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Broadway in HK mooted

The Young Reporter (2006, November), 39(02), pp. 8.
Author: Joanne Wong Yi-yan. Editor: Julie Zhu Li.
Permanent URL - https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/bujspa/purl.php?&did=bujspa0002339

■JOANNE WONG YI-YAN

Hong Kong could become the hub of western musicals if a top Broadway production house sets up its regional headquarters in the SAR.

The Broadway Asia Company, which has produced well-known shows such as The King and I, West Side Story and The Producers around the world, was considering to have both Cantonese and Mandarin versions of the shows staged in Hong Kong.

According to Ko Chi-sum, producer of the local Springtime Productions, the company has been in contact with them for possible cooperation over using Hong Kong as a base to develop Chinese version shows. The two firms would start working on The King and I and some children’s musicals which have proved on CCTV in mainland China.

Ronni Mandell, of Broadway Asia, said the firm was still in the process of developing its Hong Kong plan and could not give further details.

Chen Ti-wei, coordinator of the Music Talent Development Programme and conductor of the Baptist University Choir, however questioned the feasibility of the project. “Vocal music translated from its original language into a foreign language may lose the essence of the music and the originality of the composer’s intentions,” Dr Chen said.

Anna Tang Yuet-tin, a music major student from the Chinese University of Hong Kong agreed. “The artistic flair of musicals is highly dependent on the background environment, and Chinese simply cannot fit into a song that is composed to be sung in English.”

In response, Mr Ko cited the examples in Japan and Korea where a number of Broadway shows in Japanese and Korean have been successful. He said he was confident that Hong Kong has the capabilities to translate and adapt scripts suiting Chinese tastes while keeping the original style.

“Our people value our own culture, this is vital for local art to survive,” he added.

Yvonne Hou Yin-wan, a local university student said that it would highly depend on the style of the story line and the melody of the whole production. She noted “I Love You, You’ re Perfect, Now Change” was a success.

“Different people have different tastes, some may not feel comfortable with the Chinese version, but some people can only understand Chinese,” said Ruby Lui Cheuk-ling, another local student who has no special interest in musicals. “Just like the movie The Departed, it’s a good adaptation from the Cantonese original.”

With the trend developing, more substantial musical performance training could also be expected to flourish locally.

Musical performers require proficiency in acting, singing and dancing all-in-one. At the moment local training institution’s academic programmes appeared scattered, mostly coaching students in one of those practical areas only.

“It would be interesting to see collaboration between the Broadway Asia Company and Hong Kong’s local performing arts training institutions, such as the Academy for Performing Arts,” noted Dr Chen.

“It wouldn’t be easy to launch an internationally renowned musical in both languages here,” said Springtime Production’s Mr Ko. “The venue problem is the largest stumbling block.”

He accused the government of neglecting the need for venues of the performing arts sector while it would consume HK’s limited land resources for what he called political use. “This is really upsetting for our business,” he said.

Edited by JU LIE ZHU LI

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