“Little Sun” Music Theater: Going South to Find the Sun Again

AM Creative’s 2023 “Little Sun” musical theater has re-produced the 2014 musical “Little Sun: A Family Musical” adapted from Lin Liang’s prose “Little Sun” with a new specification. This remake not only surpasses the old version, but also surpasses the musicals of AM Creative over the years. Watching it at the Weiwuying Opera House on August 5th is quite amazing!

Across eras and generations

Lin Liang’s “Little Sun” tells a story half a century ago. It is a great challenge to bring this story into modern times and make modern people feel it.

The old version slightly downplayed some clues of the times, making it easier for the audience to enter the play. This time, the era of the story is reversed to make the story more prominent, and the way to connect with the audience is to present the context of the youngest daughter (in the real world, Lin Wei) telling her daughter the story of her childhood when she grows up.

The main audience of “Little Sun: A Family Musical” that year was children. This time the “Little Sun” musical theater is more balanced between children and adults. I even think it’s a bit more grown-up, and many details fully reproduce my generation’s childhood memories: the huge telephone, the TV with the door, and the weather report.

Modern children may be unfamiliar with these details, and even have little experience of typhoon power outages. But I don’t think it’s a problem. This has just become a topic that crosses time and generations and is shared by parents and children.

Family Values ​​Change and Stay the Same

After all, “Little Sun” is a story from fifty years ago. To bring it into the modern age, one must be able to distinguish between change and invariance. The emotions among family members, and the meaning of home to people, are not likely to change. But gender roles change over time.

In terms of being faithful to the original and maintaining modern values, the “Little Sun” musical theater in 2023 has a better understanding than the 2014 “Little Sun: A Family Musical”, whether it is in the choice of material or the point of view. presented.

More abstract and richer textures

The overall visual style of “Little Sun” musical theater is much more abstract than that of AM Creative’s musicals. The main props on the stage are a few tables and chairs, and all the scenes are performed through these tables and chairs. The same is true for the background projection, which presents abstract images like picture books, rather than concrete scenes.

In the story, the passage of time and the transformation of the times, in addition to props (I like the door that symbolizes the turning of pages), projections, lyrics and dialogue, also cleverly use performance skills. Although both are abstract, the two together are very powerful. I keep hearing the kids behind me say “time flies”, and you know how successful it is.

The actor’s costume is the youngest son’s musical “The Sofa Has a Black Hole!” “, not as realistic as the earliest “Little Sun: A Family Musical”. I think this is good and helps maintain the abstract texture of the whole play.

These have pushed this musical to a new artistic height. I personally like it very much. After all, compared to other works of AM Creative, the story of this play is the simplest. Abstract but refined visual textures help viewers focus on emotion and music.

Music is still invincible and more powerful

“Little Sun: A Family’s Musical” nine years ago is much simpler in retrospect, but the music is super strong. Watching the “Little Sun” musical theater this time, the sound of the opening song completely evokes the aftertaste of watching the theater in my mind.

The music in each of AM Creative’s musicals is incredible. This time I entered the venue half an hour earlier, and before the official performance, the screen on the stage played clips from various musicals over the years. I almost know which song it is without looking at it. Yes, once you hear it, you won’t forget it, and the melody matches the scene in the play.

This time, the Bay Sound Orchestra performed live, and the texture and layers of the music perfectly blended with the performance on the stage, and it also connected more powerfully with the audience.

Performances

• 2023-07-15 (Sat) 10:30 Taichung National Opera Theater
• 2023-07-15 (Sat) 15:00 Taichung National Opera Theater
• 2023-08-05 (Sat) 10:30 Kaohsiung Weiwuying National Opera House
• 2023-08-05 (Sat) 15:00 Kaohsiung Weiwuying National Opera House
• 2023-09-16 (Sat) 10:30 Zhongzheng Hall, Zhongshan Hall, Taipei City
• 2023-09-16 (Sat) 15:00 Zhongzheng Hall, Zhongshan Hall, Taipei City
• 2023-09-17 (Sun) 10:30 Zhongzheng Hall, Zhongshan Hall, Taipei City
• 2023-09-17 (Sun) 15:00 Zhongzheng Hall, Zhongshan Hall, Taipei City

further reading