The hit London musical Mamma Mia! will be translated into Chinese and performed in China, it has been announced.
It will be the first time a major western show has been produced in the communist country, where imports of such productions are limited.
Judy Cramer, who produced the West End version, said, "In 2007, the fantastic audience response to Mamma Mia! in both Beijing and Shanghai convinced us the show had a future in China and that a Chinese-language production could be successful."
After a three-year search for a production partner, London's Little Star Ltd settled on the China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG), whom Cramer described as "the right choice."
CAEG President Zhang Yu said the show "combines a funny plot, magical music and the humane theme about love in the form of comedy. It has attracted millions of people around the world; thus I believe Chinese audiences will like it."
Mamma Mia!, based around the songs of the '70s Swedish pop sensation ABBA, opened in London in 1999 and is still running. The Broadway production's successful run began in 2001.
An international tour of the show means it has now been seen by more than 40 million people worldwide, generating a staggering $2 billion in ticket sales.
In 2008, Mamma Mia! was made into a hit film, starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan.
Now the Beijing production, set to open in June 2011, will mark the 13th time the musical has been translated into a foreign language.
Andrew Treagus, the show's international executive producer, said that seeing the curtain rise on the show in China will be "a dream come true."
07 June 2010
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