| Source: Zhejiang Daily 2007-4-6 |
Anna and the King to Premiere in May Day Holiday Season;
Seven Children to Be Recruited to Act as King¡¯s Seven Children;
All Children Aged 5-11 May Apply for Roles
By staff reporter Wang Ting
from Hangzhou on April 5
This reporter learnt from the provincial department of culture today that from May 4-6, anyone paying RMB 80 can enjoy an authentic Broadway musical show, Anna and the King, at Hangzhou Theater. This will be the first time a Broadway musical makes debut in Zhejiang Province after Hangzhou Theater joined the Broadway China Network. In the future, people in the city will have more chances to have close contact with Broadway musicals on their doorsteps.
The Broadway China Network, established on March 23 this year, is managed by the Beijing Oriental Broadway International Theater Management Company, a joint venture created by the Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment in Broadway of the United States and the New Century Media in Beijing. The network will introduce Broadway musicals to the professional theaters in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and other major Chinese cities. Hangzhou Theater is the only one in Zhejiang Province that first joined the network.
Anna and the King was an adaptation based on the memoirs of a British governess in the Court of Siam (now known as Thailand). The show has won eight Tony Awards for best musical, and has staged more than 50,000 times around the world.
The Broadway China Network has taken all measures to ensure these musicals are accepted by the Chinese audience. When Anna and the King is staged in Hangzhou, not only Chinese caption will be provided, but seven Chinese children will be recruited to act as the seven children of the king. All children aged 5-11 may apply for the roles.
It is learnt that the Broadway China Network plans to offer training courses for musical performance and management personnel in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and other cities that have joined the network. The courses will teach the basic performing techniques of musicals. In the second half of the year, other Broadway classics such as 42nd Street, West Side Story and Mama Mia will be introduced. |
