Making a song and dance of it
China DailyA scene from Rebecca, which was staged in Beijing last week. This surge in popularity was a key topic at a recent forum about musical theater at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center on Wednesday and Thursday. Co-initiated by the Tianqiao performing arts center and the Central Academy of Drama, the forum gathered industry leaders, musical producers, directors and performers to discuss the changing dynamics of the Chinese musical theater landscape. Once a niche art form, musical theater has become a mainstream cultural phenomenon, according to Hao Rong, president of the Central Academy of Drama, a top university based in Beijing. Over the past 30 years, we've trained musical directors, scriptwriters and performers, as well as witnessed dramatic changes to the musical theater scene in the country," Hao says.