Grand Theater takes performing arts online
Performing arts aficionados are gaining new access to quality recordings and documentaries with Shanghai Grand Theater’s new online brand Zero Stop.
As the first online program platform presented by a domestic theater, Zero Stop takes the Grand Theater into the realm of connecting with the world and with audiences in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak.
With the support of broadwayondemand.com and streamtheatre.com, Zero Stop will present 4K-resolution live-performance stereo recordings by world-famous artists and documentaries related to the performing arts.
The first performance is a solo concert by Iranian-Canadian singer and actor Ramin Karimloo, recorded at the London Coliseum during the pandemic.
The concert was aired free on domestic video-streaming provider Youku for 24 hours on a trial basis last weekend.
According to the Grand Theater, Zero Stop will cooperate with several livestreaming platforms and introduce membership and payment policies for future content.
The platform will soon air a concert by English singer and actress Carrie Hope Fletcher and the 2019 documentary “On Broadway,” by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Oren Jacoby.
The documentary’s all-star cast includes Hugh Jackman, Helen Mirren, Alec Baldwin and Ian McKellen sharing inside stories of Broadway.
The Zero Stop will soon air a concert by English singer and actress Carrie Hope Fletcher.
Original Chinese documentary “The Best of China” will also premiere on Zero Stop. It is comprised of eight episodes, each lasting 10-15 minutes. The documentary, due to be completed this year, traces the development of the performing arts in the Yangtze River Delta region.
The documentary invited artists from various genres and some theater operators to share their insights and personal stories, especially those that occurred during the pandemic.
Peking Opera artist Shi Yihong, choreographer Jin Xing and musical singer and actor Zheng Yunlong will feature in the documentary.
“The Best of China” will be made accessible to foreign viewers through overseas streaming platforms in the future, aiming at viewers interested in Chinese art and culture.
“We consider Zero Stop a touchstone for Chinese artists,” said Zhang Xiaoding, general manager of Shanghai Grand Theater. “The artists can present their works online to test market reaction before taking them to theaters. That’s why we called our project Zero Stop — it serves as a prelude for the future potential of Chinese artists, both here and abroad.”
Apart from concerts and documentaries, Zero Stop will provide performance videos by world-class opera and ballet troupes, including the English National Opera and Royal Ballet. Shows already scheduled include ballet performances of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” “Giselle” and “The Winter’s Tales,” and Verdi’s opera “La Traviata.”
Some of the troupes and performances have appeared on the Grand Theater stage in the past.
The Grand Theater will release Zero Stop program information through its official WeChat and Sina Weibo accounts.
