Inspired by a true story...
GRAMMY-nominated Angel Lam (composer for Yo-Yo Ma, Silk Road Ensemble,
League of American Orchestras and international touring groups performing in fifty cities), and
librettist Richard Caliban (Obie Award winner and artistic director of the acclaimed
downtown Cucaracha Theatre in New York) teams up to create LOST SHANGHAI.
Inspired by a true story.
This is a musical love story about ambition, espionage, betrayal, compassion and redemption
set in the tumultuous revolutionary days of 1940s Shanghai.
A young man falls in love with a Shanghai teahouse singer who, unbeknownst to him,
has been forced into service as a sort of Matta Hari by the secret police to lure and entrap suspected enemies.
These two unlikely lovers share a strange fate that transcends revolutions and lifetimes.
Melodious, lyrical songs, otherworldly non-western and cabaret western ensemble recreates this sensuous,
fabled city that was the Paris of the East, New York of the West and the new Silk Road—an adventurer's paradise!
The main characters magically traverse lifetimes and places, fighting for survival in a ruthless society,
yet discover life's meaning through compassion, kindness, and love.
It was a time of elegant clothes, heightened emotions,
and an exhilarating Edo-ian floating world where everything was transient...
A time and sound now lost in history.
___________________________________
Recent unrest around the world and the composer's grandfather,
who had lived through a turbulent 20th-century China, inspired this work.
Composer Angel Lam was born in Hong Kong and now lives in New York City.
League of American Orchestras and international touring groups performing in fifty cities), and
librettist Richard Caliban (Obie Award winner and artistic director of the acclaimed
downtown Cucaracha Theatre in New York) teams up to create LOST SHANGHAI.
Inspired by a true story.
This is a musical love story about ambition, espionage, betrayal, compassion and redemption
set in the tumultuous revolutionary days of 1940s Shanghai.
A young man falls in love with a Shanghai teahouse singer who, unbeknownst to him,
has been forced into service as a sort of Matta Hari by the secret police to lure and entrap suspected enemies.
These two unlikely lovers share a strange fate that transcends revolutions and lifetimes.
Melodious, lyrical songs, otherworldly non-western and cabaret western ensemble recreates this sensuous,
fabled city that was the Paris of the East, New York of the West and the new Silk Road—an adventurer's paradise!
The main characters magically traverse lifetimes and places, fighting for survival in a ruthless society,
yet discover life's meaning through compassion, kindness, and love.
It was a time of elegant clothes, heightened emotions,
and an exhilarating Edo-ian floating world where everything was transient...
A time and sound now lost in history.
___________________________________
Recent unrest around the world and the composer's grandfather,
who had lived through a turbulent 20th-century China, inspired this work.
Composer Angel Lam was born in Hong Kong and now lives in New York City.
RecentMerkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center
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Feedback from the community:The internal, external, interpersonal, and societal conflicts are all present to make this a great tragedy. The stylized writing and florid details kept us totally engaged." Music and the sound world are affecting, immediate and uniquely hers." A captivating story that stands out from most other works due to the setting. The play effectively drew me into the ambiance of the time period. The lead actor was charming, and the actor playing the official was excellent. He completely embodied that role.... And the music was especially beautiful... gorgeous and grand. Captured the essence of 1940s Shanghai...The juxtaposition of eastern and western influence is apparent in the imageries and soundscape, both of which were quite evocative. Loved the touch of magic...(and) the idea of this being a memory play. |
