Cultural revenue stream

In a bid to beat the effects of the pandemic, two Chinese theater institutions have teamed up with streaming platform Youku to premiere their first online musical, Chen Nan reports.

Months after being forced to shut its doors to the public to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater and China Performing Arts Agency Theaters launched a Chinese musical, titled Love Forever, which will premiere on Youku, China's major streaming platform, on Tuesday.

Based on the famous Chinese fairytale, The Legend of the White Snake, which is the love story between a male human and a female snake spirit, the musical is directed by Mao Weiwei from the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, written by composer Li Xiaobing, who is also a professor of the Central Conservatory of Music, and Chen Xiaoqi, a renowned music producer.

The Legend of the White Snake has been adapted into plays, Peking opera productions, television shows and films. The story is well-known among Chinese audiences.