THE patriotic epic "The East Is Red" will be performed June 30 by the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army at the Citizens' Center. The performance celebrates the 85th birthday of the Communist Party of China and the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March.

With the guidance of the late premier Zhou Enlai, song-and-dance epic "The East Is Red" was first performed by leading artists in 1964 on the 15th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The current multimedia production adds archival and feature film footage.

Originally produced with 3,000 performers, the 1964 epic included nine dances, six choruses and 18 musical dramas. The show was so popular that it ran for 14 performances in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The epic was then turned into a two-hour movie.

The current production uses a symphony under the direction of Zheng Jian and a chorus in place of dancers. Along with music from the 1960s, new songs include "Story of Spring" and "Step Into the New Epoch." A new generation of young singers will revive the original music made famous by leading singers Wang Kun, Hu Songhua and Caidan Zhuoma.

Time: 8 p.m.

Date: June 30

Tickets: 180/280/380/480/680/880/1,280 yuan

Reservations: 11185

Venue: Citizens' Center

Add: Fuzhong Road 3, Futian District

Buses: 10, 41, 60, 105, 107, 232, 234, 236, 371

Metro: Shi Min Zhong Xin Station (Citizens' Center Station)

Editor: Wing