A scene from the Xiamen showing of the Broadway musical The Wizard of Oz. [Photo/sunnews.cn]

The renowned Broadway musical – The Wizard of Oz – was staged in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province last week, creating a stir among theater-goers.

Largely due to the improvement of infrastructure and a rising interest among residents, the theater market in Xiamen, once known described as a "desert", is beginning to pick up steam.

In addition to The Wizard of Oz, a number of other excellent plays are springing up in the city.

In the first half of this year, the city's Cangjiang Theater staged many classic plays, including some introduced from the Berliner Theatertreffen, Festival d'Avignon, and Edinburgh Arts Festival.

When asked about the plays, a staff member at Cangjiang Theater said: "In the past, few people watched shows like this in Xiamen, but more and more people are becoming interested."

According to a spokesman of the Xiamen culture and tourism bureau, the post-80s and post-90s generations are becoming the backbone of the market. They are relatively well-educated and carry with them a certain economic strength, so they are more willing to pay for the relatively expensive plays.

Of course, the policy support and encouragement provided by the government as well as a strong publicity campaign have contributed to the booming theater scene.

Xiamen has created several policy incentives designed to bolster the theater market.