Disney's brand new hit show "High School Musical" has been well received in Shanghai after opening at the Shanghai Grand Theater on June the 30th. The lively theatre scene in Shanghai is bucking the trend set by the global economic downturn.

"High School Musical" made Shanghai its second stop on a global tour, after debuting in South Africa at the end of last year. The show has been a box office success at the Shanghai Grand Theater for two weeks, with ninety-five percent of the house sold for each performance.

Another show by the American National Symphony Orchestra, which took the stage recently in Shanghai, has also been well received.

And tickets for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra scheduled to perform in September are already sold out.

The popularity of the performing arts scene in Shanghai has been above and beyond the expectations of many producers, due to the overall sluggishness in the global arts market.

An audience member said, "It's a rare chance to watch the performances by world-renowned troupes."