Wanting more bang for their bucks

In spite of encouraging signs in China's performing arts scene, it is not entirely immune to the global financial crisis. The Beijing Nederlander New Century International Theater Management Company and the Beijing Music Festival (BMF) are two obvious victims.

Co-founded by Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment and Beijing Time New Century Entertainment Co Ltd, the joint venture -Beijing Nederlander New Century - received generous financial input from the American International Group (AIG). But with AIG hemorrhaging from the financial crisis, Beijing Nederlander New Century has lost a lot of money.

In 2007, the company successfully toured the Tony-award winning 42nd Street through nine cities in China. Last year, it put on a 12-city tour across China of Elton John and Tim Rice's Tony- and Grammy-award winning musical, Aida.