Reads- 2025 NTT Summer Fun Time
In the Realm of Musicals, a Summer Journey Toward Freedom
Siraya Pai | NTT Observer, Theatre Critic
At some point, though I can't quite say when, going to see a musical at the National Taichung Theater in summer simply became the natural thing to do.
What's remarkable is how I've seen musicals in every space here—in the Grand Theater, complete with live orchestra and elegant set design; in the Playhouse, where a closer stage-to-audience distance brings out the full magic of theatrical intimacy; in the Black Box, known for its experimental exploration and creative flexibility; and even in the Corner Salon, where just a few chairs and music stands open up room for imagining what might be, through play readings. At NTT, musicals take many forms. Some continue in established traditions, some aim to break boundaries, and others search for a sense of freedom.
This summer, the NTT presents four musical productions: Red Theatre Group's Meet, KOKO Entertainment & Punctum Creative's September Dreams, NTT+ Musical Playwright Incubation Project's PLANET: A Boy-Band Theory in concert reading format, and Into the Night. Each, in its own way, tells a story about freedom. Not the kind that comes without limits, but the kind that is felt most clearly within them. Lin Chong, the legendary military instructor from Outlaws of the Marsh, is one such figure. So are the girl with ALS and the boy with Asperger's in Meet.
In Into the Night, playwright WANG Juin-yi and composer HSU Chi-yang reimagine the tale of Lin Chong from Outlaws of the Marsh, who is driven to seek refuge at Liangshan. The musical mirrors the original novel's chapter-based structure through its songs and employs a chorus to embody the presence of fate in the storytelling. Once a high-ranking figure within the system, Lin Chong is forced by circumstance to join the outlaws in the mountains. His resistance to fate has long made him a favored subject in theater and drama, often surpassing kings and nobles in popularity. Perhaps this reflects the lingering sense of defiance that many carry within themselves. The musical begins with oud, a plucked strings instrument, to set a mysterious tone. As the rhythm shifts, it sometimes recalls the rap stylings of Hamilton, heralding a new era, and at other times brings to mind the decadent chaos captured by American musicals composer John Kander. Through these musical turns, a classic tale is given new voices, awakening a rebellious spirit we may have long since learned to suppress.
The girl with ALS is not nearly as fortunate. Struck by a rare disease, she is powerless against fate, yet harbors the same yearning for freedom and unwillingness to surrender. Meet is a collaboration between playwright Daniel WANG, a 2017–2018 Artist-in-Residence at the National Taichung Theater, and composer Inred LIANG, artistic director of Red Theatre Group. Like Into the Night, the piece was first developed as a staged reading performance at the NTT and received wide acclaim. Onstage, Meet features just one man and one woman. Each is unusual in their own way, yet they gradually grow closer through shared understanding. The boy begins to challenge his own patterns for her sake; the girl, in turn, wonders what she can still do with a body no longer free, in her quiet fight against fate. The songs are laced with humor and charm, like a live-action romantic comedy. Their playful back-and-forth not only drives the relationship forward but also sharpens the poignancy of their struggle and the courage it demands.
These two productions clearly reflect the National Taichung Theater's multifaceted commitment to the development of musical theater. As a contemporary form of total art, musicals rely heavily on the seamless coordination of various theatrical elements. Equally important is the interplay between the script and the score, and how the narrative and music inform and enhance one another. Through initiatives such as the NTT+ Musical Playwright Incubation Project, the NTT has devoted significant resources to fostering new and compelling works. One of the most crucial phases in early development is the play reading presentation. Although less visually polished than a full production, these readings often allow for greater imaginative freedom, unconstrained by the practical considerations of staging. They enable music and text to carry both the characters and the audience into uncharted territory. (After all, who would have imagined that a bright and playful musical like Meet could take on the profound questions of life and ethical choice?) Audiences are not only invited to embrace the unknown, but also gain a sense of fulfillment in witnessing a work's evolution from its earliest stages.
PLANET: A Boy-Band Theory and September Dreams are stories about growing up. Interestingly, they each turn to memories of a high school band as a way into their themes. The protagonists remain entangled in unresolved events of the past. Only through reconciliation, both with themselves and with others, can they come to know true freedom. PLANET was co-created by CHEN Jia-bao and LIU Tzu-chi, and is presented in the form of a stage reading. September Dreams , a collaboration between Punctum Creative and KOKO Entertainment, takes the form of a jukebox musical featuring a lineup of iconic Mandarin pop songs in the 1990s. These familiar tunes call up a wave of collective memory, grounded in the spirit of the era. The shared motif of being in a band also allows both productions to experiment with diverse musical styles.
Perhaps musical theater is, by its nature, a form that seeks freedom from within structure. It follows certain patterns and conventions, yet always invites challenge and reinvention. Whether it is Lin Chong, forced to leave everything behind; the girl with ALS who must fight for her own life; or the high school bands that carry the weight of youthful dreams and lingering shadows from the past, each reveals a different facet of freedom. And within these stories, we are given a space to settle ourselves.