Celebrating The Return of ‘No Longer Human’ With A Premiere In Shanghai
The Chinese musical ‘No Longer Human’ based on its namesake novel by Japanese author Osamu Dazai returns to the stage
No Longer Human is known as Osamu Dazai’s last complete work before he committed suicide in 1948. Oba Yozo is a character with the same heart as Osamu Dazai. From his failed attempts of finding love in relationships to his personal struggles, the musical examines society and culture. The work is deep, painful, real and so human. Many can relate to the visceral feelings of ‘otherness’ described by Yozo.
Produced by RANSPACE, the production process of No Longer Human has been nonstop since its first preview in 2020. RANSPACE has become one of the leading labels for theater production in China, as it has been dedicated to developing and producing Chinese original theaters since it was founded in 2011.
Broadway composer and producer Frank Wildhorn, the Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award nominee, was hired to compose the music for this production, marking the first time he has composed for a Chinese musical.”
No Longer Human (人间失格) Premiere event in Shanghai 04 August 2023 with Composer Frank Wildhorn starring Liu Lingfei and Bai Jugang
Produced by Ranspace (染空间)
Book by Wen Ya (文雅) & Mingzhu Zhang (章明珠)
Lyrics by Tracy Miller & Carly Robyn Green
Music Supervision, Arrangements, and Orchestrations by Kim Scharnberg
Music Director: Yuzhou Sun
Directed & Choreographed by Ney Hasegawa (長谷川寧)
“What is most awe-evoking about this show is the fact that its composer is the famous Frank Wildhorn! Lovingly nicknamed ‘Uncle Wildhorn’ by Chinese fans, Mr. Wildhorn claims a god-like status in the hearts of Chinese theater-goers. His name is often associated with the classic Broadway musical Jekyll & Hyde, which became a smash hit in China’s musical scenes, as well as Dracula which has been translated into multiple languages in the world.
He is the creator of various popular Asian musicals adapted from manga and anime, such as Death Note: The Musical and Your Lie in April. Wildhorn is undoubtedly the paramount star composer both in terms of his caliber and his popularity.
It is noteworthy that No Longer Human was the first time Mr. Wildhorn participated in a Chinese original musical. This fact alone has piqued enough interest for people to wait for its official release starting August.
Frank confesses that he did fall in love with the source material, this very compelling piece of work Osamu Dazai, as he says, ‘I feel Dazai’s work is so relevant today in this fragile and sometimes dangerous world we all live in.’ He expresses that No Longer Human is anything but a play that conforms to regular and traditional musical textures. He will use passionate and even extreme music to show the main vibes of No Longer Human, creating a story which brims with meanings of life with music style that breaks free from the confines of everyone’s imagination.
Wildhorn is well known not only for his music production in theater works, but also for his ability to spotlight emerging artists.
The Chinese version of Jekyll & Hyde attracted many skilled actors and actresses to join its team, and it received high expectations from musical fans all over China. The Korean version of Dracula, which featured all-rounder artist XIA (Kim Jun-su), initiated a new trend to have pop stars lead a musical in the Asian market. This stage actor and former K-pop idol also starred in the Korean version of Death Note: The Musical, a Japanese musical that originally had Teppei Koike in its line-up and later was translated into Korean and English. During its first round of public performances, tickets sold out immediately for its 60 different dates and stages. Another Korean play, The Man Who Laughs, which was performed by K-pop idols Suho (Kim Jun-myeon) from popular group EXO and Kyuhyun (Cho Kyu-hyun) from Super Junior, also came out of Mr. Wildhorn’s pen.
Therefore, we can expect nothing less than a remarkable list of performers in Mr. Wildhorn’s works. No Longer Human is no exception. We cannot help but wonder which talented actor and actress will join the show.”
Promo video for No Longer Human (人间失格), our smash hit in Shanghai starring Pax White (白举纲) & Liu Lingfei (刘令飞)!
Credit: Track by Drew Fermo & Jake Wildhorn
No Longer Human describes the life of Oba Yezo and Dazai Osamu in their attempts to to change, survive, and to find a little more hope in the world. Courage is a key word to describe the characters in this show. Oba Yezo and Dazai Osamu use courage to face such a decadent life as well as the courage to keep fighting every day.
Music by Frank Wildhorn
Lyrics by Tracy Miller & Carly Robyn Green
Music Supervision, Arrangements, and Orchestrations by Kim Scharnberg
Book by Wen Ya (文雅) & Mingzhu Zhang (章明珠)
Directed & Choreographed by Ney Hasegawa (長谷川寧)
Produced by Ranspace (染空间)