In the center of Beijing (with all of the power which that implies in today’s world), there sits since 1949 (the year the country was officially founded), The Central Academy of Drama. It is the Julliard of China but more than that it operates directly under the PRC’s Ministry of Culture. The hopes and desires of the country (and its sometimes contradictory responsibilities of Culture and Propaganda) and the top young actors of the land, rest and struggle here. In addition to producing a significant number of China’s stage, television and film stars, the Academy introduced a program in musical theater over 10 years ago. But in those days China took small steps slowly, especially at embracing an American art form.
Since 2007 the Central Academy has been my unofficial, and somewhat spiritual, home in Beijing. Here I always felt that the political nuances of the leaders, and the treacherous maneuvers of the joint venture business partners, were left at the gate in the quintessential old hutong village of Nan Luo Gu Xiang. Giving lectures, seeing shows, having chats, sharing food and collaborating with some of the inspired professors and students in my Chinese productions have been grandly rewarding – with everyone learning a lot.
Above, I am honored and humbled to receive a position on the International Faculty of the Central Academy of Drama. (yes, that is Mao behind me!)
Always the best acting school, the academy took significant steps to improve the dance and music programs in the Department of Musical Theater. In a bold step the Academy accepted our suggestion invitation to produce
FAME as the college musical in 2009. This was facilitated because the Nederlander organization acquired and provided the license and U.S. creative talent. The musical, produced in Mandarin, performed by Chinese actors was a landmark in musical theater in China. Politically it was a bold experiment and endorsement of the American musical by the leaders of education and culture of the PRC.
It was a hit. The project resonated in the highest circles of government and inspired the next experiment – a professional localized production, in Mandarin, of
Mamma Mia by the leading performing arts presenter in China. Suddenly the rules of musical theater and the theatrical industry at large have changed. Below President Xu (my right) and Vice President Liu (my left) hosts the Chair and Vice-Chair the Arts Administration Department (on left), the Chair of the Music Theater Department (on near right) and the foreign affairs coordinators (on far right) to set the next goal of the Academy.
At the conclusion of the meeting President Xu, signed the Tams-Witmark agreement for the college production of the George Gershwin /Ken Ludwig production of the Broadway musical, CRAZY FOR YOU. Such a contract is signed a thousand times a year all over the world without great fanfare. But consider this – in the recent burst of growth in the PRC, never was such a contract signed by the leadership of a major educational institution in China. Never did such an institution take the step to pay over $4,000 USD for the right to perform 40 performances of a Broadway musical - and in that way honor and respect the American authors and the copyright process.
Good for George and Ira. Good for NYC. Good for China.
Fun day!
