West End production finds new stage as China's musical market grows

When the opening notes of Michael Jackson's music filled the Pingshan Performing Arts Center in Shenzhen, some members of the audience had traveled hundreds of kilometers to be there.

Among them was Yang Yan, who flew from Chengdu in southwest China specifically to see Can You Feel It, a London West End production celebrating the music and performances of Michael Jackson.

"It was the first time I've ever traveled to another city just to see a show," Yang said. "I trust the quality of the production, and I wanted to hear some of Michael Jackson's classics and experience the stage design and choreography."

The Shenzhen performances mark the production's South China premiere, following stops in several other Chinese cities.

For the team behind the show, bringing the production to Shenzhen was partly about finding a new audience in one of China's most dynamic metropolitan regions.

"Shenzhen is a new city and Can You Feel It is a new show. It felt like the two things went well together," said Phil Watts, general manager of the production. "When we saw this theater, we thought this was the perfect place to introduce the show to south China."

A growing audience for international productions

China's appetite for live performances has continued to expand.

The country's performance market generated 83.72 billion yuan (about $11.6 billion) in revenue in 2025, up 5.19 percent year on year, according to the China Association of Performing Arts.

Musical theater was among the stronger-performing categories. Box office revenue increased 7.55 percent from a year earlier, while audience numbers grew by more than 10 percent.

For international producers, however, the change is not only about the size of the market.

Watts said Chinese audiences have become increasingly sophisticated in what they choose to watch, aided by social media and greater exposure to international productions.

John Marr, music director of Can You Feel It, said the response during the production's China tour had surprised the team.

"The reaction has been extraordinary," Marr said. "Michael Jackson's music is popular everywhere in the world, but I know he holds a special place in the hearts of many Chinese people."

"People stay in the theater after the show, singing along to the walkout music."

Wu Pengfei, director of the Pingshan Performing Arts Center, said audiences across Shenzhen and the wider Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have shown growing interest in international productions.

But attracting a visitor to the theater is only the beginning.

"Coming to Pingshan is not just about watching a show," Wu said. "Visitors can also stay in local hotels, explore the area and combine culture with tourism."

The idea reflects a broader shift in China's cultural consumption, where concerts, theater productions and festivals are increasingly being packaged with travel, dining and other leisure activities.

For Shenzhen, bringing international productions to venues outside the traditional city center can also help spread that spending into different districts while diversifying the city's cultural offerings.

Behind the stage, Chinese technicians are also working alongside the international touring team.

Hu Yu, deputy head of lighting and video for Can You Feel It, is one of only two Chinese members of the production's touring team.

Her role offers another perspective on what it takes to bring an international production from one Chinese city to another. Touring shows have established technical requirements for lighting, video, sound and stage design, but every venue presents a different physical and technical environment.

"On this tour, the Chinese crews bring a huge amount of experience, especially in working at scale and adapting very quickly to the demands of large venues and fast-moving productions. At the same time, the overseas team brings different approaches to production planning, documentation, communication and maintaining consistency across an international tour, " Hu said. "We're constantly learning from each other and finding the best way to work together."