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Andy Lau had always trying his best to promote showbiz, recently his Focus Theatre Limited will be bringing a musical titled Four Generations which has more than 100 shows last year for 3 charity performances at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in April 2012. The actors of the musical will includes Qin Hailu, Huang Lei and Lei Ge-Sheng.

Having made this decision, Andy revealed that he was moved by the figures of 4 Generations, he said: “More than 100 shows in 20 cities, attendance of more than 100,000, from the first show in Taipei till the 100th show in Beijing’s TQ Theater. Now it’s Hong Kong’s turn to see the result of the hard work of the actors and director.”

Musical is the first item that triggered Andy into showbiz, he wrote a script for his school’s musical when he was still a student and performed, thus he could not forget musical. He said: “I’m always familiar with musical, had contacts with it since young, didn’t performed much, mostly wrote the scripts, wrote several scripts when I’m still schooling, most for school competitions, but then after entering showbiz, there is To Kwok Wai, who would notice me.”

When Andy was still schooling, his scripts includes Undying Wind and Changes (titles literally translated from Chinese), surely they could make onto the stage, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre had seen these scripts, Andy said: “Then RTHK approached Idy Chan for Changes, I always have relationship with her, initially King Sir (Chung King Fai) said that he could not understand why this script was picked and introduced two students, one of them that helped in writing the script is me. Since young I loved musical!” Andy loved musical, but he thinks that the mainstream entertainment of Hong Kong is films and music, if audience is to watch it, it will be like watching a good Cantonese Opera, would fall in love with it.

When he heard that Four Generations intended to perform in Hong Kong, he discussed with his colleagues and succeed in a collaboration, thus reunited his affinity with musical, also could raised funds for his Andy Lau Charity Fund. When asked if it was expensive bring the musical to Hong Kong, Andy burst into laughter: “Expensive! Hahaha, because there are many people, it’s considered a heavyweight musical, food and accommodation in Hong Kong also cost money.” With only three performances, can he earn what he spent? Andy said: “All productions need to look at how to balance the expenses, not every thing had to look in the commercial direction, my partner also told me, sometimes we need not talk about business.”

Andy who had wrote several musical scripts, Chung King Fai is musical master, Ah So (Louisa So Yuk-Wa) is leading musical actress, it’s a blessing for the three to collaborate in this musical. For the benefit of Hong Kong audience and chance to watch a high standard musical, there’s no stopping Andy just like him pushing low budget films. When asked if he would want to seize this chance to raise the awareness and standard of Hongkongers to musical? Andy said: “Not to talk till so far, Hong Kong has its own standard, so does Mainland China and Taiwan, you can see the best from each musical, actually it’s just an exchange, just wanted more different things to be staged in Hong Kong, and not hope Hong Kong audience to look upon which sort of productions, whereas like and dislike what you like/dislike, nobody can accept it at once, it’s like being a vegetarian, try it, some tried and became vegetarian, some don’t like and can’t do much, actually there isn’t much local Hong Kong films, The Gallants and Echoes Of The Rainbow, and a few more Chinese New Year films, I think should gather to develop musical, pity the government unable to accommodate.”

Source: Ming Pao, Apple Daily News
Translated by: AndyLauSounds