Lamenting a lack of local musical theater, one performer has set about showing Beijing there is indeed no business like show business. Zhao Aojia - who goes by the stage name Shadow - tasted Broadway, studying musical theater in the US before going on to play several seasons in Chicago-based productions.

But since returning to China at the end of 2003, Shadow has found scant opportunities to flex her creative muscle, and so set up her own contemporary performing arts company.

Attempting to build the local scene, Shadow has given more than 100 free shows for audiences at the 798 arts zone, where she opened the Modern Shadow Musical Workshop. She also used this base to train young performers.

From June 14 to 17, fans can catch Shadow presenting her one-woman show, About Musical, at the Beijing Yingzhibao Theater in Chaoyang District.

Over two hours, the striking chanteuse serves up some 20 hit songs from popular musicals, such as My Funny Valentine from Babies in Arms, Memory from Cats, Live for the One I Love from Notre-Dame de Paris, Don't Cry for Me Argentina from Evita and Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera. Between songs, the Shanghai-born entertainer talks about her life in the US and China, her dreams, her love for music, and even pokes fun at herself.

"I love musicals and love to perform musical theater. Though it is not that popular in China and the conditions for musical performers are pretty hard, I would never give up and will try my best to promote it," said Shadow.

Composer Jin Xiang sang Shadow's praises after watching her show last weekend.

"She has received good professional training in the US, sings well and dances well. It's a pity that musical has small market in China now so she has few chances to perform," Jin said.

Shadow graduated from Shanghai International Studies University with two Bachelor's degrees, in Chinese Language and Literature, and English Language and Literature Shadow. Blessed with exotic looks - she has Spanish ancestry - matching her talent, the stage was a natural choice. She took vocal classes at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, then in 1999 went to California State University's Music Department as a visiting scholar. Shadow went on to study Drama and Musical Theater Performance at the University of California Berkeley and Roosevelt University in Chicago. She appeared in various performances at Schubert Theater, Steppen Wolfe Theater and Second City Theater in Chicago before coming home.

About Musical
Time: 7:30pm, June 14-17,
Address:2 Lize Dong'erlu, Chaoyang District.
Tel: 010-6439-8559, 6439-8997.