Staging a classic tale

The first Chinese production of The Phantom of the Opera will begin its national tour in May, Zhang Kun reports. 

The Phantom of the Opera, one of the most successful musicals in the world, will have its first Chinese production this year.

The live-entertainment branch of Shanghai Media Group announced that the production will premiere at the Shanghai Grand Theater on May 3.

The upcoming production in Mandarin will be the 18th language the musical will be performed in.

After 39 performances in Shanghai, the production will embark on an unprecedented national tour, with the first round of 200 shows taking place until the beginning of 2024.

The three Chinese actors, who will play the title character of the musical, are Ayunga, Liu Lingfei and He Liangchen.

Created by British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber — based on the book by French author Gaston Leroux — the musical The Phantom of the Opera has been performed in more than 65,000 shows in 183 cities around the world and watched by 145 million people.

The box-office revenues of the shows add up to about $6 billion. Since its debut in 1986 in London, it has been the longest-running show on Broadway.

In September, the show announced that it would be closing in February, but the plan was later changed because of the high box-office demand. Its Broadway run has since been extended for another eight weeks until April 16.

The original production of the musical was first presented in China in 2004, when 100 shows were held.