| Musicals, which developed out of the
British comedy at the end of the 19th century, are stage productions that use
popular-style songs and dialogs. They put together music and play, as well as
song and dance. In Europe, the US and Japan, the musical is a popular form of performing art. Musicals generally attract more people than do plays or classical music concerts. However, most Chinese people are still not familiar with this form of art. In 1987, the American musical The Music Man, a heart-warming story about a traveling sales- man who tries to trick a small town into buying his musical instruments, was introduced in China. In 1990, Sunrise was put on stage in Shanghai. It is considered the first Chinese musical in China's history. But neither of these achieved as great a success as had been expected. This makes it clear that in China, musicals are still at their earliest stage of development. By comparison, developed in many Western countries for years, musicals have achieved great success on Broadway (in New York City) as well as in London's West End, both of which are famous for their musicals. The musical has become an important form of art in these countries. |