UK's Royal Opera to screen classics

PRODUCTIONS staged at London’s Royal Opera House are to be screened in Shanghai this year as part of a long-term collaboration between the UK company and Chinese theaters.

Eight productions have been selected from Royal Opera’s current season, said Li Zongzhou of the Beijing ATW Culture Media Company — operas “Othello,” “La Boheme,” “Carmen,” “The Magic Flute” and “Tosca,” and ballets “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” “The Winter’s Tale” and “The Nutcracker.”

In Shanghai, the program will start with “Othello,” which will be screened at Shanghai Grand Theater on Sunday. A screen 9 meters wide and 7 meters tall will be set up on the stage, supported by audio and visual equipment.

Audiences will feel like they are watching a live performance on stage, said Zhang Xiaoding, the theater’s general manager, “but with the movie production, they can see close-ups from any seat.”

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” will be screened at the Shanghai International Dance Center on March 25 and all eight productions will be screened at Shanghai Huangpu Theater between May to August.