Chongqing - On April 22, the cast of the Italian original musical The Divine Comedy held a meet-and-greet event at the Chongqing Grand Theatre, officially kicking off the China tour of the play.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy. As a key project for the China-Italy Year of Cultural Exchange, this musical, adapted from Dante Alighieri's literary masterpiece, will premiere in Chongqing on April 25. The event was attended by Ran Bin, Chairman of Chongqing Culture and Tourism Group; Fabio Schina, Consul General of Italy in Chongqing; and the musical's core creative team.
Directed by Italian director Andrea Ortis, with music by composer Marco Frisina and script by playwright Gianmario Pagano, The Divine Comedy recreates the grand visions of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise from Dante's writings through dance, symphonic music, and immersive 3D projection technology. Since its debut in Italy in 2007, the production has received multiple international accolades, including the "Gold Medal of the Dante Alighieri Society” and the “Premio Persicone for Musical Theatre." It has been praised as a perfect blend of classic literature and modern stagecraft.
The stage design is visually epic (Photo/Chongqing Grand Theatre)
The production has integrated an "Eastern philosophical perspective for the China tour." The creative team noted that Dante's reflections on human redemption resonate deeply with the surreal and layered urban character of Chongqing. The city's multi-level topography harmonizes brilliantly with the show's stage design.
The performers are sharing their thoughts about the creation process (Photo/Feng Xiaolou)
In his opening speech, Ran Bin emphasized that Chongqing being chosen as the tour's first stop affirms its status as a cultural and artistic hub in western China. "I can draw parallels between Chongqing's 8D cityscape and The Divine Comedy's metaphysical realms, as well as between the resilient spirit of Chongqing's people and the values embodied in Dante's journey," said Ran. Fabio Schina, Consul General of Italy in Chongqing, expressed his confidence in the performance, praising the enthusiasm of Chongqing audiences and the city's top-tier venues.
During the evening event, eight lead cast members took the stage, including Antonello Angiolillo (playing Dante), director Andrea Ortis, and Miriam Scoma (playing Beatrice), presenting a 15-minute highlight performance of the classic Chinese folk song, Jasmine, and songs from the work. The fusion of Italian bel canto and modern musical arrangements left the audience in awe.
The stage photo depicting the poet's journey (Photo/Chongqing Grand Theatre)
The musical The Divine Comedy will run for two consecutive performances in Chongqing from April 25 to 26 before embarking on its nationwide tour, which will cover 15 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.
(Wang Shuyun as intern also contributes to this report)