Staging a fightback

Beijing Weekend By Li Shuo Chen Jixin, head of Beijing Time New Century Entertainment Co Ltd and organizer of the Rolling Stones China Tour, can now rest at ease. Other art agencies may be reflecting uncomfortably on losses suffered when scheduled performances were scrapped because of last month's SARS outbreak but Chen had already sought cover. "For the Rolling Stones China Tour project, our company bought insurance of US$500,000," said Chen. Insurance firms China People's Insurance Co and Ping'an Insurance Co are now evaluating the losses incurred when UK rockers the Rolling Stones postponed their performances because of SARS. "It is common international practice to buy insurance for such a big performance project," said Chen. Chen's foresight was not matched by other company bosses. China Performing Art Agency (CPAA), one of the largest art agencies affiliated to the Ministry of Culture, announced a total of 15 million yuan (US$1.81 million) in direct losses. If SARS had not hit Beijing, the company would have staged the Meet In Beijing Art Festival, a Russian culture festival, an international piano competition, as well as the musical Cats from the United States and the Riverdance extravaganza from Australia. "For Cats and Riverdance, the direct losses are more than 3 million yuan (US$361,445) each, including advertisements, payments in advance and a chain of promotion events," said Zhang Ligang, a CPAA manager. In addition to direct costs, the indirect losses such as tickets purchased in advance amounted to 68.4 million yuan (US$8.24 million), he said. International performances suffered the most during the period. But domestic troupes also suffered to varying extents. Beijing People's Art Theatre, which focuses on staging dramas in Beijing, claimed it lost 5 million yuan (US$602,409) in ticket sales since it was forced to off stage, according to Wu Tong, a PR staff for the troupe. Compared to them, losses of the China Philharmonic Orchestra are small. "We failed to launch 18 scheduled concerts, costing some 600,000 yuan (US$72,289)," said Wang Jiyan, director of the Artistic Administration of the orchestra. Most companies organizing international performances have suffered comparatively larger losses than companies staging domestic shows. For Beijing BeiAo Grand Cultural & Sports Events Co Ltd, which deals in both international and domestic performances, they have ways to balance their books. Former plans - to give a vocal concert featuring the great Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli in Beijing, and to stage an outdoor opera spectacular of Aida inviting international opera singers and European conductors, failed to materialize because of SARS. "Luckily we did not sign the final contract on paper with Bocelli, and we had not begun to promote Aida heavily before SARS hit the capital," commented Zhao Lijuan, a company employee. Zhao said the Bocelli concert was now unlikely to take place as the famous tenor has a busy performance schedule, and there appears no room to squeeze in one more show. "But we are bound to stage the outdoor Aida later," said Zhao. Unfortunately this autumn might be too soon as it is difficult to find performers from abroad to come and rehearse in Beijing just weeks after the virus was contained. "But to make up for this, we are busy preparing two domestic variety show performances," said Zhao. Her company is preparing for two opening ceremony performances - one for the Seventh National Games of Minory Traditional Sports in Yinchuan on September 6, while the other is the Fifth Intercity Games of PRC held in Changsha on October 18. As for the Rolling Stones concert in China, Chen said the earliest possible date appeared to be October. "We will try our best to stage this great concert in October, but the band is busy doing tours in Europe," said Chen. The concert would otherwise be postponed until December or January.

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