The cast of the musical Titanic pose for a photo at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center on Tuesday. Photo: Chen Xi/GT

The musical Titanic kicked off the first show of its tour of China at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center on Tuesday.

According to the musical's producer Danielle Tarento, the cast and crew were very excited to come to China for a tour. She noted that she is confident that the Chinese audience will be able to fully enjoy the English-language production without having to worry about any cultural misunderstandings.

"The show is very different from other musicals because it is about humanity, and we all understand that. The subject is universal and in that sense, it will touch everyone. This show will attack you, and move you even if you do not understand the language, so we are not worried that the Chinese audience will have a problem when enjoying the show," Tarento told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

James Cameron's film Titanic was hugely successful at the box office in China in 1997. The film ensured that Chinese audiences were very familiar with the story of the doomed luxury liner, but director Thom Southerland said he believes that the musical and movie are very different from each other. 

"The story background of the two is the same, but the musical is more real than the movie. The musical comes from the real history, using realism to portray the true story between the passengers and crew from different social classes. Every character in the play corresponds to a real historical figure. The musical brings you an immersive experience. When you watch the first half, you may forget the result of the ship crashing into the iceberg and completely resonate with the characters in the story," said Southerland at a press conference on Tuesday. 

He explained that while the musical will not show the giant boat to the audience, their imaginations will allow them to see it.

"I expect that the show can really go into the audiences' hearts. It is all there in your own mind. This show can make you think you are on board, and I want the Chinese audience to feel they are part of the journey with all these characters," he added. 

Another trait of the musical is that it is an ensemble play.

 "We do not have the so-called 'protagonist's aura' because we are all the leading characters in the show," said Victoria Serra, one of the show's actresses.

The musical Titanic will be performed at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center until November 24, after which it will tour to East China's Shanghai, Nanjing in East China's Jiangsu Province and Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province.

A musical famous world-wide, Titanic swept all five categories of the Tony Awards in 1997, including Best Musical and Best Orchestrations. On April 23, 1997, Titanic premiered at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in Broadway and went on a broader tour in 1999. It has been performed in many countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and Canada, and has been translated into eight languages such as Japanese, French, Dutch and German.