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Musical gets into the zone of creativity
2023-11-06 
Xiao Ke will premiere his latest musical, Art District, at his theater in Beijing on Saturday.[Photo by Zou Hong//China Daily]

Over the years, Beijing's 798 Art Zone in Chaoyang District's Dashanzi area has undergone a massive transformation, from dusty factory complex to epicenter of China's contemporary art scene. It's also become a popular destination home to galleries, design shops, cafes and restaurants, and regularly hosts fashion shows and music festivals.

The area's transformation has now been turned into a musical by singer-songwriter Ke Zhaolei, who is better known under his stage name, Xiao Ke.

Art District premieres at the Xiaoke Musical Theater this Saturday, and will run until Dec 10.

It's somehow natural that it's Xiao Ke who has written the musical, as his theater, which he founded about a decade ago, is located in the art zone.

"When the theater first moved to the art zone, things were quite different, with fewer tourists, shops, coffee shops and restaurants," says the singer-songwriter. "At night, it was one of the few venues that still had its lights on."

Art District features 10 new songs, and tells the tale of an old factory on the verge of bankruptcy, which is given new life by the arrival of a group of contemporary artists.

The story is essentially based on the transformation of 798, according to Xiao Ke, who says that he interviewed a man who worked at one of the area's factories before it became the art zone.

"He was the property manager and saw the changes to the factory and the area. After he retired, we hired him to work at the theater. He loves the place, and the stories he shared were inspiring," says Xiao Ke.

Before Dashanzi was turned into the art zone, it was home to several electronics factories, which were built with aid from the former Soviet Union and East Germany during the 1950s.

However, the once flourishing State-owned enterprises began to falter during the economic reforms of the 1980s, challenged by market mechanisms, and many of their workshops were abandoned.

When artists discovered the area, they were quickly drawn to its architectural style, spacious factory rooms and low rents.

Actors are energized during rehearsals for Art District at the Xiaoke Musical Theater in Beijing on Oct 26.[Photo by Zou Hong//China Daily]

In the musical, the lead role is named Luo Qiulai, a factory worker who befriends the artists. Luo is intrigued by their work, although he knows nothing about contemporary art. When the factory is threatened with demolition, Luo becomes its guardian and with the artists, protects the old buildings.

One of the other characters, the head of the factory, is against the idea of keeping the factory because he hopes to redevelop it, to create new job opportunities for his workers. He is also in conflict with Luo because his daughter is in love with the factory's new protector.

Wang Dezhi plays the role of the factory head. The 40-year-old, who graduated from the Capital Normal University, joined Xiao Ke when the theater opened.

"I have performed many different roles in Xiao Ke's musicals. They are vivid and come from real life. For the factory boss, I am still trying to find the right approach. He is a boss, willing to devote his life to the factory and also a father, who loves his daughter. He is caught in a dilemma," says Wang.

"The core of the story is about people. Luo is overwhelmed by the power of contemporary art and is an ordinary worker. The boss loves the factory and tries to prevent his workers from losing their jobs. And the artists change the fate of the almost abandoned factory," says Xiao Ke.

He wrote the show's 10 songs, which range in style from hip-hop and jazz, to funk and pop, in a month. He has also incorporated elements of Peking Opera, such as the sounds produced by percussions, in the musical.

"This is not only because I am a Beijinger and the 798 Art Zone is in Beijing, but also because Peking Opera sounds conjure up images of steel, which is powerful and solid, and fitting to the factory scenes presented onstage," he adds.

The musical is choreographed by Cameroonian national Abbe Simon, who has carefully matched the dance moves to drum beats.

Xiao Ke first visited Dashanzi in the early 2000s and was impressed by its architecture and art community, which was then just taking shape.

Actor Wang Dezhi and Cameroonian choreographer Abbe Simon perform in a rehearsal.[Photo by Zou Hong//China Daily]

"I visited from time to time, and since I opened my theater, I have been able to have a closer look at the place," he says.

He hopes to get the audience involved in the last scene of the musical, which is about the moment the district is about to launch its inaugural art festival.

"It would be great to have the audience onstage, as if they are visitors to the festival," he says. "I like the audience to be part of my musicals, and it gives them a different theater experience."

Xiao Ke is classically trained. He began to learn the piano at 12, and formed his first band at 19, and has been working in the music business ever since. The singer-songwriter's eponymous album was released in 1996 and he is best known for folk-pop songs. He has written five albums of his own, and songs for other pop stars, including Because of Love by pop diva Faye Wong and Hong Kong singer Eason Chan. One of his most famous songs is Beijing Welcomes You, which was played to mark the 100-day countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

To date, the theater has staged 13 musicals by Xiao Ke. His musical love trilogy, including Wenwende Xingfu (Stable Happiness) and Dengni Aiwo (Waiting for You to Love Me), has been a particular hit.

Last year, his musical Under the West Bell, was staged to mark the theater's 10th anniversary. It told the story of Chinese rock bands in the 1980s, and won over a lot of fans with its bold idea.

"I invited the audience to decide how much they wanted to pay for their ticket after they'd watched the musical," he says. "It was an experiment, and exceeded my expectations. One man paid 10,000 yuan ($1,369), while another paid 8 yuan. It was fun. I am confident in my musicals."

Asked why he decided to open his own theater, Xiao Ke says that he was inspired by his late father.

"My father served in the army. He was tall and strong. However, he got sick, became very thin and died in a hospital bed. I don't want to die in a hospital. I want to die onstage. The theater will help me fulfill that wish, as long as I keep on producing great musicals," he says.

 

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