From "Small Theaters" to "Big Market":The Business Logic and Future Trends of China's Musical Theatre Industry

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jnme.202610115

Author(s)

Zining Liu*

Affiliation(s)

Beijing Dance Academy, Beijing, China *corresponding author

Abstract

From the perspective of cultural economics, this paper explores the business logic and future trends of China's musical theatre industry. The study finds that China's musical theatre market has undergone three stages: introduction and enlightenment, imitative localization exploration, and original creation exploration, and has now entered a new stage of industrialized development. The market scale continues to grow, the proportion of local original works increases, and performance forms and consumption scenarios are constantly innovated. However, problems still exist, such as the dual-core concentration in Beijing and Shanghai, the underdevelopment of third- and fourth-tier markets, and the niche orientation caused by over-reliance on fan economy. At present, the market has formed a unique business logic featuring content innovation, industrial collaboration and fan consumption-driven development. The rise of small-theater musicals, the branding of large-scale original productions, and IP adaptation have become mainstream forms, which are deeply integrated with urban cultural consumption, and the industrial chain is evolving toward a full-chain model. In the future, China's musical theatre will take original content as the core driving force, with small theaters serving as an innovation platform, deeply integrated with the IP economy, and its industrial ecology will continue to improve. It is expected to form a development path with both Chinese cultural characteristics and international influence in the global landscape, becoming an important part of China's cultural industry.

Keywords

Chinese Musical Theatre; Business Model; Cultural Industry; Cultural Consumption

References

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