Kids will love the music and mime of Peter and the Wolf, the Chinese version of The Prince and the Pauper, Japanese fairytales and more in the month-long International Children's Theater Festival opening last Friday.

Summer is most children's favorite season because of the two-month holiday. Besides watching TV and playing video games, there are always other ways for them to spend a memorable holiday - like going to the theater.

An estimated 30,000 young people and their parents will attend the month-long Shanghai International Children's Theater Festival.

The fourth annual festival features 11 plays by troupes from eight countries and regions, including the United States, Denmark, Bulgaria, Russia, Japan, Serbia and the United Kingdom. About 40 shows, all in their original languages, will be staged around the city.

Festival Director Gan Qingyuan, president of the Children's Art Theater of the China Welfare Institute, says the festival this year will pay more attention to new ideas, cultures and concepts.

"The Shanghai International Children's Theater Festival has grown steadily in the past three years and established a unique image and an international reputation," he says. "It has not only served as a platform for international cultural exchange but also a window to let the world know more about Shanghai and children's arts development in China."

Hong Kong's Symphony Orchestra of Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and America's Magic Circle Mime Company will co-present "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev.

Combining music and mime, the play reinterprets the classical work through creative art, explaining the concept of "Title Music" in a vivid way: the assistant to the conductor (Peter) tries hard to catch that evil wolf who threatens the orchestra and audience.

With the help of the musicians, justice finally conquers the evil, and the concert ends with a celebration.

The multimedia puppets play "Genesis" by the Meridiano Theater of Denmark addresses mankind's eternal question: the origin of life.

With very little dialogue, the play leads the audience through a three-dimensional universe, discovering the mysteries and magic of life.

Then we follow the little ant Angela from the Spectacle Theater of Wales to an adventure on Insect Island where we will meet bees, spiders (not actually a six-legged insect but an eight-legged arachnid), ladybugs, aphids and snails, that are not insects at all but arthropods.

The distinctive life of insects, adorable costumes and props, beautiful music and songs and interesting dances will provide a delightful visual experience. A lively natural science class is delivered at the same time.

The renowned Children's Theater of Marionettes of Moscow from Russia will present "Aunt Lusha and Roly-poly Vanjusha" featuring the most popular character, the lovely little bun.

Other highlights include the colorful, exotic musical fairytale The Curious Little Elephant by the Sofia Puppet Theater of Bulgaria, the classical Japanese folk story Taketori Monogatari of Princess Kaguya, which combines the shadow puppet and traditional puppet art, as well as the Chinese version of Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper by Fujian Province People's Art Theater.

Apart from the performances, interactive events, games and promotions will be organized around the city to reach a larger audience.

The theatrical troupes will perform short versions of their plays at the Grand Gateway Plaza and Xujiahui Park, Longhua Square in Xuhui District, Jing'an Temple Square in Jing'an District and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower Square in Pudong.

Some of the plays will also tour other cities such as Nanjing and Suzhou and Shenyang in Liaoning Province.

Chinese girls perform a dance during the Shanghai International Children's Culture and Art Festival in Shanghai on Sunday, July 29, 2007. Around 2000 children actors and actresses from 23 countries and regions participated in the festival with the theme of Peace, Friendship and Future. 

African boys perform a dance during the Shanghai International Children's Culture and Art Festival in Shanghai on Sunday, July 29, 2007. Around 2000 children actors and actresses from 23 countries and regions participated in the festival with the theme of Peace, Friendship and Future.

An Indian girl performs a dance during the Shanghai International Children's Culture and Art Festival in Shanghai, July 29, 2007. Around 2000 children actors and actresses from 23 countries and regions participated in the festival with the theme of Peace, Friendship and Future .

Norwegian children players perform during the Shanghai International Children's Culture and Art Festival in Shanghai, July 29, 2007. Around 2000 children actors and actresses from 23 countries and regions participated in the festival with the theme of Peace, Friendship and Future. 
 
(CRI.cn July 30, 2007)