Wicked debuts in China (Photo/CGTN)
Acclaimed as "one of the greatest musicals of all time" and "Broadway's biggest blockbuster", the musical Wicked is currently wowing Chinese audiences in Beijing.
Time Magazine calls it "a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart and courage".
Having toured around 14 countries since 2003, the Broadway and West End stage musical Wicked has finally made its way to China, first in Shanghai, and now Beijing. It is in China on a four-month tour, and is identical to the original Broadway production.
The "eye-poppingly lavish show" includes 300 award-winning costumes, spectacular scenery, lighting and projections, and a dazzling array of technical wizardry.
Wicked is based on the international best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire that ingeniously re-imagines the stories and characters in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".
It tells the untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two sorcery students. Their adventures ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good Witch, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.
Leading actress Jacqueline Hughes says she is thrilled to play Elphaba, but that there's also pressure on her.
Containing several show-stopping songs, including "Defying Gravity", "Popular" and "For Good", Wicked has won over 100 major international awards, scooping Grammy, Tony and Olivier Awards in several categories.
Many say Wicked is one of the most celebrated and visually stunning musicals of all times. Over the past 13 years, it has been seen by 50 billion people around the world and translated from its original English into Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean and Portuguese.
Wicked plays through June 11 at Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center.
