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Ancient city's musical gift

The events of the cultural Year of Greece in China continue with the 114-year-old Athens State Orchestra touring six cities across the country. On Sunday night, the orchestra gave a concert at Beijing's Forbidden City Concert Hall under the baton of its chief conductor Byron Fidetzis.

The orchestra performed Greek music plus Dvorak's Symphony No 9 and Strauss' Roses from South. The renowned Greek pianist Vassilis Varvaresos played a concerto composed by Greek composer Manolis Kalomiris.

The first modern Olympic Games was held in Athens in 1896. Three years before, Greece's first symphony orchestra, the Athens Conservatory Student Orchestra (renamed the Athens State Orchestra in 1943) was born. Since its inception, the orchestra has become one of the leading institutions promoting the works of Greek composers.

"The Olympics is the arena where people from different countries compete with each other as well as make friends, while music is the world language through it people understand each other and enjoy life together," says conductor Fidetzis.

Book of Secrets reveals itself as box office belter

Disney's National Treasure: Book of Secrets remained atop the box office in North America for the third straight weekend with an estimated take of $20.2 million over the three-day period, according to preliminary box office figures released on Sunday.

The first weekend of 2008 kept up the momentum at the box office that Hollywood has seen in the past few weeks. Although there was only one new wide release in theaters over the weekend, the top 12 movies took in $124 million collectively, up more than 18 percent over the same period a year ago.

The National Treasure sequel starring Nicolas Cage has sold nearly $171 million since its release before the Christmas holiday, according to the Los Angeles-based box office tracking firm Media By Numbers.

Will Smith's sci-fi thriller I Am Legend held the No 2 spot for the weekend with $16.4 million in ticket sales. The Warner Bros film has taken in a whopping $229 million since opening four weeks ago.

Independent film Juno from Fox Searchlight edged up from last weekend's fifth place to the No 3 with $16.2 million, while the computer-animated Alvin and the Chipmunks from 20th Century Fox fell from second to No 4 with $16 million.

Warner Bros' One Missed Call, the Hollywood remake of a 2004 Japanese horror film, debuted in No 5 with $14 million.

Epic auditions in the works

Outlaws of the Marsh is one of the four classic Chinese novels and has inspired many adaptations for TV and the big screen. Wu Ziniu, an established film director, is now gathering his crew for a completely new TV drama adaptation.

The original novel by Shi Nai'an, who lived in the 14th century, features 108 rebels with distinctive characters and marvelous kungfu skills.

Wu says he does not worry too much about the main roles, such as Song Jiang, Lin Chong or Wu Song, rather he is intent on finding the most appropriate actors for some minor roles.

Wu Dalang, the elder brother of Wu Song, is portrayed vaguely in the novel as a midget who was poisoned by his own wife. But Wu believes the new character should be as "lovely as the common people".

Some critics have pinned their hopes on rising star Wang Baoqiang (pictured), who has gained popularity through playing simpletons with firm beliefs. Another possibility is comedian Pan Changjiang, from Northeast China, who has a shorter stature than Wang.

Shi Qian, a professional thief with the skills of Spiderman, has got the director and his advisors thinking. They are looking at special armed policemen, or might consider an Asian Spiderman who has climbed international skyscrapers.

Dai Zong, a messenger who is said to have run some "800 li (400 km) a day and 600 li (300 km) a night", is "Liu Xiang in the Song Dynasty", says director Wu, who plans to find the ideal man for the part from sprinters or long-distance runners.

Even so, four handsome actors Nie Yuan, Huang Xiaoming, Tong Dawei and Deng Chao have become formal candidates. They will join other contenders in a gala show titled Gathering of the Outlaws of the Marsh to be broadcast on the Anhui Satellite TV early this year.

The contenders will perform and take part in contests, for which the audience will cast votes.

China Daily-Xinhua

(China Daily 01/08/2008 page18)