Shanghai strives to regain performing art business boom

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 27, 2003

Shanghai strives to regain performing art business boom

Shanghai Grand Theater Corporation has announced plans to take over five poorly managed theaters in downtown areas of the city to help restore the boom in the city's performing arts industry.

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Shanghai Grand Theater Corporation has announced plans to take over five poorly managed theaters in downtown areas of the city to help restore the boom in the city's performing arts industry.

Qian Shijin, deputy general manager of the corporation, said they would assign these theaters with different features and different prices on completion of renovations.

Statistics show Shanghai has been losing one theater on averageeach year. For instance, there used to be 109 professional theaters in 1950, but the number dropped to 22 in 1995 and by May this year, there were only 14.

The disappearance of theaters has produced a serious crisis forthe city's performing arts, said the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in a survey.

There were no performances on 20 days of March because three major theaters in downtown areas of Shanghai were under renovation,according to the survey, which was conducted in June.

Chen Dexiang, an official with the Shanghai Municipal Bureau ofCulture, Radio, Films and TV, said, "though causes for closure of theaters vary, a diminishing performing arts industry is certainlynot compatible with Shanghai's position as one of China's culturalcenters."

According to Chen, some old theaters, including a couple of previously famous ones such as Yangtze Theater, a renowned drama stage in Shanghai, and the People's Grand Theater, with a history of 80 years, were all bulldozed in the municipal construction craze in early 1990s.

In the meantime, poor management and bad economic returns have forced many local theaters to close. The accumulative revenue from performances of the 14 theaters was less than 100 million yuan (about 12.1 million US dollars) last year, of which, 60 percent was contributed by Shanghai Grand Theater, a high-end venue.

Only a couple of the remaining 13 theaters could make ends meet.Lanxin Theater, founded in 1931, used to be one of the most famousstages for performing arts in Shanghai. Before Shanghai Grand Theater's takeover, Lanxin Theater, with about 700 seats, often struggled to attract more than a dozen audience.

"The old theater was dilapidated: no air conditioning and most of the stage lights not working," recalled Wang Ying, newly appointed manager of the refurbished Lanxin Theater. After the takeover, Lanxin Theater has regained its past splendor.

In addition to takeovers, Shanghai Grand Theater Corporation isalso to reconstruct the Yangtze Theater and the People's Grand Theater which were demolished in the early 1990s.

When the construction and the refurbishing are finished, Shanghai Grand Theater Corporation will assign different performing arts stages under its helms with different tasks: Shanghai Music Hall will be specially reserved for music concerts only while Wanping theater will be devoted to children's plays, and the Cultural Plaza will be a professional theater for musicals,said deputy general manager Qian.

"The prices at different theaters will vary," said Qian.

In Shanghai, tickets to pop music shows sell from 100 yuan (12.1 US dollars) to 1,000 yuan (120.5 US dollars), while tickets to drama or concerts also sell for around 30 US dollars to 40 US dollars, expensive for ordinary residents.

Li Yi, who works with a British financed venture in Shanghai, said: "I hope there will be more low-priced theaters in Shanghai so that to go to a concert will be as cheap as to see a film."

"Lanxin Theater is reserved for classical and nostalgia shows, with drama performances making up most of the performances, plus some small concerts," said Lanxin Theater's new manager Wang Ying.

"We believe the performing arts market has great prospects in Shanghai as long as we are properly positioned," said Wang, who added that Lanxin Theater would resume with a concert in December.

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