be a good choice. And Zorro is supposed to be performed in English, since it's a tour production from UK, not really a local production.