Landmark opera house to open in Malaysia

The first theater abroad to be run directly by China Performing Arts Agency Theaters, the national performing arts theater chain, is set to open.

The Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House, the first in the city of Johor Bahru, in the southern Malaysian state of Johor, will open on Sunday.

Two galas will be held on Sunday and Monday to celebrate the event with a variety of shows, including singing, dancing, acrobatics, classical music and ballet, gathering performers from both China and Malaysia. Headliners include Malaysian pianist Claudia Yang, Chinese tenor Ding Yi and Chinese percussionist Tian Yuan.

According to Wang Long, deputy general manager of CPAA Theatres, the opera house project started in early 2016 and the building was completed in October 2019. It is already a city landmark. With a capacity of about 600 seats, the opera house occupies nearly 8,000 square meters.

Since Singapore is only one kilometer away from Johor Bahru, the opera house will attract Singaporean audiences during weekends.

"We will launch art festivals and performing seasons in 2020 with over 70 performances, including traditional Chinese operas like Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera, dance dramas, operas and chamber music," says Wang, adding that 2020 is the Year of Culture and Tourism between China and Malaysia and the opera house will serve as a cultural bridge between the two countries.