The Curtain Goes Up on Beijing's First Late Late Show

It is hard to imagine the famous Beijing Night Show being staged as a kind of curtain-raiser to another musical spectacular on the same evening, but-starting late this month-this is precisely the back-to-back treat in store for patrons at the shows superb theater in Dayabao Hutong Dongcheng.

Of course, the long-established Beijing Night Show is a fabulous 90-minute, widely loved presentation in its own right which constantly has theatergoers coming back for more. Some fans have seen it more than 50 times, often dining at the theater before the shows 7.30pm curtain goes up.

"But popular as it is, we felt it time to break new ground and give old and new patrons something extra-a second show to follow 30 minutes after the Night Show," explained managing director Si Haili.

Enter the brand new Late Late Show, which starts at 9.30pm and runs until almost 11pm. "Because of the way the new show is mounted, we believe it will appeal to younger people in particular," said Shi. "At the same time, we foresee that many patrons will stay in the theater to watch both shows- a great night out for any group or individual who also wants to dine while on the premises. We have excellent restaurants and private dining rooms, the latter serving traditional royal and other delicacies which are particularly popular among local expatriates and tourists who want to enjoy the full Chinese experience."

The Late Late Show, while every bit as spectacular as the Beijing Night Show, represents a whole new concept in Chinese stage presentations. While the Night Show, with 65 superbly drilled and costumed dancers,  condenses some 2,000 years of Chinese history into a stunning tableaux with brilliantly designed backdrops, the Late Late presentation basically turns dance as commonly accepted on its head by sheer innovative thinking.

"Simply, it dares to be different," said Shi. "In essence, the Night Show meets the needs of patrons who like to see Chinese history presented in a way far removed from, say, Peking Opera. Its basically Old China made new, and all with a modern beat."

"The Late Late Show is very different. Many of the same dancers do their stuff on stage, and the backdrops are equally spectacular. But the whole atmosphere is different because, in designing it, we have virtually written a new rule book. For example, a snaky-hipped Egyptian dance is performed to music you just dont expect, Italian or Spanish, perhaps."

"Also staged are dances from the likes of Brazil, Russia, Eastern Europe, Mexico and other countries. But they are often to music that might not be expected. The dancers love this freedom to express themselves, and their efforts make for a very good show." Cossacks' troika dancing is another highlight.

Innovation abounds, for instance a dream-like ballet that was danced in Chinese palaces over more than 1,000. Then there are seven different ethnic Chinese dances, including Tibetan and Yuga-some of which Shi describes as "almost primitive but nonetheless fascinating and with a strong beat, not disco but fast tempos." These form a prelude to a tableaux of modern times, with fashions that include the famous Chinese chipao dress. "Overall, the show is more Broadway than anything else," said Shi.