Curtain rises on plans for 'Show Life'

Shanghai has officially named its downtown theater district "Show Life" and extended invitations to performers and producers from around the world to join its expansion.

The area near People's Square in Huangpu District will host 15,000 performances this year in its 39 theaters and performance spaces, 50 percent more than last year.

This year, the district will also host an international theater exhibit, the city's first international musical festival and first international comedy festival. Upcoming shows include "School of Rock" by Andrew Lloyd Webber, French opera-rock musical "Le Rouge et le Noir," Russian play "Eugene Onegin" and "Matilda the Musical."

The area will not only present the best shows from abroad, but also original productions, currently including contemporary Chinese opera "Tian Han," Shanghai-style ballet "La Traviata" and a new Kunqu Opera.

"We receive about 150 million visitors to Nanjing Road alone every year, a huge audience," said Chao Kejian, director of Huangpu.

"We can start by attracting passing tourists to watch shows, and aim to attract them here specifically for the sake of good shows."