Li Dun says be creative
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By Kim Ji-soo
Li Dun, 50, a musical producer from China, said the market in China for musicals, like that of movies,
has been growing. However, rather than copying other works in an attempt to meet the demand in this expanding market, he advocates the production of original works.
Li, who has been dubbed theGodfather of Chinese Musicals by media, is known for staging large-scale, original Chinese musicals, in collaboration with a global team. He said working for many years with such a team has helped China’s musical industry bridge cultural gaps with other countries and achieve global
standards.
A frequent visitor to Korea, Li identifies in the Korean musical industry the acknowledgment of pain in history, unlike Broadway musicals, which focus on joy and pleasure.
“Korea has a lot of talented actors,” Li said. “But we need to produce creative works that will meet international standards,” he added.
His dream, like that of his peers, is to take an Eastern storyline to Broadway.
He is interested in working with Korea with the Korean folk song “Arirang.
Li is known for the musicals “Legend of the White Snake” and “Xi Shi,” which ran for 900 and 600 consecutive shows, respectively. He has won many awards in China, including the Chinese Cultural and Creative Industry Leading Role Award in 2011 and the Excellent Production Award and Most Focused Award from the 3rd China
Dongguan Musical Festival in 2011.
His work, “Mama, Love Me Once Again!” ran for 100 shows in 20 Chinese cities and was among the top 10 Chinese musicals in the box office in 2013. He is also a favorite in Korea, where he has won several awards at the Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF), including the top award from the 8th DIMF this year.