The romantic operetta The Land of Smiles (in Hungarian: A mosoly országa) by Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehar was shown for the first time in the Shanghai Opera on Wednesday.
In a unique development, the performance has been adapted to stage in a Hungarian-Chinese coproduction symbolising “a meeting of the east and the west”, organisers said.
The story is also symbolic as it is revolving around the love of a European countess, Lisa and a Chinese prince, Sou-Chong.
The operetta, one of Lehar’s latest works released in 1929, is performed in Shanghai by European and Chinese artists and musicians with the 200 costumes prepared in a workshop near the city.
The production will travel on for further showings in China and Europe including Hungary on February 1 and 2.
Photo: chine.in
Source: MTI
