"Shaolin" the first Broadway spotlight on China

By Jonathan Landreth

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - When martial arts play "Soul of Shaolin" premieres at Broadway's Marquis Theater in January, it will mark the first Chinese-produced show to hit the Great White Way.

"Shaolin" tells the story of a war-era orphan boy taken in by the fighting monks of the Shaolin temple in China's Henan province. Direct from appearances in Sydney and at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, "Shaolin" was produced from an original Chinese story.

"This is not just a demonstration of physical prowess, there's a story here. This is theater," said co-producer Robert J. Nederlander.

A sneak preview on Tuesday in New York saw director Liu Tongbiao and two other performers from a cast of 33 exhibit the strength and agility of their ancient kung fu style.

"General interest in China is higher than ever after the Olympics, and in this country the fact is that when we think about Chinese culture we think about acrobats and martial arts," said Nederlander, who admits to a limited knowledge of both the Chinese cultural landscape and how to pronounce his partners' names. "We wanted a show that would have Broadway appeal and the pedigree of the Olympics."

Nederlander's eastward expansion took flight in 2005 when he found a joint-venture partner in Beijing Time New Century Entertainment, headed by Chen Jixian, a leading female entrepreneur in China's emerging cultural industry. Their company was the first to take advantage of rules unveiled that year to welcome foreign companies to participate in China's theater industry.

Nederlander and Chen set out to establish a theater circuit across China modeled on his company's giant U.S. circuit. By 2007, they had launched a tour of "42nd Street" to Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Xian, Wuhan, Ningbo, Hangzhou and Tianjin.

Tapping pent-up demand that had brewed during decades of isolation and strict communist censorship, "42nd Street" was followed by "Aida," which now is in the midst of an 11-city run begun in Shanghai in September. It's due to open December 19 at the Beijing Cultural Exhibition Center and then make Broadway's first jaunt to the Inner Mongolian provincial capital of Hohhot.

"The shows going to China are a way to lay the groundwork for the circuit," Nederlander said. "You need to spend money to make money. These shows themselves make money and will grow and expand our audience base."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter