The show is billed as an "Action Musical," a term that is being trademarked by the American producing family led by Dennis Law, of Denver.

Randy Weeks, who books shows for Denver Center Attractions, called Terracotta Warriors a grand theatrical experiment unlike anything else he's putting on his 2004 subscription season at the Buell Theatre in the Mile High City in Colorado.

The show, featuring 60-70 Chinese performers in an elaborate physical production being built in China, will make its U.S. premiere at The Buell Theatre July 6-18, 2004, following runs in Vancouver and Toronto, Weeks said.

"The show starts in current time, and actors discover this site and there's a falling of rocks and there's a state of unconsciousness and they go back thousands of years in time," Weeks explained.

According to the Denver Center announcement, the show "combines extravagant dance and songs with spectacular martial arts in an unprecedented fashion. Adapted from historical accounts of the life of Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of China (221 B.C.), Terracotta Warriors is a story of rule by terror, loyalty by force and love by decree. Fight sequences are intertwined with scenes of romance and betrayal as the power of the realm clashes with human passion. Elaborate costumes and sets come together with incredible surround sound effects and unique orchestral music to immerse the audience in the emotion, the drama and the battles of the second century B.C." For more information, visit www.denvercenter.org.