America may be a bit late to the game as far as Beijing’s international culture goes, but Beijing Playhouse’s next production, Oklahoma!, will be the next duck lined up in their efforts to make it up to us.   

The epitome of Americana, Oklahoma! is laden with cowboys, farmers, square dances and shotgun weddings. It also launched the one-two punch of musical-penning masters, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II – and paved the way for a golden era of musicals that prioritized story without sacrificing entertainment value.   

If you were lucky enough to catch Beijing Playhouse’s sold-out production of Love, Sex and the IRS, you’ll know they’re delivering great entertainment as Beijing’s only English-language Broadway theater group. Their next production, Oklahoma!, will be a grand ol’ time in the tradition of the classic, award-winning musical. It starts this week and we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away, so enter now!

This week, catch Bad Panda as it opens the Nanluogu Xiang Theater Festival, watch great short films from all over the world at another installment of the Future Shorts Film Festival at UCCA Art Cinema, gear up for Oklahoma!’s premiere, and enjoy plenty of other film screenings and art exhibits.

Are you ready to be roundhouse-kicked by the Beijing scene in March? There are so many events - in everything from art to books to film to dining and music - that you’re gonna need to get in shape. For now, warm up with the Capital M Literary Festival before diving into The Bookworm’s packed BLF schedule. Those who dream about the bright lights of Broadway could score their big break as a star in Oklahoma! with Beijing Playhouse. Read on for the skinny.

Looking for love in a city like Beijing certainly takes effort, but for many it’s the challenge of keeping that love that’s driving them mad. Last month, we told you about a new institute for desperate wives who are trying to defend their marriage against intruders. Well, if you thought the RMB 100,000 tuition for the “wife academy” was outrageous, we’re curious what you’ll think about the burgeoning industry of “anti-mistress services,” where wives pay an average of RMB 150,000 to save their marriages.