As China seeks to cultivate the arts for a growing middle-class, Western producers are looking for ways to build audiences and earn more money, according to a recent New York Times article.
The Guangzhou Opera House is just one example. So far, the Opera House has featured Swedish soprano Irene Theorin, Candaian tenor
Richard Margison, a French dance company performing "Snow White," and American singer Michael Bolton.
According to Shu-Chun Lai, program director of the Opera House, the venue is looking for more contemporary dance productions as well as popular musicals from Broadway and the West End.
"We're looking for signature shows, like ‘The Phantom of the Opera' - shows that are already well-known," said Ms. Lai to the New York Times.
Despite this progress, many from the West say China has a long way to go. Audiences for the arts remain small and the Chinese government is starting to look to the private sector to support the arts.
"You have more theaters, but you don't necessarily have more money for philharmonic orchestras to come," said Zarin Mehta, president and executive director of the
New York Philharmonic, which performed in Beijing and Shanghai in 2008 on a tour which was sponsored by Credit Suisse.
"I'm not saying they don't have money in China - they have money for certain things, and for certain artists they will come up with the money," Mr. Mehta said. "But it's not a general market for all the American and European productions that can travel."
"It's not just about, ‘Just come and play, and let's have that program.' There is much more involved when you have 140 people traveling," Mr. Mehta said. "For example, I'm planning 2013. In Japan they understand it. In China they don't understand yet that we plan so far in advance."
Another issue is that while Western multinational companies often sponsor arts programs in their home nations, Chinese companies are less willing to do the same according to Ms. Lai. China Merchants Bank and China Construction Bank are among a few Chinese companies that have started to sponsor performances and more are beginning to show an interest.
"We still need to do a lot of audience-building," said Lai. "People in Guangzhou are used to going out and eat at night. They're not used to going out to the theater and buy tickets."
Among the shows drawing particular interest are Western musicals, including
Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom" which had a 12-week run in Shanghai in 2006. A production of "Cats" toured 11 cities in 2007 and 2008.
The Really Useful Group, founded Webber, made more than 40 percent of its theater and licensing revenue from Asia this year, according to the New York Times.
Tim McFarlane, managing director of the company's Asia Pacific unit, said, "I think the Chinese business will probably take 10 years to be really significant."
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