Shanghai Sonatas

Come support the Musical Workshop at the Powerhouse Theater for “Shanghai Sonatas”, a new musical exploring the fascinating and heartwarming history of Jewish Refugees who found an unlikely home in Shanghai.

Welcome to Shanghai! Don’t let the heat get you down, for a lost soul in the late 1930s, this is the only place that’ll take you!

“Shanghai Sonatas” explores the remarkable exchange of cultures between Western refugees and their Eastern hosts. Framed by the fading glamour of this “Paris of the East” and the urgency to escape violent prejudice, stories of survival, moments of compassion, forbidden love, and – above all – beautiful music bring these two communities closer than ever before.

Promoting the unifying power of music on all peoples, “Shanghai Sonatas” is gaining international attention and support for its universal themes of belonging, unity, and hope. Its music is an inventive new fusion of styles and instruments, featuring kuaiban rap and traditional Chinese instruments playing in tandem with the violin to produce a new sound for the stage.