Marco Polo proves a hit in US

The show Adventures of Marco Polo combines Mongolian culture with Chinese acrobatics and magic. [Photo/China Daily]

Performing Arts Group of Hohhot gives full rein to emerging talent from Inner Mongolia

Take an epic tale of discovery, throw in spectacular acrobatics and dancing, and spice it up with Mongolian music, and you have all the ingredients for a hit show.

That, at least, is what happened with Adventures of Marco Polo, whose success in the United States is all the more remarkable given that it is performed by what was until recently an obscure arts group from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The production has been seen by 130,000 people in the US and brought in around 10 million yuan ($640,000) at the box office.

The show, inspired by the visit to China by the Italian explorer during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), has been staged at the White House Theater in Branson, Missouri, since August 2013, and won the top prize at a Chinese ethnic performance festival in the same year.

"Mongolian dance is a unique feature of the drama, and the combination of acrobatics and magic is the secret of its success," said Bai Jie, general manager of the Performing Arts Group of Hohhot, the company presenting the show.

"Our group is new, but our team is from the 50-year-old Inner Mongolian National Song and Dance Troupe," Bai said.