Mozart, one of the most influential composers of the classical era, has been reincarnated as a rock star in the French musical "Mozart-L'Opera Rock," which is being staged in Beijing. Culture Express interviewed two of its lead actors, Mikelangelo Loconte and Laurent Ban, to find out more about the show and the characters they portray on stage.

When asked about their approach to shaping the characters they play, Mikelangelo Loconte shared with CGTN that staying true to oneself is the key. 

"Oliver Dahan, the musical's director, decided to cast me [as Mozart] and not to change anything about me,'' he said.

''You don't change a thing. We'll put you against a background, and you just be yourself, with the same energy you had when you were a child. I found that energy and played the part," said Loconte.

"I think Mozart's main issue is emancipation. He lived a short life, so he didn't really have time to grow up. And that's exactly what I want to show the public. It's not Mozart fooling around like what people would expect. It's Mozart's music－something spiritual, introverted, and, at the same time, extroverted. I try to embody Peter Pan because he shares the same issue of emancipation. He has this desire to never grow up, to never fall into the traps like the grown-ups," he added. 

Laurent Ban, who played the father of Mozart in previous versions, said playing Mozart's longtime rival Salieri to be different, but he has found his own approach to the character. 

"I've read Salieri's biography, so I portray my character as someone very powerful, intimidating in front of the public and the emperor. But I also show his inner weakness during the songs, the rupture and the jealousy, the inner sufferings. I wear a blue contact lens in one eye, and that signifies his inner personality, a mix of fire and ice, admiration for Mozart and jealousy of his talent," he said.

Mozart-L'Opera Rock has been a sensation in China since its debut in China in 2018. On the French musical resonating with the Chinese audience, the two lead actors have their own thoughts.

Laurent Ban has been to the country many times before, and he believes the cultural links between the two countries play an important role. "This marks my sixth time in China because I've toured with different productions. In “Notre-Dame de Paris”, I played the part of Phoebus and in “Le Petit Prince'', I played the pilot in Shanghai a few years ago," he said.

"I've come to notice that the Chinese audience has always been really curious about French musicals. And there has already been a lot of cultural exchanges between the two countries."

"Mozart-L'Opera Rock's success is something new. The Chinese audience has been accustomed to Broadway or West End musicals and, all of a sudden, they have this exotic French musical that depicts the elements of drama and love, which are really at the core of French culture. It's really sexy, very rock 'n roll. And the story is intriguing,” he said.

Loconte, on the other hand, believed that the team's meticulous attitude towards this creation leads to its success. 

"We like to perfect everything to the last detail. And we have the passion to create. I've been with the production since the very beginning. Everything is done with great passion. We're very precise like the Chinese. We're attentive to what we do because when you deal with a real historic figure, a great icon, it's important to really honor the person with great respect and dig deep into history. Many musicals that deal with the life of maestros tend to lack depth," he told CGTN.

Both actors also remarked on the interactions between the actors and the audience, which is a major highlight of the show and helps to break the wall of the stage.

"It's a musical that does not respect the fourth wall, the distance between the public and the stage. It's a musical where I can just break the wall of the stage and go directly to the audience, interact with them. The other actors could do the same. I even did something I really shouldn't be doing, but it's all spontaneous. I think just like Mozart himself with sincerity. If we can be honest with people, we can accept who we are and who they are. And they will respect us for being respected, despite the rules," Loconte said.

Ban said the interactions actually helped shaped his character. 

"With my character, there are certain scenes where I would go to the audience. So they also become part of the story, especially during "Victime de la Victoire", where I run across the hall through the audience. It's quite symbolic of history. Salieri really ran away from all the people on stage who hated Mozart, and instead, went to the audience, who all admired Mozart," he said.

When asked about the roles they would like to try in the future, they had the same answer. Shakespeare's timeless classic: "Hamlet." What a surprise!

"Salieri is my 35th role. I put a lot of effort into it. I love Hamlet and Shakespeare. I've already played Hamlet, and I think if I had to choose characters, not to play an existing one but to recreate one, I'd have to say Macbeth or Richard III. For me, they're the 'holy grail'. I like the film 'Looking for Richard,' starring Al Pacino. And I would really love to do a musical version of Shakespeare's work," Ban added.

Mozart-L'Opera Rock runs at Beijing's Tianqiao Performing Arts Center until March 10.