Individual ticket buyers are quickly grabbing up tickets to Amber, a multimedia musical that combines the efforts of one of the country's top directors and two of its hottest young actors.

The show will run at the city's Majestic Theater from March 16 to 20.

More than two thirds of the 6,640 tickets for the show have been sold so far, according to Fang Yongnian, vice general manager of the theater.

He said all of the cheapest tickets, which range in price from 100 yuan (US$12) to 300 yuan, have sold out.

"This is the first time that over 65 percent of the tickets have been sold to individuals instead of group audiences," said Fang. Most theater productions in China sell the bulk of their tickets to companies or other organizations to give away to their employees or customers.

Amber is based on a love story between a mysterious girl and a decadent man, who received the heart of the girl's ex-boyfriend after he died in an accident.

It is directed by Meng Jinghui, who is known for his avant-garde work, and stars Liu Ye and Yuan Quan, who have both won major film awards in China

(Shanghai Daily March 10, 2005)