Thirty five years ago,the Chinese ping-pong team's visit to the
University of Michigan signified a marked improvement in US-China
relations. This historic event caught the attention of Robert
Nederlander Sr., then a Regent at the University of Michigan, who
shortly thereafter headed a delegation of professors and scholars
to China. The delegation, which met with senior Chinese
governmental representatives and leading administrators, was one of
the first to travel to China since the beginning of the Cultural
Revolution.
In 2000, Robert Nederlander Jr. renewed the Nederlanders' interest
in China by exploring the viability of bringing Broadway shows to
Chinese markets.
In 2005, Robert Nederlander Jr. created the first foreign entity
permitted to operate in the Chinese performing arts industry.
The Nederlanders organized a circuit of theatres in China in
order to bring first-class dramatic and musical productions, from
Broadway and elsewhere, to major Chinese cities, such as Beijing,
Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Xi'an, Wuhan and
Tianjin.
In 2007, Nederlander presented the Tony-Award-winning 42nd
Street across nine Chinese cities, at that time the
most extensive Chinese tour of a Broadway show. In September of the
following year, Nederlander Worldwide spearheaded a ten city tour
of Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, which began in
Shanghai, and is expected to return to China in 2010. In December
2008, Nederlander also partnered with the Central Academy of Drama
in Beijing to produce and present a Mandarin language version of
Fame: The Musical. The English version of Fame is
scheduled to tour in China from December 2009 through February
2010.
Nederlander also established the "China on Broadway" initiative
to bring the best of Chinese culture to Broadway audiences in New
York City and across North America.
In 2008, Nederlander presented The Dream of the Red
Chamber, a "cultural exchange gift" from the city of Shanghai
to the city of New York, at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall. The next
year, Nederlander presented Soul of Shaolin, the first
Chinese production to appear on Broadway, at the Marquis Theater,
and nominated for both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award.
In addition, Nederlander has been actively involved in the fast
emerging Chinese cultural industry, by hosting dozens of Chinese
delegations in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, and giving
numerous lectures and seminars on musical theatre at academies and
universities in China.