Shanghai Culture Square Unveils 2024 Lineup Featuring SPIRITED AWAY, MOLIÈRE LE SPECTACLE MUSICAL, and More
The theater’s new season includes international premieres and extended runs, highlighting Shanghai’s growing role in the global musical landscape.
By: Joshua Wright Apr. 01, 2025
Shanghai Culture Square announced its 2024 performance season on March 25, unveiling a lineup of internationally acclaimed productions including the Japanese musical Spirited Away, Molière le Spectacle Musical, and a French-language staging of The Cherry Orchard.
Founded 14 years ago as the first theater in the city specifically designed to showcase musicals, Shanghai Culture Square continues to position itself as a key player in Asia’s performing arts scene.
“Shanghai has gradually become an important center for performing arts in China, and an important center in the Asian Pacific area for the global live entertainment industry,” said Fei Yuanhong, general manager of Shanghai Culture Square.
Molière le Spectacle Musical, which premiered in Paris in 2023, will make its China debut this September. The French-language production is part of a growing wave of European musicals finding an audience in China.
The musical adaptation of Spirited Away, based on the iconic film by Hayao Miyazaki, will also arrive in Shanghai for the first time. Following its premiere in Japan in 2022 and a successful run in London, the production is scheduled to play 25 shows at the venue in July and August. Due to high demand, the theater has added 17 more performances.
British choreographer Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake and several Chinese-language productions are also included in the season lineup.
Fei noted that the theater has seen growing interest among local audiences for international productions, including those from Broadway, France, and Germany. “Our audience are showing robust consumption for overseas theater productions, so it is natural that many shows choose to present their Chinese premiere in Shanghai,” he said.
Fei also commented on the development of China’s live entertainment market, citing the rise of new domestic productions and the concentration of musical talent in Shanghai. “Such a virtuous circle has accelerated the continuous development of China’s musical industry,” he said.
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