A new musical titled "Jews in Shanghai" will premiere in Shanghai on Sept. 3 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II, producers said on Tuesday.
Jointly performed by Chinese and Israeli actors, the musical centers around the love story of a Jewish man and a Shanghai woman, reflecting the friendship between Shanghai residents and Jews during the World War II.
Between 1933 to 1941, while many countries closed their borders to Jews trying to escape persecution in Europe, Shanghai offered shelter to around 20,000 Jewish refugees.
"The idea of creating a musical to mark the history and friendship between the two countries was conceived two years ago," director Xu Jun said.
Since then, artists have traveled to Britain and Israel searching for historical documents and consulting experts, in an effort to truthfully reproduce historical details in the musical.
With a theme of war and love, the musical has perfectly integrated eastern and western cultures, former head of Shanghai Theater Academy Rong Guangrun said.
"From the musical, audiences will see mankind's pursuit of peace, and the love and care that transcend national and racial boundaries," he said.
