Connected by the stars

In 2021, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the musical premiered in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, with five shows in three days.

From April 28, after the national tour, the musical will be staged as a resident show at Qinyin Theater, which is located in the popular scenic spot, Silk Road Paradise, also in Xi'an.

According to Zhou Bing, Party secretary and chairman of the Shaanxi Tourism Group, who is also the chief planner of the musical, Sound of the Silk Road was born to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Bob Nederlander Jr, CEO of Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, co-producer of the musical, says: "Sound of the Silk Road came about through a shared vision and collaboration with my friend and partner Zhou. We were striving for great entertainment that celebrates the history of China, the Silk Road and the city of Xi'an. That's compelling for not only Chinese audiences, but also for Broadway and international audiences — and I think we accomplished our task.

"There's always a challenge when bringing two creative approaches together in developing a show. Fortunately, we had a great Broadway team that was eager to learn about Chinese history and culture, and had a desire to work with their counterparts, our Chinese creative team, who were also outstanding."