After more than 2,900 performances to nearly 2 million theater-goers, the Chinese musical Chun Yi: The Legend of Kungfu is shifting to the London Coliseum Theater, with 27 performances scheduled from July 25 to Aug 17.

"There are two major centers of performing arts that can help make our work successful around the world - London and New York," says John Cripton, president of the joint production company Great World Artists International, of Canada.

Chun Yi: The Legend of Kungfu, a musical featuring Chinese kungfu, dance and original music, is shifting to the London Coliseum Theater for a three-week run. File photo

"For the London performances, we are targeting everyone, residents in and around London, tourists and the Chinese community."

Cripton and its co-producer China Heaven Creation have already worked together to organize the show's tour in Canada, Japan and Russia, and he says they are now working on a tour to New York.

Telling the story of a young boy who embarks on an epic journey to enlightenment by completing a series of formidable trials to earn the title "Chun Yi, The Pure One", it is a show that blends Chinese kungfu, dance and original music. It involves 50 performers and several creators, including famous composer Zheng Bing and set designer Han Lixun, who was chief creative director of the set design for the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony.

It premiered in 2004 in Beijing, and has been running daily at the Red Theater of Beijing. At the same time, another team of the show's performers has toured a number of countries and given 547 performances outside of China.

China Heaven's executive chairman, Cao Xiaoning, says the pre-investment for the London run of the show is $1.5 million, $1 million from a bank loan by China Heaven Creation and the rest from Great World Artists. The two parties are thus sharing the risks and the profits on a 2:1 basis. China Heaven Creation will also earn royalties equal to 15 percent of box office takings.

"China has rich resources in terms of content and talents in the performing arts but lacks advanced production ideas," says Zheng Wen, director of the Bureau for External Cultural Relations in the Ministry of Culture. "We hope that more productions like Chun Yi: The Legend of Kungfu will be shown on the international stage."

Cao says China Heaven's next move will be to purchase theaters in the United States in order to promote Chinese performing arts in the West.

Editor:Wang Nan