Shanghai's musical scene finds a new home in the sky

A new musical hub has opened on the 12th floor of a landmark building on Shanghai's Nanjing Road, one of China's iconic shopping streets.

New World City celebrated the opening of 12F Musical Town on Jan 16. Covering an area of about 7,000 square meters, it consists of eight small theaters, claiming to be China's first musical exploration park.

"We have broken the boundaries of traditional tourism products here and launched the only 'one-stop musical theater experience' that integrates theatergoing with dining, shopping, and art education," says Lu Chen, general manager of 12F Musical Town.

Li Wei, deputy general manager of Shanghai New World City Co, says that the opening of 12F Musical Town signifies that the Nanjing Road business district is transforming from mostly retail into a more culturally enriched destination. Since its opening in 1995, New World City has been a landmark amid the hustle and bustle of Nanjing Road in the center of Shanghai. Today, it is a commercial complex consisting of shopping malls, restaurants, a hotel, as well as Madame Tussauds Shanghai.

At 12F Musical Town, you can see shows, enjoy food, meet actors, and learn about musical theater. "It's a complete functional loop that provides segmented cultural choices for diverse audiences of different age groups," Lu says. "This will be a cozy home for musical lovers, whether you are a hard-core musical fan, or new to the theater."

Collaborating with universities, the musical town will provide teachers and students with an open platform for professional practice and academic exchange."We hope to play a part in strengthening Shanghai's foundation as a national hub for the musical theater industry," Lu says.

Over the past decades, musicals have gained great popularity around China, and Shanghai boasts the largest market, where Broadway productions and musicals from Germany, France and Russia are frequently performed, as well as original Chinese shows.