What's on

The Golden Dragon

When: Dec 20 and 21, 7:30 pm

Where: Jiangsu Center for the Performing Arts, Nanjing

The Golden Dragon is based on the play by German playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig in 1967.

Migration, exploitation, hopes and lost dreams are at the heart of The Golden Dragon, a compelling fable of modern life－funny, shocking and touching in equal measure.

It is set in a pan-Asian restaurant and follows the story of a Chinese immigrant working illegally in the kitchen. Experiencing terrible toothache, and unable to seek medical help because of his illegal status he has no choice but to accept the best efforts of his kitchen colleagues, with tragic consequences. Meanwhile, a parallel story about an abusive ant and a vulnerable cricket brutally highlights the plight of the many people who find themselves on the edge of society.

Carmen

When: Dec 24, 7:30 pm

Where: Mei Lanfang Theater, Beijing

Established in 1985, the Spanish Ballet of Murcia has performed in countless theaters and taken part in arts festivals the world over. The company has always had its own identity and engages in various forms of Spanish dance, including Flamenco.

Its dance adaptation of the classic opera Carmen has won awards for choreography, stage effects and the skill of its dancers. Carmen, written in 1847 by French composer Georges Bizet, is one of the most performed operas in the world.

An Ode to Time

When: Jan 1-3, 7:30 pm

Where: National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing

An Ode to Time is a flamenco dance about the present and dialogue with memory. Spanish choreographer Maria Pages raises an ethical and artistic reflection on "the now". Accompanied by eight dancers and seven musicians, Pages explores traditional Spanish culture. In a script that goes beyond flamenco, the rhythm in An Ode to Time is precisely the one that reflects a changing condition.

The constant tension between the individual and the community, the circle and the straight line, the argument and the abstraction, silence and percussion is highlighted.

Vienna Royal Orchestra New Year Concert

When: Jan 2, 7:15 pm

Where: Shanghai Grand Theater

The Vienna Royal Orchestra Austria is composed of musicians from the leading Viennese orchestras, including the philharmonic, symphony and radio symphony orchestras.

The concert presents a unique selection of Viennese music with pieces from Mozart, Strauss, Lanner, Lehar, Schrammel and Haydn.

Kunqu Opera: Returning Home on a Snowy Night

When: Jan 11, 7:30 pm

Where: Changzhou Poly Grand Theater, Jiangsu province

Adapted from the play of the same name by Wu Zuguang, the performance is presented by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater of Jiangsu province.

Set in the early part of the 20th century, the story revolves around male actor Wei Liansheng who specializes in playing female roles in Peking and Kunqu operas.

Wei meets Yuan Yuchun, the concubine of Su Hongji, a high-ranking bureaucrat. As members of the underclass, Wei and Yuan long for dignity and freedom. Enduring bullying and oppression from Su, they decide to elope, but their plan is uncovered, and Wei is banished from Nanjing for 20 years. Forced to marry another man, Yuan is taken outside Nanjing. However, she and Wei have arranged to meet in the city 20 years later.

Me and The Flea

When: Jan 27-30, 2:30 pm

Where: Jiangsu Center for the Performing Arts, Nanjing

Immerse yourself in the fantasy world of light and shadow as Lichtbende takes the stage with a dog-against-flea story by storm－and laughter.

Since its founding in 2010, Lichtbende, from the Netherlands, has created light art performances which make a multilayered reality visible and tangible through the mesmerizing merging of light, shadows and music.

The hilarious slapstick depicts the story of an adorable stray dog which finds itself a caring family. Little does the household realize that it has brought in another family of fleas hidden in its fur. The bizarre story unfolds, as the family tries all sorts of ways to tackle the flea invasion.

In addition to the witty plot, another highlight of the performance is the combination of antique magic lanterns and live music in the portrayal of the story.

An Accident of Love

When: March 6 and 7, 7:30 pm

Where: Shanghai Culture Square

Adapted from 1983 film Papa, Can You Hear Me Sing?, musical An Accident of Love is a moving tale of kinship, love and chasing dreams. The strong cast features singer Ding Dang. The three-hour theatrical adaptation has toured the world. Besides renditions of popular classic songs from the original film, one can also expect well-known titles from Ding Dang's albums like I Love Him, giving the musical a delicate touch of novelty.

The Beauty

When: March 18, 7:30 pm

Where: Wenzhou Poly Grand Theater, Zhejiang province

The Beauty is about Sai Jinhua, who was born around 1870 and died in 1936. She was the best-known Chinese courtesan during the turn of the century.

Sai was a young woman in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, when a retired official with the top rank of imperial scholar, selected her to be his concubine. When he was sent as an emissary to Germany, Russia, Austria and the Netherlands, Sai went along as his wife, exposing herself to a life that was out-of-this-world exotic.

After they returned to China, the husband died and Sai resisted the idea that she would live out the rest of her life as a self-cocooned widow. Instead, in an effort to pick up where she left off before her marriage, Sai opened a "book residence" in Shanghai.