The latest version of the German musical “Rebecca” comes to Shanghai stage

This week the world debut of a staged version of the German musical Rebecca took place in Shanghai. Until November 17, 16 performances will be held at Shanghai Culture Square.

Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel of the same name served as the basis for the original German musical. Sylvester Levi composed the music and Michael Kunze wrote the lyrics, which premiered in Vienna in 2006.

Alfred Hitchcock adapted the original novel into an Academy Award-winning film in 1940.

Lion Entertainment has developed this completely new version of the staged concert, which has been licensed by the original production company Vereinigte Bühnen Wien. There are almost 20 actors and a whole orchestra on stage.

The plot revolves around the wealthy Maxim DeWinter, his naive new wife “Ich” (“I” in German) and his manipulative housekeeper Mrs. Danvers.

Mrs. Danvers tries to convince “Pya” that she is an unworthy replacement for DeWinter’s first wife, Rebecca, who died in a drowning accident. “PY” struggles to find its worth among the shadows cast by the mysterious Rebecca.

Antonia Kalinowski plays “I”, Mark Seibert plays Maxim DeWinter, and Annemieke van Dam plays Mrs. Danvers.

Both Seibert and Van Dam previously performed in Shanghai for the August concert version of the German musical “Elisabeth.”

“The story of ‘Rebecca’ is more complex than the story of ‘Elizabeth,’” Seibert said. “Translating a thriller into a concert version is not easy.”

Director Gil Mehmert said he removed several lines from the original musical to make it more similar to the film script.

“This is a well-known story in Europe,” Mehmert said. “Music is central to this concert version. We used acting and body language to highlight important details in the story.”

The novel is written in the first person. Mehmert offers his take on why the heroine is called “Ich” and not her name.

“Despite her invisibility, Rebecca had a huge impact throughout the story, while PY was a nobody. As a result, PY requires a story to reflect its identity. And I think this is a smart setup (by the author). “, he said.

Performance Information:

Dates: until November 17, 14:00/19:30.

Venue: Shanghai Culture Square.

Address: 597 Fuxing Rd M.

Tickets: 80–1080 yuan.