The third Beijing International Drama Festival kicks off this month with more than 50 top performances in 20 days. The last two festivals featured renowned Broadway musical Cats and the opera Aida. This year's festival will open with the musical Casablanca at the Great Hall of the People. Other hit shows include Golden Sand, a musical about the ancient Bashu culture from Sichuan Province, Women Generals of the Yang Family, a traditional Peking Opera combined with symphonic elements, and The Bat, a classical Johann Strauss operetta. More than 40 percent of the tickets to the shows are priced below 50 yuan to attract more people on low income.

　　(CRI)