2026 Summer Fun Time: Three Musicals, Three Voices, One Stage

The Summer Fun Time series at the National Taichung Theater (NTT) foregrounds musical theatre as its programming focus, bringing together three productions from Korea, the United States, and Taiwan, showcasing a layered curatorial concept and global perspective. Through distinct aesthetic languages, the programme explores shared themes of generational dialogue, human relationships, and the pursuit of self, offering audiences a heartfelt, multi-layered theatrical experience. 

Among the programme’s highlights is Navillera, a Korean musical that traces an extraordinary journey across media and audiences, evolving from a widely acclaimed webtoon to a hit television adaptation and a successful stage production. Through its tender portrayal of an unlikely intergenerational friendship, the work has resonated with broad audiences, demonstrating the emotional reach and adaptability of contemporary musical storytelling. 

The narrative follows a 70-year-old retiree and a young ballet dancer whose unlikely friendship bridges generations. Through their shared pursuit of an unfinished dream, the work unfolds as a tender reflection on aging, resilience, and the courage to begin again. For its presentation at the NTT, the production extends its cross-cultural dimension by engaging with Taiwan’s emerging dance talent from the National Taiwan University of Sport, creating a chapter of sustainable and collaborative production between Korean musical theatre and the local community. 

Navillera, 2021 (Image courtesy of Seoul Performing Arts Company)

Building on engagement with audiences, a central focus of this year’s program is the new Taiwan production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company. Widely regarded as a landmark in modern musical theatre, the work turns its gaze to the complexities of contemporary relationships, examining love, commitment, and solitude through the perspective of a bachelor navigating the lives of couples around him. 
 
For the NTT, this production carries particular significance as a major step in the localisation of international repertoire. Developed in collaboration with an internationally renowned creative team and realised with Taiwan’s diverse performance talent, the production highlights the breadth of the local musical theatre scene—from seasoned stage actors to performers who move fluidly between theatre and popular music. Through this convergence, Company is reinterpreted with a distinctly Taiwanese sensibility, while retaining its sharp wit and emotional precision, further reinforcing the NTT’s role as a platform for musical theatre production and exchange. 

Autographed publicity photo of Amon Miyamoto, director of the Taiwan new production of Company (Photographer: Muhammad Ozier)

The height of summer, Tales of Success: The Return of a Prodigal Son by HaoxHsiao Troupe, represents the growing vitality of Taiwan’s original musical theatre. Developed through the NTT’s long-term talent nurturing framework, the work began as a concept in the Arts Incubation Program, progressed through staged concerts and readings, and premiered to strong audience response before touring domestically. 
 
Set in a small-town temple facing the pressures of urban revitalisation, the story centers on the tension between tradition and contemporary artistic ambition. Blending historical imagination with hip-hop and R&B musical language, the production reinterprets the figure of Koxinga to reflect a deeply personal father–son conflict, offering both humor and emotional depth. 

Tales of Success: The Return of a Prodigal Son, 2024 (Image courtesy of National Taichung Theater) (Photographer: YE Wei-chen)

The development of Tales of Success: The Return of a Prodigal Son reflects the NTT’s integrated approach to the musical theatre industry in Taiwan. Through platforms such as the NTT+ Musical Orchard: Research & Exchange, Emerging Artists Project, and Artists-in-Residence, the theatre supports artists across the full creative cycle—from concept development to production and presentation, fostering a sustainable ecosystem for new works. The continued evolution of this production exemplifies how such initiatives enable emerging creators to refine their artistic voice while engaging broader audiences. 

Tales of Success: The Return of a Prodigal Son stage reading, 2024 (Image courtesy of National Taichung Theater) (Photographer: Mon LEE)

Together, these three musicals form a dynamic dialogue across cultures and generations. A flowerbed of musical theatre is laid on the carefully curated programming, the NTT invites audiences into a shared theatrical space where diverse stories converge—revealing how musical theatre continues to evolve as a medium for connection, reflection, and imagination.