Dong notes that Ayanga has been appointed as the head of the musical team of the Beijing Dance Drama and Opera and Monte Cristo is the company's first musical production since it launched its musical team in 2021.

The Russian production was presented as the closing show for the Shanghai Spring International Musical Festival in 2012. The Chinese musical was premiered in Shanghai in December and toured nationwide with about 30 shows.

The ongoing performing arts season in Beijing features six parts, according to the organizers of the Beijing Culture Forum, including the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and the municipal Party committee and government of Beijing.

During the event, 30 theatrical productions by Chinese art troupes will be staged in theaters in Beijing, including dance dramas, operas, musicals, traditional Chinese operas and concerts.

A Chinese play, titled From West to East, was premiered in Beijing on Friday, with performances running until Wednesday. Featuring veteran scriptwriter Zhang Heping and director Lang Kun, the Chinese play follows the ups and downs of the century-old Beijing hotpot restaurant Dong Lai Shun.