The Disney musical The Lion King roared a final time
Sunday night at Shanghai Grand Theater, as its run in China's
largest metropolis came to an end.
Shanghai is so far the only Asian city to host the Tony
award-winning production.
The English-speaking musical has overtaken The Phantom of
Opera as the longest-running Broadway show in Shanghai,
according to Fang Shizhong, president of Shanghai Grand
Theater.
Fang said since its debut at the theatre on July 28, the musical
had notched up more than 100 performances, attracting 160,000
spectators and garnering 72 million yuan (US$9.1 million) at the
box office.
The Shanghai Grand Theater and Walt Disney Co. sponsored the
production. Special support was also provided from the China
Culture Development Fund, including a loan of 40 million yuan
(US$5.1 million).
The show cost 60-70 million yuan (US$7.6-8.9 million) to put on,
according to Fang Shizhong.
Ticket prices ranged from 100 yuan for midweek shows up to 2,000
yuan at peak time.
Fang said another Broadway musical Mamma Mia would be
staged at the Shanghai Grand Theater next year. A Chinese version
of the musical Les Miserables, which celebrated its 21st
birthday in London on Sunday night, will be produced in China in
2008.
Fang hoped that Shanghai would soon join New York and London as
a world center for musical performances.
(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2006)
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