Taiwan, Hongkong and Macao programs appear for the first time at China Arts Festival
Updated: 2004-09-16

Art groups from Taiwan, Hongkong and Macao will stage four programs at the Seventh China Arts Festival and this is the first time they show up at the festival. The programs are Hongkong musical "Sweet and Sour Hongkong", Macao dance opera "Macao Bride", Taiwan dance opera "Water Moon " and a special percussion performance by Taiwan Ju Percussion Group.

The musical "Sweet and Sour Hongkong " by three famous art groups from Hongkong features a strong lineup and local flavor, which vividly represents the real life of Hongkong people.

The musical tells a simple story about the owners of two food-and-drink shops, who unceasingly struggle against a sudden storm and finally get over the adversity. The sudden storm is a metaphor to the financial crisis in 1997 and the SARS outbreak in 2004, and the musical is intended to reflect the optimism of Hongkong people in face of adverse conditions.

Since its debut in 2003, the musical attracts large crowds of audience wherever it goes, winning the hearts of the audience, which has never been the case for mainland musicals. When introducing the "Sweet and Sour Hongkong", the art director, Mao Junhui expressed his hopes to push the development of mainland musical through the performance of "Sweet and Sour Hongkong ". Speaking of the poor status quo of mainland musical, he said the most important part of a musical is the selection of materials, while the songs and dances are only forms. He also pointed out the misunderstanding among mainland musical producers that more investment can bring better musicals should be abandoned, as in the foreign countries two or three performers with a violin can put on an excellent musical. In the end, he concluded the creation of high-quality musicals depends on the cultivation of all kinds of talents, which is certainly an important task.