French original musical Moliere concludes preview at Nine Trees Future Art Center

The French original musical Moliere, le spectacle Musical successfully concluded its first preview at Shanghai’s Nine Trees Future Art Center on Saturday. This acclaimed production, which won seven awards at last year’s French musical comedy awards, previously drew over 500,000 attendees in Paris.

Moliere, a cornerstone of French culture and global theater history, is the most significant writer of 17th-century French classical literature and the founder of classical comedy. Born Jean Baptiste Poquelin in Paris in 1622, he chose theater over his family’s tapestry business. His masterpieces, like Le Malade imaginaire and Le Tartuffe, explore themes such as money, marriage, inheritance, and class, securing French comedies’ enduring historical and aesthetic value.

To commemorate the 400th anniversary of Moliere’s birth, this new musical narrates his legendary life. Premiering in Paris in November 2023, it creatively integrates rap, urban music, and modern street dance to vividly portray Moliere’s journey through stunning stage performances.

“For us, a ‘preview show’ is more than just a ‘first performance,'” said Chen Xijia, general manager of Nine Trees Future Art Center. “It is a systematic incubation process encompassing technical integration, market testing, and promotional efforts.”

During the collaboration on Moliere, le spectacle Musical, the center worked closely with domestic organizers and the French team, providing support with audio-visual equipment, stage mechanics, multilingual communication, and logistics. The center also coordinated local resources to meet the organizer team’s needs.

“Nine Trees Future Art Center is becoming the first stop for international productions entering China,” Chen emphasized. “Our rehearsal halls and stage facilities meet international standards, offering a professional environment.”

Since opening in 2019, this “forest theater” has attracted over 2.92 million visitors. As a “premiere hub,” it has hosted many major international productions before their Chinese premieres, including the Chinese version of the Broadway classic musical The Musical Ghost, the Broadway immersive musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, and the new version of the play And Then There Were None. Later this year, a new version of Murder on the Orient Express will also preview here.

“Many think it’s hard for suburban theaters to attract major productions,” Chen noted. “But our ‘cooperative incubation model’ defies this, bringing high-quality international productions to Fengxian district.”