Singing Tolstoy's praises

A rehearsal of the first musical commission War and Peace by the National Centre for the Performing Arts, adapted from Leo Tolstoy's full-length novel of the same title, at the Beijing Performing Arts Centre. This ambitious project by the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing marks the first time that the famous novel by Leo Tolstoy is given a musical adaptation on the Chinese stage. It will premiere at the Beijing Performing Arts Centre on Dec 20 and runs until Dec 29, vice-president of the national center Zhang Yao, announced during a news conference in Beijing on Nov 20.Leading cast members also appeared at the conference, and gave a performance of Great Comet, a song from the musical. The musical of Anna Karenina, another adaptation of a Tolstoy novel and also directed by Chevik, was staged at the Beijing Performing Arts Centre in October.