What's on

Pride and Prejudice

When: Dec 10-12, 7:30 pm

Where: Beijing Poly Theater

Pride and Prejudice is a theatrical version of Jane Austen's classic novel involving manners, courtship and relationships.

It is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, their five daughters, and the various romantic adventures at their Hertfordshire residence of Longbourn.

Finding a husband is hardly Elizabeth Bennet's most urgent priority. But with four sisters, an overzealous matchmaking mother, and a string of unsuitable suitors, it's difficult to escape the subject.

When the independent-minded Elizabeth meets the handsome but enigmatic Mr. Darcy, all feelings of attraction are muted by his pride and her prejudice. As their worlds keep colliding, their attraction increases.

Sarah McKenzie

When: Dec 14-15, 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm

Where: Blue Note Beijing

Sarah McKenzie hails from Melbourne, Australia; she earned a bachelor's in jazz at Perth's West Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

McKenzie has performed at iconic venues, including festivals in Monterey, Juan-les-Pins, Marciac and Perugia, Dizzy's and Minton's in New York. Together with the Boston Pops Orchestra, she premiered one of her compositions at Boston's Symphony Hall. Her version of We Could Be Lovers won an award in Australia.

Into the White Night

When: Dec 14, 2 pm and 7:30 pm; Dec 15, 7:30 pm

Where: Shenzhen Poly Theater

Based on the mystery novel Byakuyako by Japanese author Keigo Higashino, musical Into the White Night is about an unsolved death, which puzzles a police detective. The dead man's family and circle of friends may provide answers for the detective who continues to investigate.

Han Xue stars as the lead female character in the musical.

Lin Zexu

When: Dec 14-22, 7:30 pm

Where: National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing

Directed by Wang Xiaodi and written by scriptwriter Guo Qihong, the play Lin Zexu features actor Pu Cunxin as the protagonist and actress Xu Fan as Guan Shuqing, Lin's wife.

In 1838, the Chinese scholar and Qing dynasty (1644-1911) official, was sent to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, to stop the illegal importation of opium by the British. Lin arrived in the spring of 1839 and launched the destruction of opium in Humen, a port town, on June 3, 1839. About 1,400 metric tons of opium, confiscated from foreign traders, was destroyed within 23 days. The incident triggered the First Opium War (1839-42).

Marking the 180th anniversary of the war, the play, commissioned by the National Center for the Performing Arts and Guangzhou Dramatic Arts Centre, will be premiered in Beijing.

It also incorporates dance to showcase the battle scenes.

Still Life with Chickens

When: Dec 18-21, 7:30 pm; Dec 22, 2:30 pm

Where: Shanghai Grand Theater

Award-winning playwright D.F. Mamea's slice-of-life story paints a vivid portrait of a local neighborhood and colorful characters.

When the mother discovers a mischievous chicken invading her garden her first instinct is to reach for the spade. But what starts out as a skirmish develops into an unlikely friendship. It is an intimate, heartwarming and funny play about friendship, loss, love and life.

Still Life with Chickens won the Adam NZ play award in 2017 and the Playmarket Best Play the same year.

It was developed with the support of the Auckland Theater Company.

Carmen

When: Dec 24, 7:30 pm

Where: Mei Lanfang Theater, Beijing

Established in 1985, the Spanish Ballet of Murcia has performed in countless theaters and taken part in arts festivals the world over. The company has always had its own identity and engages in various forms of Spanish dance, including Flamenco.

Its dance adaptation of the classic opera Carmen has won awards for choreography, stage effects and the skill of its dancers. Carmen, written in 1847 by French composer Georges Bizet, is one of the most-performed operas in the world.

Vocal Recital by Soprano Kristine Opolais

When: Jan 11, 7:30 pm

Where: Shanghai Oriental Art Center

Kristine Opolais is a Latvian operatic soprano. Her particular passion is for the operas of Puccini, and she has sung title roles in his work to widespread acclaim at the world's leading opera houses.

In 2011, Opolais made her debut with London's Royal Opera, singing the title role in Puccini's Madam Butterfly.

Flamenco Reborn

When: Jan 21 and 22, 7:30 pm

Where: National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing

The Barcelona Flamenco Ballet and its show Flamenco Reborn fuses three dance styles; jazz, contemporary and flamenco, which result in an innovative performance.

One interpretation of "reborn" in Barcelona Flamenco Ballet is that of reconstruction. The dancers are constantly reconstructing the ambience they produce onstage. They build up a movement, or a rhythm, with repetitive, vigorous motions－and then break it, instantly stopping, rupturing the established order, then beginning again, with a new movement, a new rhythm. In this way the rhythm itself is reborn－constantly renewing the dynamics of the performance, keeping it fresh and alive. These transitions from the exuberant outpourings of passion to quiet moments of intimacy mean that the production is constantly in flux, in a process of reinvention.