Originally produced in 1943, Oklahoma! is based on Lynn Riggs’s novel Green Grow the Lilacs. Its Broadway debut marked the first cooperation between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the pair behind The Sound of Music.
Now you can see it here, produced by local community theater group Beijing ... Read More
Penghao Theater has reopened after two months’ worth of intense renovations, just in time for the Nanluoguxiang Theatre Festival. Penghao now boasts a full terrace with lovely views of the surrounding hutongs, a new coffee bar, fresh Mediterranean dishes from the kitchen and upgraded seats, lighting and sound systems in ... Read More
British modern dance choreographer Akram Khan started studying classical Indian dance at the tender age of 7. He is now a true innovator in fusing Western modern dance with the traditional moves of the Indian Kathak dance.
Since he presented his first work Loose in Flight in 1995, he has ... Read More
Though actors and singers in Asia are quickly mastering Western opera, the development of this art form still has a way to go. After the NCPA presented Turandot in South Korea last year, the Korea National Opera is returning the favor in this year’s NCPA Opera Festival with a ... Read More
You may know it better as Dream of the Red Chamber, but it’s also known as The Story of the Stone, one of the most revered works in classic Chinese literature. In Jia Baoyu we get an inspired take on the story that has been retold countless times on ... Read More
Fans of Space Jam, or any film mixing real people and animated characters, will want to check out this performance that brings both together on the stage. 1927 Theater was founded in 1995 by writer-director Suzanne Andrade and animation artist Paul Barritt, one of Britain’s most cutting-edge playwrights. The ... Read More
After a long, cold winter, Beijing theater is springing back to life with the NCPA Opera Festival. Running from April 4 to June 28, the festival will feature a strong selection of popular operas for the capital’s opera aficionados.
Since its first performance of a Western opera (Turandot in ... Read More
Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield is one of his best-known works, and this year TNT Theatre celebrates the 200th anniversary of the author’s death with a stage rendition of the literary classic. For those who slept through English literature in high school, the story, set in Victorian-era England, tells the ... Read More
Named after the goddess of song and dance in Greek mythology, Terpsichore, the Terpsycordes Quartet is comprised of young, talented musicians from Italy, Bulgaria and Switzerland: violinists Girolamo Bottiglieri and Raya Raytcheva, violist Caroline Cohen and cellist Francois Grin. This multi-award-winning group has been coached by members of world-renowned quartets ... Read More
If you missed Yo-Yo Ma at the first U.S.-China Forum on Arts and Culture last November, never fear. The master cellist returns for a show at the Egg in early March—this one open to the public. Yo-Yo Ma is one of the world’s best cellists, with ... Read More
One of China’s most renowned traditions, Peking opera projects a fixed, static image. But a new production of the classic Farewell, My Concubine is taking this historical story about the King of Chu and adapting it with a Western twist.
The new adaptation will be performed on a small ... Read More
Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder are just a few of the noticeable names to have worked with Diane Schuur. Diane headlines the Fairmont Beijing with the sounds of soul and jazz.
Who have been your biggest musical influences? Stevie Wonder, Nancy Wilson, George Sherring, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, to name ... Read More
The adventures of little Sanmao, the lovable, scruffy Shanghai street urchin brought to life by the pen of cartoonist Zhang Leping in 1935, have provided cultural backdrop for several generations of Chinese. Both the film and the animation based on this strip have enjoyed long-term popularity, and a musical with ... Read More
Over 300 years old, the Hamburg Ballet is one of Germany’s four premier ballet troupes. The first troupe to perform ballet master Balanchine’s works in Europe in the 1950s, the Hamburg Ballet quickly became known for its nuanced and innovative performances. As art director, noted dancer and choreographer ... Read More
Since its debut on the eve of the millenium in front of none other than Nelson Mandela himself, African Footprint has become a symbol of the spirit of dance in Africa. Inspired by African poet and author Don Mattera’s Gone with the Twilight: A Story of Sophiatown, this 90-minute ... Read More
It’s the season for celebration in Beijing. All over the city special events are planned to mark the coming of the new year—and the stage is no exception.
January will see genius pianist Arcadi Volodos, who performs his creative take on Liszt (at NCPA on Jan. 18). Also ... Read More
The tale of the hunchback Quasimodo and his undying love for the beautiful gypsy dancer Esmerelda is one of literature’s most tragic and twisted stories of love and vengeance. If you like a good, strong tug on the heartstrings, you won’t want to miss Riccardo Cocciante’s excellent ... Read More
Lang Lang is one of China’s most famous musical exports. His considerable piano skills have not only snagged him a slew of international awards, but also a spot on Time magazine’s 2009 list of the world’s most influential people. In this concert Lang Lang combines a Christmas ... Read More
Beijing can be a very loud city. From honking horns in rush hour traffic to the ubiquitous jackhammering, it’s rare to get a quiet moment to yourself—which is what makes Philippe Bizot’s mime performance all the more attractive. A self-taught mime, Bizot studied the moves of celebrated ... Read More
After a successful run of Rossini’s Cinderella, the NCPA presents another production from the Italian composer, The Barber of Seville. This two-act comic opera is based on a stage play of the same name, and Rossini composed the operatic version in just under two weeks. The Barber of Seville ... Read More
Kevin Spacey is coming to Beijing! We are just as excited as you are. The master actor will be teaming up with director Sam Mendes, (with whom he shot the critically acclaimed film American Beauty) to take on the title role in Shakespeare’s classic, Richard III. In addition to ... Read More
Comédie Française debuts in China with Molière's classic, Le Malade Imaginaire.
At times comedy truly does transcend generations. French playwright Molière’s classic tale of hypochondria and the resultant exasperation of those dealing with it is case in point. The three-act play The Imaginary Invalid takes a character everyone ... Read More
If the phrase “religious music” calls up images of well-coiffed, middle-aged matrons straining to hit the high notes in church choirs, you may be the one out of date. Nearly all types of music are in a constant state of change and innovation—religious music is no exception. Check out ... Read More
One of the world's only all-male drag ballet troupes is in Beijing--Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. I caught them last night and they were fabulous and hilarious and then fabulous again.
Timeout did a good write-up of the show, but no amount of words can describe the ... Read More
After a long series of operas this summer, fans of live stage performances get a nice change of pace with one of Broadway’s most well-loved numbers, Kiss Me, Kate. Written by Cole Porter, the man behind other 1920s and 30s stage hits such as Fifty Million Frenchmen and Gay ... Read More
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Middle 8th: The New Sanlitun Village Location Has Creative Zest
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I tried the new Middle 8 location last night. We tried to make a reservation... >>