Becoming Broadway

Until recently, Cantonese musicals have struggled to gain traction in Hong Kong. But these creatives may have what it takes to turn the city into the Broadway of the East

- Zabrina Lo

A theatre is one of the last venues one might expect in the gritty industrial district of Kwai Chung, where dusty grey factory buildings are the norm. But one ground-level retail-space-turned-theatre has, in the past few months, been attracting celebrities such as Golden Horse winner Tse Kwan-ho and diva Liza Wang, as well as a crowd arts lovers. This renewed space is the home to Boom Theatre, a local company responsible for Our Journal of Springtime, which is Hong Kong’s first permanent musical.

The show tells of how a group of Hong Kong students decide to pursue their dreams despite family and societal expectations, pressures from the education system, and teen love—themes which resonate with many locals. Since it premiered in 2018—in another factory building before the relocation to its current permanent site the following year— the constantly sold-out, almost three-hour show has been staged more than 120 times—six shows per week—and is now sponsored by Emperor Group, one of Hong Kong’s biggest conglomerates.