Forbidden City version of "Tom and Jerry"? The "hot-selling" musical "Cat God in the Forbidden City" comes to Shanghai to attract fans
Invited by the "2024 Shanghai Jing'an Modern Drama Valley", the musical "The Cat God in the Forbidden City" co-produced by China Children's Art Theater and the Palace Museum was performed at Shanghai Daning Theater for 3 consecutive performances. The lively "Forbidden City Cat" uses dramatic art to present the "living Forbidden City", taking the audience into a fairy tale "about friendship and companionship, memory and history, life and eternity".
The musical "Cat God in the Forbidden City" is adapted from the story of the picture book of the same name. It tells the story of a kitten named "Baby" in the Forbidden City. Because of his deep attachment to his human companions, he traveled through time and space and became a "little thing" kitten. At this time, the Forbidden City has become the Palace Museum, where the "little thing" is looking for the partners who once accompanied him, and also looking for where he belongs...
The play is composed and music directed by Li Haiying, the famous composer of "Crooked Moon" and "Song of Seven Sons", Feng Li, director of China Children's Art Theater and national first-level playwright, Jiao Gang, national first-level director, and many powerful creators Jointly created, three generations of powerful actors from the China Children's Art Theater, old, middle and young, perform together, using the story of the "Cat God" as a carrier, to show the world the Forbidden City, which represents Chinese historical civilization and traditional culture, and open up audiences of all sizes to have an understanding of China represented by the Forbidden City. Curiosity and yearning for excellent traditional culture.
At the performance site, as the beautiful music played, on the stage like a "cat's eye", "Forbidden City cats" with different shapes and unique personalities appeared one after another. Following nearly 20 music tracks such as "Beautiful Forbidden City", "Grudged Cat", "Company" and "We Can All Talk", the audience and the characters on the stage experienced the rotation of the seasons and witnessed historical changes. When the "Meow Star God" said to the "little thing" who returned to the Meow Palace again because of escorting the cultural relics of the Forbidden City, "I will make you the cat god of the Forbidden City! Protect your favorite Forbidden City for the rest of your life!", the audience burst into applause.
Li Chuqiao, a young spectator who has been to the Forbidden City, said, "In the Forbidden City I have been to, the cultural relics and the mythical beasts on the roof can't speak, but in this play they can all speak. This is a Forbidden City that belongs to cats. It is very beautiful and interesting." "Little thing" Zhang Yiyao said, "When the war came, 'little thing' couldn't bear to be separated from Can Guan, and 'little thing''s friends couldn't bear to be separated from it, but they all worked hard to protect the Forbidden City in the end."
"After "The Cat God in the Forbidden City" performed in Beijing for 50 performances, it came to Shanghai, which we longed for, and came to the first stop for the relocation of cultural relics from the Forbidden City to the south." Feng Li said, "The big friends and children present are very happy. The applause encouraged all the creators.”
At the seminar after the performance, critic Mao Shi'an said, "The Forbidden City embodies the basic aesthetic character of traditional Chinese culture, which is grand and complex, but also gorgeous and solemn. Showing this kind of Forbidden City culture requires not only feelings; A kind of artistic ability, and the feelings for the Forbidden City and this artistic expression ability have been fully demonstrated in "The Cat God in the Forbidden City". As a musical, this work not only shows its "historicity": in less than 2 years. In the hour-long performance, the 400-year history of the Forbidden City was artistically integrated and condensed; it also demonstrated the "poetic nature": through the fast-paced changes in the plot, the richness of emotions was shown to the children. "China Welfare Society Children's Art Theater. Cai Jinping, honorary dean and vice-chairman of the Shanghai Dramatists Association, said, ""Cat God in the Forbidden City" is very mature in the use of animal anthropomorphic performance methods. Seeing three generations of actors, old, middle and young, performing on the same stage, you can feel the importance of Chinese children's art in the Forbidden City. Step-by-step team training," said Wang Liping, a national first-level screenwriter and vice president of the China Television Artists Association, "This drama combines elements of cats and elements of the Forbidden City. It has natural influence and appeal and is worthy of long-term performance. IP. The logical relationship between cats and mice in the work is convincing. The character design puts Chinese-style clothes on the cat's body, which is bold and beautiful, and is very attractive to today's young people and young audiences. "Shanghai Theater Academy. Dean Huang Changyong believes that "The story writing of "Cat God in the Forbidden City" shows skill. In the children's performance market where high-quality musicals and musicals are relatively scarce, this work has unique value."
It is reported that the musical "Cat God in the Forbidden City" has a total of 58 national tours this time, and will also visit Nanjing, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Jiaxing, Changzhou, Zibo, Binzhou, Taiyuan, Jining, Wuhan, Shenzhen and other places.
