Best bets

Music Drama - The Beautiful Blue Danube - The Story of John Strauss's 1872 US Tour

Date: Nov 29-Dec 1 - 7:30 pm

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 100-680 yuan

Based on John Strauss' visit to the US in 1872, this drama is created with reference to Music, Art and Life - Li Lanqing's Essays on Music. This drama draws a variety of artistic expression forms, and bring together music, dance, drama and other art forms. It resounds classic songs created by Strauss (such as G'schichten Aus Dem Wienerwald, An Der Schone Blauen Donau and Fruhlingsstimmen), and follows the approach in combination of multimedia tools and stage scene so as to unveil what John Strauss sees and hears in his visit to the US.

The Exhibition - Media Dalí in Shanghai

Date: Nov 5 - Feb 15, 2016

Venue: K11

Price: 80-120 yuan

The Media Dalí Exhibition is the only exhibition in China showcasing Dalí's works to be officially authorized by the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation since 2001, and also represent the only official Dalí exhibition to be held in the Greater China region from 2015 to 2016.The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation is the official foundation created by Dalí, All exhibits in the exhibition of Media Dalí are considered as national treasures of the Spanish Government.

Flamenco Carmen in Beijing

Date: Dec 12-7:30 pm

Venue: Beijing Exhibition Center

Price: 280-880 yuan

Carmen is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. Carmen, with her free love, seduces corporal Don Jose, an inexperienced soldier. Carmen's relationship with the soldier motivates it to reject his previous beloved one, mutiny against his superior and, as a deserter, join a group of smugglers. Finally, when she leaned her love over the bullfighter Escamillo, jealousy lead to Don Jose to commit the murder of Carmen.

The Phantom of Opera in Beijing

Date: Nov 11-Jan 3, 2016

Venue: Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center

Price: 380-1,180 yuan

The Phantom of Opera is one of the representative musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Adapted from French Writer Gaston Leroux's novel, the musical was premiered by Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in the UK at London's Queen's Theater on Oct 9, 1986. Now the play has 16 production versions in the world. More than 1 million people in 145 cities of 27 countries around the world have seen this play. The production showed in Beijing is starred by Brad Little as Raoul and Emily Lynn as Christine.

Swan Lake by Russian State Ballet in Beijing

Date: Nov 23-Nov 28

Venue: Beijing Poly Theater

Price: 100-1,280 yuan

Swan Lake was composed in 1875-1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger. The ballet was premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet on March 4, 1877 at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, billed as The Lake of the Swans. Although it is presented in many different versions, most ballet companies base their stagings both choreographically and musically on the 1895 revival of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, first staged for the Imperial Ballet on Jan 15, 1895, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.

The Mistress of the Inn (Le Belle Bandiere La Locandiera)

Date: Dec 3-Dec 6 - 7:30 pm

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 80-380 yuan

The Mistress of the Inn is a three-act comedy created by Carlo Goldoni. As Goldoni's representative work, first put on show in 1753, the comedy praises wisdom and hard word, advocates independence and equality in relationships, and criticizes the life dependent on money and social status. Goldoni vividly depicts characters coming from different classes living in Venice in the 18th century. The comedy represents the highest achievement of Italian enlightenment drama.