MGM Macau on Macau peninsula doesn’t have the capacious events and entertainments facilities of its Cotai rival The Venetian Macao. But MGM is building an image locally as an events and entertainment-focused venue. In mid-October the resort hosted its third annual Oktoberfest – Macau’s tribute to the famous Munich beer festival beloved by Australian backpackers and European Interailers alike. This weekend MGM Macau was also host to the Macau and Hong Kong regional audition for ‘China’s Got Talent’ – one of the most popular television series in The People’s Republic and across Greater China.
The auditions – recorded for television – were held at the resort’s Grande Praça – a glass-roofed area resembling a traditional Portuguese square – with the prize being a chance to vie for the main title in the finals at the Shanghai Concert Hall.
Before the talent were put through their paces, the guests of honour did their star turn – namely: Dr Cheong U, The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR; Zhou Libo, the creator of ‘Shanghai Style Standup Comedy’; Tian Ming, Chief Executive Office of Star China Media Ltd; and Grant Bowie, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Ltd.
The winner of the heat was Yuan Mingqing, an impersonator of the Chinese singer Teresa Deng.
‘China’s Got Talent’ is a contracted show produced jointly by the UK-based production company Fremantle Media and China’s Dragon TV. It is the Chinese version of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and is similar to its British counterpart. Since the series began airing on 25th July 2010, it recorded the highest TV ratings in Shanghai and became one of the top shows in the nation. The reality TV series has now started its third season, and candidates are selected in different cities and provinces within China each year.
