China News Service, Shenzhen, September 24th, title: "Godfather of Musical" Li Dun: Based on Chinese Culture, Innovation and Telling Chinese Stories
China News Service reporter Cheng Jingwei
The Chinese anti-drug theme musical "Rebirth" kicked off its premiere in Shenzhen on the 24th.
Li Dun, the chief producer of the play, is known as the "Godfather of Chinese Musical Theater". In an interview with reporters a few days ago, he told the story behind "Rebirth" and his confidence in the development of Chinese musicals.
"Rebirth" is jointly produced by the Press and Publicity Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security of China and Tencent Pictures.
The play is based on real stories and tells the story of Luo Jinyong, a heroic police officer at the border of Yunnan, who became a vegetative man due to an injury on the job. His wife Luo Yingzhen, a medical staff member, is always waiting for his family. She uses more than 1,000 day and night guards and more than 600 diaries to call, and finally waits. The touching story of the husband waking up.
Luo Yingzhen was also named one of the "100 People Who Moved China Since the Founding of New China" in 2009.
"Rebirth" stills.
Photo courtesy of respondents
In 2019, Luo Yingzhen took Luo Jinyong to Beijing for treatment, and Li Dun and Zhou Ke, the director and screenwriter of the play, met with them.
At that time, Li Dun had the idea of launching the musical "Rebirth".
"Luo Yingzhen wrote more than 600 diaries, and read one to Luo Jinyong in the hospital bed... Hearing these details and imagining the scene, I couldn't help crying." Li Dun said: "Love can definitely create miracles. Our age We need heroes. Our nation needs heroes and stories like this."
The play focuses the story on the love story of the Roche couple, trying to move people with affection.
This two-hour musical uses a combination of virtual and real, and double-track advancement, which greatly enriches the tension and presentation space of the story.
A narrative line in reality spans ten years from the acquaintance of the couple to the birth of the child; a spiritual narrative line combines the local myths and legends of Yunnan ethnic minorities, adding the "mountain god" and "love god". Set up to become an original Chinese musical with oriental colors.
Li Dun (data map).
Photo courtesy of respondents
According to Li Dun, "Rebirth" has a total of 28 repertoires. Among them, "Please, wake up" is a song sung by the heroine of the story while pushing the bed. This is a big tear for the audience.
In Li Dun's view, it is not a simple matter to praise heroes in the form of musicals. "We must not tell the true story."
"I'm exhausted. The performance team members have given all their love and true feelings to express and perform. We usually rehearse for more than 10 hours in the theater. We just hope to be the most perfect, even on stage. Every beam of light must have a correct expression." He said.
Li Dun said that the team members carefully walked into this true story with awe and showed it as truthfully as possible.
"Fortunately, we basically did it." He said proudly.
Whether it is "The Legend of the White Snake", "Xi Tzu", or "Butterfly", "Fall in Love with Teresa Teng", "Mom Loves Me Again", and to this latest masterpiece "Rebirth", Li Dun's works will always use a humanity Thinking, and love for life to move the audience.
The audition of "Rebirth" was held in Tangxia, Dongguan not long ago, which caused a large number of audiences to "tear."
When the whole show called for the curtain call, the audience burst into cheers.
"Chinese people are gradually becoming fond of musicals, especially citizens in metropolises." Having been immersed in the Chinese musical drama industry for nearly 30 years, Li Dun believes that after the per capita GDP of a country and region exceeds US$10,000, a large number of middle-class People will emerge, lifestyles and attitudes toward life will also change, and people's pursuit of spiritual life increases, which is the same all over the world.
For the younger generation of musical theatre practitioners in China, Li Dun is full of expectations, hoping that they can endure their loneliness and work hard to maintain their passion.
Li Dun said: "An actor in this industry must be able to sing, dance, be cultivated, have skills, and constantly study and practice in order to continue to stand on stage to complete the performance."
"Chinese original musicals should be based on and rooted in Chinese culture, be brave to explore and innovate, and be able to integrate with Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera and other elements, go abroad, and tell Chinese stories well." Li Dun believes that the development of Chinese musicals will have a better tomorrow. .
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