The dust of controversy that surrounded the construction of the 'Egg Shell,' beside the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, has settled with the curtain rising on its First International Season which runs until April 6, 2008. The egged-shaped National Center for the Performing Arts, widely known as the National Grand Theater, has captured the attention of people at home and abroad for its huge development costs and iconic profile.
According to the vice-president of the Center, the Egg Shell is not just for the wealthy. The Egg Shell guarantees affordable arts for all.
This can help explain why a Chinese audience, labeled as having had limited experience in musical concerts and not tasted artistic ambience, was rushing for tickets to the New Year Concerts held on December 31 and January 1.
Average ticket prices are lower than that of a regular show in Beijing. The cheapest seats cost 30 yuan ($4).
"Our goal is not to make money, but rather to attract a much wider audience," explained the Center's vice-president. So far, 20,000 tickets have been sold for the opening season, which is expected to attract 300,000 people.
Mrs. Huang, a Beijing native in her seventies, regrets missing her chance to see her favorite Yueju (a local opera popular in Southeast China) - Butterfly Lovers- saying that it would have been the first time in her life she could afford to watch the performance of this romantic story in such a magnificent theater.
The attraction of affordable tickets, nevertheless, is not the only thing luring people to the Egg Shell. The theater in itself, an egg-shaped structure covered by glass and titanium and surrounded by greenery and water, is not only a national landmark; but also has a strong appeal to its audience.
Designed by French architect Paul Andreu, the Theater has three main halls: a 2,416-seat opera house, a 2,017-seat concert hall with a pipe organ, and a 1,040-seat theater for plays.
"Once inside the Egg Shell, you will be more impressed by the innovative design and décor," said Mr. Lu, an orchestra fan. "The theater presents the audience with a fusion of stage culture, fashion and creativity in performance styles, as well as in the artistic atmosphere.'
In addition to music, the center will host ballet and theater performances during the opening season, reflecting the artistic vision of a theater.
Even before the completion of the Egg Shell, many performers and companies from around the world had shown a keen interest in performing there. For instance, renowned Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa led China's National Symphony Orchestra in two New Year Concerts on December 31 and January 1. Ozawa had been involved in all aspects of the production: from programming to inviting soloists and training the chorus.
Soprano Kiri Te Kanawa and Tenor Jose Carreras will also headline the opening season. Chinese artists scheduled to perform include many popular figures in various performance circles.
Swan Lake, performed by the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia (where Tchaikovsky's famous work made its debut in 1895), and led by the prima ballerina, left the audience deeply intoxicated and reluctant to leave even after the curtain had fallen.
The National Grand Theater bears more than architectural charm: it is infused with artistic aestheticism.
It is generally known that a good theater requires management; a good artistic atmosphere needs cultivation; and a good audience needs training. Only when the three work in concert can a high-quality performance succeed. The critics commented that a sound audience base will help breed the fine arts.
By People's Daily Online
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