Last Cantonese Opera Theater Spared

Hong Kong’s last dedicated Cantonese opera theater, the Sunbeam, will continue to operate until 2012, the Standard reports. When we wrote about the Sunbeam last fall, the theater was facing a grim future, with its lease set to expire, and the building’s owner planning to turn the structure into a shopping mall (because Hong Kong could use another one!). Millions of people used to watch shows in the city’s many Cantonese opera venues, but today the dying art form attracts only the most dedicated grannies. Maybe the next three years will bring in new fans.