West End producer wants to bring new show to China

A new stage musical, the Prince of Egypt, will open at London's West End in February and its producer wishes to take it to China.

“We would very much like to take the new show to China. It is on our wish list,” says Michael McCabe, an independent, four-time Olivier Awards-winning theatre producer.

The new show, based on the DreamWorks animated motion picture the Prince of Egypt, is set to open at the Dominion Theatre in London's West End in February 2020. The musical will feature 10 brand new songs and include renowned composer Stephen Schwartz's award-winning song: When You Believe.

McCabe, who is also the executive producer of Wicked, a West End and Broadway sensation, said China has become a huge market and many stunning new theatres have been built.

His team took Wicked to cities in China in 2017 and “it was an extraordinary, pioneering kind of experience”.

“We are amazed by the reaction of the audience, by their passion for the theatre and for the new musical from the West. We felt very excited to take a show to China,” he said.

One of the world's most successful stage musicals, Wicked has already reached an audience of 60 million in over 130 cities all over the world and grossed an astonishing five billion dollars worldwide. It is also the ninth longest running West End musical of all time and has been seen by 10 million people in the UK.

McCabe said engaging more young people is hugely important to keep a show alive and successful, and that social media has transformed the way that the theatre industry can talk to the young generations about a show.

Meanwhile, he believes the theatre can survive and even thrive in any challenging times, including Brexit.

"Everybody needs a time away and theatre continues to be something that people, more than ever, want to be engaged [with] in odd and strange times," he said.

Xinhua