Hello Kitty

Her image can be found on everything from sandwich makers to Swarovski crystal-encrusted laptops. One of the world's favorite cartoon characters, Hello Kitty, the mouthless cat, will travel to China this weekend to sing and dance on stage.

Hello Kitty Dream Light Fantasy, a musical drama, will feature the hyper-cute cat along with her friends, Dear Daniel, My Melody, XO and Twin Star. The musical remains true to the original personalities of the cartoon characters and debuted in Beijing yesterday and last till Sunday.

The Chinese production of the show also welcomes three well beloved Chinese characters - the white dolphin Yangyang, the giant panda Maomao and the Tibetan antelope Lingling. The story of Hello Kitty's Dream Light Fantasy, draws all the characters together, united in the fight against evil. A dozen Chinese acrobats have also signed on to add their amazing feats to the spectacle.

One of the many fictional characters produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, Hello Kitty, which started in 1974 in Japan, as a moonfaced cartoon cat on a coin purse, has spread to 60 nations appearing on 50,000 different products.

Over the years, Sanrio's Hello Kitty has become a trademark of cuteness, festooning everything from stationery and lunchboxes to kitchen appliances and automobiles. The cartoon cat has starred in several animated series and been featured in a chain of video games. She has even been used in books intended to help teach manners to children.

Chen Nan

Saturday, Sunday, People's Liberation Army Opera House, 6417-7845, 解放军歌剧院, 西城区德胜门内大街60号北二环积水潭桥东南角

(China Daily 03/22/2008 page6)