About 4 months ago, we received word that the reclusive “Diva of Asia” Faye Wong would be returning to the stage in late 2010. Word was that she wanted to do 10 shows in Shanghai and Beijing, with the artist fee (per show) at around the US$1m mark.
We now understand that the venue (certainly in Shanghai) has been booked – it will be the 18,000 capacity Expo Performance Centre, which around November (the time of the shows) will morph into the Mercedes Benz Arena.
There is precedent for this – from 1994-95, Wong Fei did a series of 18 back to back shows at the HK Coliseum, and in 1998-99, she added 7 mainland China dates, 1 Japanese and 5 international onto 17 shows at the Coliseum.
180,000 fans in Shanghai, all willing to pony up an average of 2,000RMB (the mooted average price). Can it work? Probably…..