Theater of the... Totally Mashed Up

Star-crossed lovers, gang wars, casino heists, money, power, fame, crime, love, and death — aerialists, actors, singers, dancers,  — Moulin Dream is an overflowing blender of a musical theater piece, opening this Sunday at The Pearl.  

Through These Doors...

SmartShanghai got all hands on with it earlier this week at a preview performance. Here's some pictures and a ballpark idea of what to expect.

Kinda. Ish. 

Huzzah, onwards!

Art! 

Sex, Whiskey, Jazz... All That Good Stuff

Set in 1920s Shanghai, Moulin Dream offers an altogether different experience of the much-mined period of Shanghai's history in the form of fully interactive musical theater piece, performed by 28 actors from 11 countries, splashed out on to three floors of art deco theater space and the central stage.  

Intertwining Narratives

From the makers of another Shanghai original interactive theater piece Ship of Dreams: The Titanic Experience — (what a great name, "the Titanic experience") — Moulin Dream intertwines two central narratives wrested from two disparate sources: Baz Luhrmann's wistful fairytale Moulin Rouge and Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber into an original show that encompasses live music, sultry burlesque, original cabaret performances, and twirling aerialists.

And drama, drama, drama.  

Get Fully Immersed

Moulin Dreams is immersive theater in that the audience directly interacts with the performers – conversations and even physical interactions. They're both witnesses to a series of events that unfold and also direct influencers on how said events unfold. In the midst of intertwining character arcs, the audience themselves chooses whom they wish to follow around the space and which narrative path they wish to take.  

The piece can play like a comedy, a crime story, or a love story, or a mashup of genres thereof, depending on which themes and scenes they gravitate towards as they transpire. 

Endless Possibilites

"Immersive theater" is a fully realized genre in international theaters but in Shanghai, the most well-known reference point is Sleep No More.

Although similar, the two productions differ in that masked and anonymous, the audience in Sleep No More is passive and voyeuristic. In Moulin Dream, the actors speak and specifically interact with the audience, and react to whatever possibilities this opens up.

How much participation you want to do is still up to you. But it is directly possible to influence events and outcomes to the story.

Points of Convergence

Split into three acts, the action unfolds on all three floors of The Pearl theater space, with special destination points — a functioning casino, replete with dealers who are themselves part of the story — and then periodically converged to the central stage, with singing, cabaret / burlesque, and acrobatic shows.

Shifting Attention

It's sort of orchestrated chaos that intermitently focuses back onto the stage before spinning out again into the rest of the venue. 

Roles to Play

The narrative thrust comes from the machinations of 28 distinct characters in the piece, mined from real life (i.e. Shanghai’s fav OG, Big Ears Du), popular fiction and archetypal mythology, and characters created especially for the show. 

For the Love of...

The overarching thematic topics are "money", "love", and "power", with each character's story arc tied to at least one of these concepts. They invite and entreat the audience to question which of these they are most invested in and your path is determined accordingly.

Watch Out for This Guy

Watch out for this guy... 

A Rare Occurence

A brief lull in the action. We got Papa G to pose for a "Party Pictures"-stlye shot. You almost NEVER see this! 

3-D Characters

One of the intertesting aspects of the show is how fleshed out the characters are.  All the archetypes are present — gangsters, fortune tellers, chorus girls, and more — but each performer is bringing a fully realized backstory to their role, individualizing these archetypes and personalizing their story arcs.

Psst, Hey...

...legit Tarot Card readings. Second floor.

Right Out of the Gate

Guests are stopped at the door upon arrival, before being let into the show in small groups. The actors are already in character circulating among and interacting with the guests to lay the foundation for the grander themes and plot lines which will unfold later in the evening.  

Up in the Sky...

Although there are singing performances on the second floor, your attention is periodically compelled back to the center stage for The Pearl's brand of aerial acrobatics, burlesque performance, and music.

Quite a Mix

Mirroring the piece's mishmash of genres, music careens up from jazz standards to Cantopop to opera to... Bassnectar. 

Director's Notes

Eric Paci: My name is Eric Paci and I have lived in Shanghai for around 10 years. I have been involved in the local expat theatre scene for around 7 of those years. I have directed shows ranging from Glengarry Glen Ross to Reservoir Dogs and performed in many other shows. Playing Prince Humperdink in The Princess Bride is one of my favorite rolls.

This is the 3rd immersive show that Brian and I have developed together. The first was Ship of Dreams: The Titanic Experience, which took place on a boat that sailed along the Bund throughout the performance. This is the second time we have brought Moulin Dream to the Pearl Theatre and it is now bigger and better than the first run with more than twice as many characters.

Beginning our truly unique style of immersive theatre at a venue like the Pearl, where all 3 floors are our stage, is a dream come true. 

Brian Wang: Arriving in Shanghai in 2011, I met Eric Paci when we acted together in a memorable theatre adaptation of Fight Club at the old Arkham nightclub. We have collaborated on over a dozen theatre shows in Shanghai, including The Princess Bride, Hamlet, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Reservoir Dogs.

My role has been mainly to conceive of the shows and articulate the big-picture vision, while Eric focuses on the many complex details and ensures that our collective dreams come to life.  

Redefined Boundaries

Eric Paci: I often ask for audience feedback after performances and my favorite is  hearing statements like, "that was the best show ever!"

Another patron once said, "This totally changed how I think of theatre. I never thought I would be in a play but I felt like I was one of the actors all night long." 

This is one of our goals, to redefine the boundaries of fiction and reality.

Given the interactive aspect of the show, seeing the audience explore and influence the characters and their plot lines is extremely rewarding. There have been many audience members that try to keep their heroes alive or save two star-crossed lovers from peril. Since so much of what happens is character based, it gives the audience a lot of influence over the outcome of the show.

Expect the Unexpected

Christy Blanco: My name is Christy Blanco. I am from North Carolina. I've been in Shanghai, this is my sixth year. My day job is teaching art an an international school. This is my second run of Moulin Dream, after doing it in 2019. The character I play is called "Phoenix". She is based on a combination of things. So, the classic novel "Dream of Red Chamber", Phoenix is actually a character in that. My version is an amalgamation of that character and a performer at The Pearl, that is involved with the underworld story. She is the lover of the main gangster, Pacino.

Expect the unexpected, really. When you say "theater", a lot of people come expecting to see a full story on a regular stage — a beginning, middle, and end.   With immersive theatre you're going for more of the experience. So come with that in mind and allow yourself to get sucked into the world.  

It's basically an assault on your senses. In a really good way. [Laughs] 

An Ode to Gluttony 

True to themes of excess, indulgence, and debauchery, complimentary to the show, Chef Baidas has put together decidedly meat-intensive Single and Couple's Dinner sets for guests to load up on calories before the show.

You'll need them running up and down the stairs…

The Deal(s)

The Single's Set is one ticket and opens with Truffle & Mushroom Soup, super crunchy Pearl Caesar Salad (with blue cheese, ayy!), and then a Land & Sea platter using USDA Prime Rib-Eye and Salmon Fillet. Ice cream for dessert. 588rmb.

The Couple's Set is two tickets plus a splashier affair with the main course being a wooden slab of meat and seafood: USDA Strip-Loin, Lamb Chomps, Chicken Shish Kebab, Tiger Prawns, German Sausage. 1,288rmb.

Mode d'Emploi

If you want the full experience head down earlier and snag the dinner set at 6pm. Stay for the show at 7pm. The set dinner price is in addition to the ticket price. They got this new Chef named Baidas whose cred includes The House of Roosevelt, M1NT Grill & Wine, to name a few. Seriously, their food is pretty decent. 

Optional: Add several glasses Bullit whiskey to taste.

Pro Tips!

Come prepared to play! As an audience memeber, you've got signifigant control over how the performance can play out in your interactions with the cast. Be prepared to investigate, inquire, and interact with people — be prepared to be a part of the story.

Fix up, look sharp! Dressing up is highly recommended — you should have your flapper dress, qipao, peaky blinder hat, and / or vintage tuxedo in your closet.  They issue those with residency permits in Shanghai.

Explore the entire space! There are a lot of hidden elements and side quests woven into the two interlocking central narratives. Intreped guests might get their fortunes told in Tarot cards, get into a private game with an underworld mob boss, or gain admittance to a secret speakeasy.

Wear comfortable shoes! You know... physical activity and all..

Timing Is Everything

Doors and kitchen open at 6pm, happy hour is from 6pm-7pm, and the show is from 7pm-9pm. Each night there will be a Pearl concert starting from 10pm, and there might be an additonal fee for that. Check in advance what they've got on. 

There are VIP dinner and drink packages for those interested in the coveted balconies to the plush red booth seating.

Tickets Available Now!

There are 50 tickets for the premiere night at a special price of 288 RMB. They are first come first served. So make sure your friends/lovers/enemies reply to you FAST if you want to nab these. 

Moulin Dream is doing five shows: 

-Sunday, October 17 

-Saturday, October 23

-Saturday, October 30

-Saturday, November 6 

-Saturday, November 13 

Pre-sale is 388rmb; 488rmb at door. Scan the QR code here to order.