You know what's equally impressive as a Peking Opera adaptation of Les Mis? This South Korean adaptation. It's been on the Internet for a little over two weeks now and has more than 4 million views, so there's a good chance you've already seen it. Just in case you haven't though, please watch.
San Jose rapper Antwon may not have the strongest connection with China, but he's our Outro tonight thanks to the above video, shot at The Geisha Club in Shanghai. The song is off his latest mix tape, In Dark Denim, which SPIN describes as "a collection of apocalyptic sex raps."
Tom Hooper's adaptation is getting all the press -- it's Oscar season, after all, and Les Misérables is up for Best Picture -- but years before, there was another, one might say bolder, attempt to adapt this musical classic.
In 2006, students at the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts actually wrote a Peking Opera version of Les Mis, which you can watch in its entirety on Youku (split into two parts, both embedded here). The video was posted three years ago, but Tea Leaf Nation flagged it just now, and since Les Mis is fresh on our minds, what better time to revisit this masterpiece?
A man who needs no introduction is our Outro for tonight. Here's Jackie Chan with the theme song of the 1985 action flick Police Story. This is a great one.
What does Gilbert Arenas, three-time NBA All-Star, do before CBA games in Shanghai?
Watch YouTube, of course. We know this thanks to Donald Mahoney of the video series Donnie Does.
"I watched you on YouTube before I got here," Arenas tells Donnie in the tunnel before a Sharks home game. "You're funny as shit."
"How you liking Shanghai?"
"It's fun."
"Let's grab a beer sometime."
It's easy when you have a classically trained soprano. Props to Anhui TV for having the foresight to invite international recording artist, Phantom of the Opera star, and friend of China Sarah Brightman -- who sang at the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony -- to perform at its Spring Festival gala on Friday. She's probably done "It's Time to Say Goodbye" a thousand times, but the tune is, as we say, timeless.
Ah, live TV. Did magician Lu Chen give the CCTV Spring Festival Gala -- the most-watched show on Chinese television every year -- its Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" moment?
First, a little background. Top Chinese pianist Li Yundi and Chinese American singer Leehom Wang are best buds who spend so much time together that people openly question the nature of their relationship. (The two have repeatedly said they're not gay lovers.) It's kind of a running joke, the sort that feeds gossip mills and keeps tabloids in business.
Celine Dion performed on Saturday, PSY performed on Sunday, but what about multiplatinum international recording artists BSB?
Indeed, on Friday night, the Backstreet Boys were on stage in Shenyang as part of the Liaoning TV Spring Festival Gala. (Full show here.)
How did a regional gala secure the rights to such a big-name act? It's all part of a trend as viewers continue to search for alternatives to CCTV's national gala, which has fallen into the trap of trying to please too many people.
