An ode to a Russian masterpiece

After watching the show in Shanghai, veteran playwright Luo Huaizhen comments that the production of outstanding musical actors have been the greatest achievement in the decades-long development of the country's musical industry. Their performances are as good as any international productions, Luo says.

"China's musical theater is set to usher in great prosperity. It has adequate venues and a large audience who is hungry for new productions and armed with in-depth knowledge about musicals. In leading markets such as Beijing and Shanghai, the production and marketing system has become well-established, too," he says.

"What China needs now is creative talent, from playwrights and composers to directors and stage designers. We need significant progress in nurturing the creative strength to further develop domestic musical productions," he adds.