Two performances incorporating tradition alongside modern expressions are consecutively taking place at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) as part of the 36th Macau Arts Festival, with each respective group meeting with media yesterday at CCM to talk more about their upcoming shows.
The first performance, “The Starry Night – The Musical”, comes to Macau for the first time following its Hong Kong debut last year, taking place tonight and tomorrow at the Grand Auditorium.
Held in Cantonese with English subtitles, the around 1 hour and 40-minute show is produced by Hong Kong’s “Actors’ Company”, with Mandy Yiu (姚潤敏) as executive director and starring Angela Lam (林可嘉), who is also a dancer and the show’s choreographer, and Hong Kong singer-actor Hubert Wu (胡鴻鈞).
The show incorporates two forms of intangible cultural heritage: shiwan ceramic artistry and Cantonese opera, as noted yesterday, with a story that also explores themes of family, love and cultural identity.
On balancing culture and entertainment, Yiu highlighted that the best entertainment is about culture. Arts and culture are the accumulation of one’s life, she said. No matter what type of show, the content of an art piece can always be linked to one’s daily lives, she noted, adding that entertainment is all about what we are trying to transmit to the audience and enjoy the entire show.
Both Wu and Lam also talked about their experiences and preparation for the show. Wu, in particular, noted that he enjoyed the experience and camaraderie while also being challenging, highlighting it as a chance to grow and find his potential in certain areas.
A following session was held for the 70-minute “1014 – Nanyin x Jazz”, which blends jazz and Cantonese nanyin, a form of narrative singing, with performances set at CCM’s Small Auditorium this weekend.
The meet-the-media-session featured director Tang Shu-wing and performers Franco Yuen Siu-fai, a Cantonese Opera veteran, and singer-songwriter/actress Ashley Lin (林愷鈴), who noted that this was her first musical role.
Tang said that the show launched in 2024 during the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo, with its title derived from the first show date, October 14. But Tang and the two performers underlined that audiences will find a deeper meaning behind the numbers.
Its story follows a couple who goes through a procedure using a chip that erases a painful memory with a happy one, tackling topics of technology, whether it can manipulate emotions, and if superficial happiness can hide deeper human emotions. Tang emphasised that with its incorporation of jazz and nanyin, the performance is not a traditional musical piece, while its story also encourages people to think about daily life and their emotions.
Yuen also said that the show could be a good way to pass down the knowledge of the cultural heritage craft to the modern generation, while Lin said it strikes a balance between the two art forms, highlighting fusion instead of showcasing them into different parts.
One can find more details, including ticketing, on icm.gov.mo/fam/36/
* Nanyin, according to Gemini, integrates ancient vocal melodies with a specific ensemble of wind and string instruments, characterised by its slow, elegant tempo and preservation of linguistic and musical features dating back to the Han and Tang dynasties.
‘The Starry Night – The Musical’ performer and choreographer Angela Lam (from left to right), “1014 – Nanyin x Jazz” performers Ashley Lin and Franco Yuen Siu-fai, “The Starry Night – The Musical” performer Hubert Wu and executive director Mandy Yiu pose during the meet-the-media-session at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) yesterday. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
