Broadway China musical tour of The King and I
| Publication: | Qingdao Cultural Bureau |
| Date: | March 16, 2005 |
| Translated Extract: | Qingdao People’s Hall holding hands with Broadway Theatre. Mr. Toby Simkin, successful Broadway Producer representing Nederlander of New York wants to bring musical The King and I to Qingdao People’s Hall in 2007 |
青岛人民会堂牵手美国“百老汇”剧院
慧聪网
2006 年3 月16 日11 时18 分
信息来源：青岛市文化局
日前，美国尼德伦环球娱乐公司执行副主席托比先生和百老汇亚洲娱乐公司高级总经理约翰·基弗伦先生一行来到青岛市人民会堂考察场地和设备，并签署了关于引进百老汇剧目的框架协议。不久的将来，青岛市民将有幸在家门口欣赏到原汁原味的美国百老汇音乐剧演出。
美国尼德伦环球娱乐公司是百老汇顶级剧院的所有者之一，在百老汇经营着9 家剧院，也是世界上主要剧院经营公司之一，在美国和英国拥有25 家剧院，可称得上是艺术的殿堂。倪德伦剧院已经成为百老汇最负盛名的演出剧目的大本营，制作和出品了数不胜数的百老汇演出和巡回表演。
百老汇亚洲娱乐公司是百老汇最早，也是最重要的一家将经典百老汇演出带入亚洲的巡演安排公司。2004 年《音乐之声》中国巡演是历史上首次百老汇音乐剧在中国的巡演，所到城市处处引起轰动，并荣获了中国文化部和中国演出家协会授予的《第十三届中国十大演出盛事奖》。
改造后的青岛市人民会堂，舞台音响设备均达到了百老汇的演出要求。美国尼德伦环球娱乐公司从中国的36 家剧场中挑选8 家作为其合作伙伴，公司执行副主席托比先生曾先后四次来青，他不仅被青岛优美的自然风光所吸引，更重要的是他看到青岛有着浓郁的文化氛围，这为青岛人民会堂从全国众多的剧场中脱颖而出奠定了基础。当托比先生考察音响设备时发出了惊讶的赞叹，因为他发现青岛人民会堂的数字音控台等音响设备已达到国际一流水平，在中国也只有为数不多的几家剧院拥有如此先进的设备。灯光、吊杆等其他设备设施也均达到了百老汇的演出要求。
按照计划，百老汇经典音乐剧《国王与我》将于2007 年首先亮相岛城。故事讲述的是十九世纪末，暹罗王为引入西方文化，自英国请来一位年轻漂亮的女教师，任教宫廷礼仪，使暹罗王从固执中逐渐领悟了人性解放的珍贵。由中国著名影星周润发出演的影片《安娜与国王》就是根据此音乐剧改编而成。《国王与我》舞台色彩丰富、布景华丽、音乐强烈、舞蹈优美，精彩的演出定会给观众带来耳目一新的感觉。此后，将有更多的百老汇经典音乐剧登陆岛城。百老汇音乐剧能在青岛上演，必将在全国引起轰动效应，此举将为进一步推动青岛演出市场的繁荣和发展奠定基础，将为进一步提升青岛的城市影响力和竞争力起到积极的推动作用。
Broadway China musical tour of The King and I
The People’s Hall of Qingdao Holding Hands with America’s “Broadway”
Mr. Toby Simkin, the Vice President of Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment and Mr. John Kivlen, the Senior General Manager of Broadway Asia Entertainment have recently visited the The People’s Hall of Qingdao, and signed a frame agreement to bring Broadway musicals to Qingdao. In the near future, Qingdao residents will be able to enjoy the original Broadway performances in their hometown.
With nine theaters, the Nederlander Organization is one of the largest theater owners on Broadway. It is also one of the major theater management companies in the world, operating and managing a total of 25 theaters in the United States and England. Nederlander theaters have been home to some of Broadway’s most popular shows, and have produced and presented numerous shows on Broadway and for touring.
Broadway Asia Entertainment is the foremost booker of Broadway shows into the Asia Pacific region. Its 2004 Asia tour of The Sound of Music became the first Broadway musical to tour China and has had great success in every city it has toured. In 2005, this production won one of the Ten Great Performance Awards bestowed by China’s Ministry of Culture and the Association of Chinese Performers.
The stage condition and the sound equipment of the newly renovated People’s Hall of Qingdao have met the Broadway performance requirement. Nederlander World Entertainment has chosen 8 theaters out of 36 theaters throughout China to become their business partners. Mr.Simkin, the Vice President, has visited Qingdao four times. He is not only attracted by the beautiful landscape of Qingdao, but also impressed by the strong cultural atmosphere in the city. It is for this reason that Qingdao stood out from the other candidates. Mr. Simkin was very surprised when he saw the newly installed digital sound console in The People’s Hall of Qingdao, for it is truly the world’s most advance sound system and very few theaters in China have it. Other equipment in the hall including the lighting and fly systems has also met therequirements needed for a Broadway production.
According to the plan, The King and I, one of the Broadway’s classical musical theater pieces will open in Qingdao in 2007. The story is about the King of Siam inviting a young British female teacher to teach western court manner for the purpose of introducing western culture to his country at the end of the 19th century. The Hollywood blockbuster movie, Anna and King starring Chow Yun Fat was based on this musical. The King and I is a production with extremely colorful scenic design, unforgettable music and spectacular dance numbers. Following The King and I, many more famous Broadway titles will tour through Qingdao.
