Amid the popularity of original Chinese musicals, SAIC Shanghai Culture Square announced on December 6 the release of five local musicals in 2018.

A still shot of the Master, one of the five originaL Chinese musicals to be on display next year

According to Fei Yuanhong, the program director of Shanghai Culture Square, compared with 2012 when there was only one repertory in the Original Chinese Musical Performance Season, in 2018, five excellent original plays which stand out from a dozen of candidate works are to on display including the Gift of Magi, Long Johns and Rolling Pin, My Dear Nextdoor, the Master, etc.

A still shot of My Dear Nextdoor, one of the five original Chinese musicals to be on display next year

The rise of original musicals motivates play writers to create more superior works. Over the past 6 years, Shanghai Culture Square has put on stage 24 original Chinese musicals with audiences reaching to 70,000.“It is expected that the next three years will be a thriving time for theaters and a large number of original musicals will be produced.”said Fei.

No matter the experience of Beijing drifters depicted in Long Johns and Rolling Pin or the grief of children who lost mother in Time Cinema, the plays to be showcased in 2018 season adds more local elements and region culture which fits more with young audiences.