THE French musical “Don Juan” has embarked on a tour of China, an event timed to coincide with celebrations for the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France this year. In Shenzhen, it will be staged at Shenzhen Poly Theater on April 19-21.

The legend of Don Juan originated in Spain and later was introduced to France. The musical was created by French composer Felix Gray in 2003 and was put on the stage by director Gilles Maheu a year later. Featuring plentiful flamenco dancing performances and songs of various genres, the production has been well received.

Gray drew on Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni” and Tirso de Molina’s “The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest” for his adaptation of the classic storyline. Unlike most artistic works about Don Juan, the musical is a more modern interpretation of the character, and presents his story from a more human perspective.

“In the musical, Don Juan falls in love. Love becomes his biggest punishment, as he has broken the hearts of so many women, and then finds a love that borders on madness,” Gray said in an earlier interview, adding that this particular twist to the well-known tale is unique.

“Don Juan is contradictory and confusing. He loves fighting, drinking, pleasure and all things crazy. But when we talk about Don Juan, no one knows what he really wants. We don’t even know if he is really happy,” he said. “In the musical, we filled him with complex and infinite emotions, such as love and hate, friendship and paternal love, betrayal and jealousy, loss and glory.”

Gian Marco Schiaretti, who plays the title role, said that he used his own understanding of first love in his performance. “Don Juan has been living a bestial life. After he finds true love, he becomes like a child, begins to learn about love and its value, and finally realizes his mistakes and gently shows repentance. It can be seen as the process of change,” he said.

French musicals have been gaining momentum in China in recent years. Popular plays, such as “Notre-Dame de Paris,” “Mozart, L’Opera Rock” and “Roméo et Juliette,” have been shown in China many times and accumulated a large fan base.

The hit song “Belle” from “Notre-Dame de Paris” was performed by singers from China, France and Italy at the 2024 Spring Festival Gala in February to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France.

Nicolas Talar, producer of “Don Juan,” said that they have built partnerships with promoters, producers and theaters in China. “They want to bring more French shows,” said Talar, who was also a producer of “Belle” for the 2024 Spring Festival Gala. “It’s really good to have these partners who are really in love with French musicals.”

Talar said that Chinese audience members are sincere, enthusiastic and very fond of arts. He emphasized that the themes of love and passion in “Don Juan” are sure to resonate well with the audience here.

Laurent Ban, the actor behind Don Juan’s best friend Don Carlos, is nicknamed the “music ambassador of France and China” for his frequent visits to the country. He first visited China in 2007 with the musical “Le Petit Prince.”

He said the most incredible thing he has observed in China over the years is the dynamism in the musical industry. He also appreciates how Chinese artists have been evolving. He said that besides the use of traditional Chinese culture, the artists are also finding new paths.

In 2020, Ban posted a video of him singing a special version of “L’Assasymphonie,” a song from “Mozart, L’Opera Rock,” on the Chinese video-sharing website Bilibili, eliciting enthusiastic responses from fans. The accompaniment of this version was played using traditional Chinese instruments.

“Year after year, I can see many different musicals in China with incredible artists. They are better and better,” said Ban, expressing his willingness to collaborate further with Chinese artists.

More French plays are expected to hit the Chinese stages this year, including “Notre-Dame de Paris” and “Mozart, L’Opera Rock.”

(China Daily, CGTN)