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BEIJING - Theater performances in Beijing took in about 1.405 billion yuan ($22.3 million) in 2011, up 28.9 percent year-on-year, according to the Beijing Trade Association For Performances (BTAP).
A total of 21,075 shows were staged in the city's theaters last year, up 10.37 percent. These performances attracted an audience of 10.26 million, the same as in 2010, according figures revealed Wednesday at an annual meeting of the association.
"Beijing's theater market has been developing rapidly, which highlights the role of the city as the country's cultural center," said BTAP head Zhang Yu. The statistics were based on 94 profitable theaters.
Zhang said that last year's theater market witnessed unprecedented diversity with performances ranging from concerts, operas, international music festivals, traditional Chinese operas, dances, small-theater dramas and stand-up comedy shows.
According to the association, the Chinese version of the musical "Mamma Mia!" was the biggest winner in last year's domestic market, attracting an audience of 200,000 and generating 78 million yuan in ticket sales in less than six months.
Meanwhile, attendees at the meeting noted that a series of problems, including high stage rental costs and a huge amount of complimentary tickets, should be resolved in order to ensure the healthy development of the city's theater market.
The price of a ticket for a performance at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing averages 937 yuan, and tickets for high-end shows are usually sold for up to 2,000 yuan, far greater than in other Chinese cities and even overseas markets.
Although Beijing has many theaters, only a few can run long-term profitable shows on a large scale, which contributed to high rental costs, according to information presented at the meeting.
Meanwhile, theaters usually have to set aside many complimentary tickets to cope with a large number of government organizations in Beijing, the country's capital.
