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Drama Season Under Way

The Third Beijing International Drama Festival kicked off on April 8, with more than 50 top performances in 20 days. Casablanca made a successful opening for the festival. Organized by China Ministry of Culture and Beijing Municipal Government, this drama festival is one of three annual large-scale cultural festivals held in Beijing, including Beijing International Symphony Concert Festival and Beijing International Dance Festival.

Though the Chinese counterparts couldn't compete with the big-budget Casablanca, they aroused great interest for art lovers from home and abroad, especially those enthusiastic on local arts. One musical titled Golden Sand by famous composer and musician San Bao is one example. Without a star-cast, the musical features a dazzling stage set, fine costumes and over 20 pieces of original music composed by San Bao.

Peking Opera, drama adapted from history and newly produced are all presented to the audiences. As parts of the tickets are priced at 40 or 50 yuan, ordinary were affordable to enjoy the rich performances.