Chinese version of Monte Cristo debuts at the Shanghai Culture Square, Zhang Kun reports.

The Chinese version of Russian musical Monte Cristo will run at the Shanghai Culture Square until Sunday. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The performances of the Chinese version of Monte Cristo, a Russian musical based on the well-known French novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, started at the Shanghai Culture Square on Dec 2 and will run until Sunday.

Jointly produced by the Beijing Performance and Arts Group, the Shanghai Culture Square and the Beijing Dance Drama and Opera troupe, the musical will go on a national tour after 12 shows in Shanghai.

With music by Roman Ignatyev and libretto by Yuliy Kim, the Russian musical Monte Cristo first premiered in 2008 before being shown for more than 10 years, making it one of the most enduring musical productions in Russia's contemporary theater scene.

The Chinese version of Russian musical Monte Cristo will run at the Shanghai Culture Square until Sunday. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The Russian production was presented as the closing show for the Shanghai Spring International Musical Festival at the Shanghai Culture Square in 2012. According to Fei Yuanhong, the deputy general manager of the Shanghai Culture Square, it was possibly one of the first Russian musicals shown in China.

"Chinese audiences have been exposed to Russian culture for a long time, and the narrative flow and emotional expressions in the Russian production are received well in China," Fei says.

Regarding the company's decision to adapt the performance into Chinese two years ago, Dong Ning, deputy general manager of the Beijing Performance and Arts Group, says: "The Count of Monte Cristo by French author Alexandre Dumas (1802-70) is such a beloved literary classic that we were all immediately attracted to the project, which is why we quickly brought together a top-notch Chinese creative team."

The new team is the musical troupe established by the Beijing Dance Drama and Opera. Ayanga, one of the most popular musical actors in China, currently heads the team. Besides serving as the producer, the ethnic Mongolian singer is also the leading actor who plays the hero Edmond Dantes in the Chinese version of Monte Cristo.

The Chinese version of Russian musical Monte Cristo will run at the Shanghai Culture Square until Sunday. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The production employs three cast members for each role. The other two Dantes are played by Yu Yi and Ye Qisheng. The heroine Mercedes is played by Lou Yixiao, Xu Yao and Xu Lidong.

"Edmond is the most challenging role of my career," Yu says. "The songs are difficult, and yet the fully charged emotional expressions are very satisfying. It is a production that any musical actor would regret not being a part of."

In the story, Dantes is an innocent young sailor who is framed and imprisoned for 14 years. He later returns to Paris with the treasure he found on the island of Monte Cristo and proceeds to carry out his plans of revenge on those who framed him.

Alina Chevik, the director of the original Russian production, and choreographer Irina Korneeva oversaw the creative process of the Chinese edition remotely, via web conferences.

The Chinese version of Russian musical Monte Cristo will run at the Shanghai Culture Square until Sunday. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The dancers of the Beijing Dance Drama and Opera, as well as four professional acrobats, also helped to ensure the high quality of the show.

After watching the show in Shanghai, veteran playwright Luo Huaizhen comments that the production of outstanding musical actors have been the greatest achievement in the decades-long development of the country's musical industry. Their performances are as good as any international productions, Luo says.

"China's musical theater is set to usher in great prosperity. It has adequate venues and a large audience who is hungry for new productions and armed with in-depth knowledge about musicals. In leading markets such as Beijing and Shanghai, the production and marketing system has become well-established, too," he says.

"What China needs now is creative talent, from playwrights and composers to directors and stage designers. We need significant progress in nurturing the creative strength to further develop domestic musical productions," he adds.

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn