I
once went to Broadway in America, from Spain, for no other reason than
to see and experience this world known place in New York, where the
most famous theatres in the world are concentrated and there are more
stars than in the sky. Just like the time I moved to live in the West
End of London, shortly before that, purely to be right in the middle of
the renowned Theatre Land, for exactly the same reason. I am that much
of a theatre fan. Always have been and forever will be.
The
actual construction of this ambitious project started in 2009. It's a
copy of the successful model of the entertainment industry,
centralizing all spectacles, theatres, music and concert halls,
cabarets, and night clubs in the centric area of the city, the Broadway
of New York and the West End of London. The Initiative has a name: the
Nederlanden family, owner of several theatres in the mythical Avenida
New York, like Gershwin, The Palace or The Marquis. Now the
Nederlandens are trying to reproduce the same schema in Pekin, with the
cooperation of the Chinese Shibo Investment Holding.
The
media in China baptised the project as China Broadway. This will
include the construction of a great theatre with capacity for 2,000
people, and 30 more to seat between 300 to 500 spectators each. In this
zone, there are also hotels, commercial centres, restaurants, office
buildings and parks. The objective is to capture theatre goers and
entertainment seekers, those who wouldn't mind taking a plane to cover
thousands of kilometres, just to see their favourite shows or attend a
special premier.
The
promoters are quite confident that the inauguration would be as
scheduled for 2013 with a big bang. It's planned that there would be
100 musicals per year, which equals to an average of 3 new production
in each. Even though there's not yet official programming, some popular
titles for the inauguration are already in the air: a contemporary
version of Aida of Verdi, the works of The Lion King, and The Beauty and
The Beast of the Disney factory.
The
promoters and organizers wish this project to form a triangle with
Broadway in New York and West End in London. Throughout the history of
those 2 places, each time a New York production is staged in London, at
least a couple of American actors will be in it, and a few British
actors would complete the cast and, also, vise versa. It's expected
that, after America and London, the plays would complete the circuit in
Pekin. Or those initiated in Pekin would go round to London then New
York.
I have to begin planning too, and saving, to do the rounds!
