A newly commissioned musical theatre piece, Shanghai Sonatas, will premier this month as part of the University of Delaware’s Master Players Concert Series. Performances are scheduled at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 15-16, in Mitchell Hall on the campus.

The musical, now in its second year of development, is based on the true story of Jewish refugees who founded a now-thriving culture of Western classical music in Japanese-occupied Shanghai, China, during World War II. After the production’s many workshops in Delaware, New York City and Arizona, the Delaware audience will see the new version presented in the style of a musical in concert with a chamber orchestra and an all-New York City cast.

Pre-concert talks with Shanghai Ghetto survivor Betty Grebenschikoff and Shanghai Sonatas creators and performers will take place from 1:30-2:30 p.m. before each show.

Combining musical theatre and live classical music, Shanghai Sonatas is conceptualized, produced and composed by violinist Xiang Gao, UD Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music.

“My passion for promoting education, diversity and U.S.-China relations inspired me to create Shanghai Sonatas, which is the most complicated and elaborate musical production that I have done in my 25 years of producing, composing and performing,” Gao said.

Other creators include Master Players Playwright-In-Residence Alan Goodson; lyricist Joyce Hill Stoner; stage director, who is also Edward and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor of Art Conservation at the University; Chongren Fan, artistic director of the Yangtze Repertory Theatre; and music director and orchestrator Asher Denburg.

The story follows a modern-day Chinese-American concert violinist who learns how his grandfather learned classical music while traveling in Shanghai. He finds that when he plays restored violins from the Jewish Ghetto, he is transported back to World War II to follow the wartime experience of the Jewish refugees who had arrived at the only city that accepted them – Shanghai, China. Among them were 450 world-renowned classical musicians who suffered in the Shanghai Ghetto under Japanese occupation. While waiting for their families and friends to arrive, they trained many of the first generation of Chinese classical musicians. Their music kept them alive and bridged the connection between the survivors and the local people.

“We are all one people, as human beings, and when one group of people suffers, I believe we all suffer in a certain way,” said Alan Goodson, book writer of the musical. “It affects the soul of all humanity.”

Shanghai Sonatas is a 120-minute, two-act musical featuring 12 original songs performed by a cast of 14. The performance includes a chamber orchestra in addition to instrumental music performed by actors on stage. The creators of Shanghai Sonatas have found cross-sections between genres and cultures, exploring interconnections between classical music, art songs, Broadway musicals and Peking opera. The result is a fusion of musical styles including Chinese and Jewish traditional, classical, musical theatre and styles from the 1930s.

With 75 years between today and the atrocities of World War II, the truth of the Holocaust is becoming vague for many. A 2018 study commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany revealed 11% of all U.S. adults and 22% of Millenials (adults ages 18 to 34) haven’t heard or are not sure if they have heard of the Holocaust. While approximately 6 million Jews were exterminated in the Holocaust, nearly one third of Americans (31%) and 41% of Millenials believe that the actual death toll was 2 million or fewer.

Ticket information

Single tickets are available now by phone or online through the Master Players website. Tickets for events are $25 for adults; $20 for senior adults, alumni, faculty and staff; and $5 for students with ID. Special $5 price for students is supported by a private donation. For more information including driving directions, parking, and dining information, visit the Master Players website.

Master Players Concert Series (MPCS) serves as the cultural ambassador for the University of Delaware. Producing Artistic Director Xiang Gao, international artist and University of Delaware Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music, brings a rich and wide array of world-class musicians to the UD campus and to underserved local communities. The series’ hallmarks are its high artistic standards, the Delaware debuts of remarkable artists and its diverse and distinctive programming. Master Players offers a large variety of public performances in our numerous University venues and throughout the region.

This program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Other sponsors include Vita Nova restaurant at the University of Delaware and the Marriott’s Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware. See a complete list on the series’ website.