Young actors take center stage

In the best possible sense, the 9-year-old was caught in a trap－a Von Trapp to be precise. For Ai Liya, now a stage veteran, it all started when the hills came alive with The Sound of Music.

She went to see the premiere of the famous Broadway musical's Chinese remake at Beijing's Poly Theatre in 2016. On stage, the strict Maria Rainer was teaching the music scale to a couple of children of the Von Trapp family. The rest, as they say, is history and known the world over－When you read you begin with "A-B-C", when you sing you begin with "Do-Re-Mi"…

At that moment, the idea of joining the cast grabbed Liya and didn't let go.

She turned to her father and said: "I want to play a part in the show one day."

The story of how Rainer becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children had captured her heart.

After attending intensive sessions of singing, dancing and acting－and enduring several failed auditions in the following three years－she finally got to star as one of the Von Trapps. She has performed in the show around 20 times.

Liya's father, Ai Changjiu, found out that immersion in the musical world has not only allowed his daughter to sparkle onstage, but also boosted her personality and given her a confident and optimistic outlook on life.

To give more youngsters a creative immersive experience, a winter camp centered around musicals is to be held for nine days in Beijing. It is organized by Seven Ages Investment, a company specializing in the production of Chinese remakes of top musicals.

Some 120 children have applied to take part in the camp, according to Fan Weijian, the education department director of the company.

Musicals are a team effort that require particular individual skills and a large dose of determination. Liya's father recalls that one day, after she failed an audition, instead of seeking comfort from others and wallowing in self-pity, she told her family with steely resolve that she wouldn't give up. She was convinced that no matter how old she was, she could always find a suitable role to play in the musical as it involves characters from varied age groups.