Musical heralds capital's performing arts season

The Chinese version of the musical, Monte Cristo, was staged at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center in Beijing on Sept 9, kicking off a two-month-long performing arts season in the capital.

As part of the program of the Beijing Culture Forum, which was held in the capital on Thursday and Friday, the Chinese musical attracted a large number of followers, with six performances from Sept 7 to 10.

Adapted from the Russian musical based on the well-known French novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, the Chinese musical, coproduced by the Beijing Dance Drama and Opera, features Ayanga, one of the most popular musical actors in China, who plays the leading character Edmond Dantes, and Chinese actress Lou Yixiao playing the role of the heroine Mercedes.

"The musical genre is one of the most popular art forms among Chinese audiences, especially young people," says Dong Ning, deputy general manager of the Beijing Performance and Arts Group, adding that after the shows in Beijing, the musical will tour nationwide.

"The Chinese version of the musical gathers top Chinese artists and we are excited to open the performing arts season in Beijing with this musical."

Dong notes that Ayanga has been appointed as the head of the musical team of the Beijing Dance Drama and Opera and Monte Cristo is the company's first musical production since it launched its musical team in 2021.

The Russian production was presented as the closing show for the Shanghai Spring International Musical Festival in 2012. The Chinese musical was premiered in Shanghai in December and toured nationwide with about 30 shows.

The ongoing performing arts season in Beijing features six parts, according to the organizers of the Beijing Culture Forum, including the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and the municipal Party committee and government of Beijing.

During the event, 30 theatrical productions by Chinese art troupes will be staged in theaters in Beijing, including dance dramas, operas, musicals, traditional Chinese operas and concerts.

A Chinese play, titled From West to East, was premiered in Beijing on Friday, with performances running until Wednesday. Featuring veteran scriptwriter Zhang Heping and director Lang Kun, the Chinese play follows the ups and downs of the century-old Beijing hotpot restaurant Dong Lai Shun.

Chinese actor Liu Peiqi will play the leading role, Ding Deshan, who founded the restaurant in 1903. The story of the restaurant spans from its very beginning to 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded. Established by Ding, a man from Cangzhou, Hebei province, in 1903, the restaurant starts from a small booth in Dong'an market, a commercial area located in the bustling Wangfujing street, and becomes famous for its distinctive copper pots, thin-sliced strips of mutton and sugar garlic. In its 120-year history, the restaurant's fortunes have reflected those of Chinese society. Now, Dong Lai Shun has more than 150 branch restaurants across the country.

"Beijing has been transformed into a cosmopolitan city. With its profound history and charming culture, the play will appeal to an audience that wants to get a taste of old Beijing," says Lang, who is known for directing China Central Television's annual Spring Festival gala — one of the most-watched TV shows in the country — five times.

"We want to bring the old Beijing back in every aspect, such as the dialect, the sounds of the street and the food," Lang adds.

Other highlights will include Guo Feng, an original Kunqu Opera production by the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre that follows the story of Lady Xu Mu, who was a patriotic heroine and the first female poet recorded in Chinese history, and Beneath the Red Banner, a Quju Opera production by the Beijing Quju Opera Troupe, which was adapted from the novel of the same name by Chinese writer Lao She (1899-1966). While Kunqu Opera is considered the oldest traditional Chinese opera, with a history of about 600 years, and was listed as one of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity by the UNESCO, Quju is a traditional opera that is believed to be the only local opera in Beijing.

The performing arts season will also bring 14 smaller theaters in Beijing into the limelight, since small theaters have become a new home for artists and popular venues for audiences during the past few years. Performances will be staged to offer audiences immersive theater experiences.

Ten theatrical productions will be staged at universities in Beijing, allowing young students to enjoy art performances of various styles. Performances by university students will also be staged, such as The Spring in Yangjialing, a poetic dance coproduced by the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the Beijing Dance Academy. Students will also have the chance to talk to creative members behind those productions during sessions after each performance.

Apart from live shows, the performing arts season also provides online streaming, allowing more people to enjoy the theatrical productions.

According to the event organizers, ticket pricing strategies have been launched by collaborating with online ticketing platforms, such as Damai. With the government offering financial support of 14 million yuan ($1.92 million), low ticket prices are expected to benefit about 600,000 viewers.