Making a song and dance of it

Yang says that since 2016, multilingual musicals have been staged around the country and in 2020, the new musical concert format was introduced.

Around 100 musical concerts have been staged since 2023, with box-office sales exceeding 40 million yuan, demonstrating that this format has captured the attention of theatergoers, according to the latest report from the China Association of Performing Arts.

Over the last nine years, 3.3 million people have visited the venue to watch performances, with 1.1 million attending musicals, according to Yang. Total box-office revenues hit 957 million yuan to date, with musical theater accounting for 125 million yuan.

This year, the Tianqiao performing arts center has staged 10 international musicals in different languages, including new and returning productions.

While international musicals have made a major impact, there has been an equally impressive rise in Chinese-language musicals, according to the report. The forum highlighted that homegrown productions are resonating with audiences, offering fresh perspectives that reflect the country's culture and societal themes.