Rock musical Rent. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Besides the series of Broadway musicals, Shanghai Culture Square will also be bringing German musical artists Oedo Kuipers and Mark Seibert to the city in February. Seibert has agreed to perform at an additional show because tickets were sold out within a day after the first concert announcement.

Jersey Boys, which debuted in Nov 9, will be on show through Dec 9 at Daning Theater in Shanghai, next year. Chinese versions of famous Broadway productions such as The Sound of Music, Fame, Man of La Mancha will also be touring China in 2018.

Jin said that the number of Western musicals in Shanghai will grow rapidly in the coming two years. The company will be bringing the French production of Romeo and Juliette to Shanghai in April and the highly popular Rent in August.

The creator of Rent, Jonathan Larson, died before the premiere of the play in 1996 at the age of 35. The Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation was later established to provide young artists with guidance and financial assistance. In support of this initiative, AC Orange has started a promotional campaign offering half-price tickets to Rent audiences aged under 25.

"Once they find the love for theater, it can go on for a lifetime," said Jin about the importance of inculcating an appreciation for musicals in young people.