Shanghai Blues – A Musical of Love Amidst Chaos

Through song and dance - the age-old languages of love and passion - Shanghai Blues tells a story of love in turbulent times. Bittersweet and tender, its depiction of an inexplicable connection between soulmates conveys an innocence and romance lacking in contemporary society.

Bridging love and yearning
As the curtains are drawn, a solitary bridge is revealed and its story gradually unfolds.

This bridge, according to Director Goh Boon Teck, is not only an important prop, it is, more importantly, a key symbol and metaphor. In the musical, Tu Yun and Wen Chong chance upon each other under the bridge as they seek shelter from a wartime air raid. From their short conversation in the dark sparks an immediate connection and mutual attraction that later on grows into a yearning for each other. After the war eight years later, Wen Chong returns to the same spot in the hope of meeting “the girl with soft, plaited hair” under the bridge again.

“It is a bridge of emotions and a bridge of history. It bridges love and dreams, the present and the past”, says Boon Teck.

Toy Factory’s third Raymond To work
Boon Teck emphasises that it was not his natural inclination towards producing musicals but the script that prompted him to stage Shanghai Blues.

“A heart-wrenching tale of a love triangle set against a war-ravaged Shanghai, replete with the dramatic intensity that tumultuous circumstances inevitably give rise to, as can be seen in the three lead characters’ emotional development”, says Boon Teck. “It will be touching. Audiences will love it.”

Written by well-known Hong Kong scriptwriter Raymond To, the musical is the third production that Boon Teck has staged which was based on a script by the playwright, the first two being I Have a Date with Spring and Mad Phoenix. To this day, Boon Teck feels grateful to Raymond To. “When Toy Factory was founded, nobody knew who we were. So when I actually mustered the courage to fax a note to Raymond whom I was a fan of, I never expected him to reply. But he did and I was beyond words!”

Perhaps it is this experience that inspires Boon Teck to continually nurture newcomers who are always welcomed in his productions. “Without a first try, how will newcomers ever have a second and third opportunity?” he muses. Hence, many first-time performers and crew members are involved in a production as large in scale as Shanghai Blues.

Songs of an era
To produce music that would reflect the period in which the tale is set as well as underscore the drama of the story, young local composer Phillip Tan is composing new songs for Shanghai Blues, as well as rearranging several of William So’s hits and many old songs. Also included in the production will be old Shanghai classics such as Side of Suzhou River and Fragrance of White Orchids. In addition, the famous Night Breeze written by talented Hong Kong composer-lyricist James Wong will be the production’s theme song, and accompany the story as it slowly unfolds. Performing the music live will be a six-member ensemble playing Chinese and Western instruments.

Boon Teck believes that the essence of the production lies in its combination of a great script, delicate emotions, and its depiction of the spirit of the era portrayed. As such, he expects his actors to be able to both sing and act. After they have received a copy of the script, he always arranges for them to attend seminars, concerts and films before formal rehearsals begin. For this production set in 1930s Shanghai, young performers had to discover the “flavour” of Shanghai in that period in order to realistically portray the sentiments of that era.

William, Mindee and Emma
Hong Kong singer-actor William So plays the male lead of Wen Chong. Known as a crooner of love ballads, William is the undisputed choice for this role for which he is as thrilled as he is apprehensive. (See article on William’s interview)

The two female lead characters Tu Yun and Dan Lei are played by Mindee Ong and Emma Yong respectively. The petite Mindee Ong, fresh from a well-received performance as Small Papaya in Royston Tan’s film 881, sees a bit of herself in Tu Yun.

“We are both women who walk the talk, and when it comes to love, we are both faithful to the one we give our heart to.” Mindee also points out that, with her tendency to keep alone and silent when she feels down, she shares Tu Yun’s habit of “burying her emotions”. If Tu Yun were to be described in terms of the four seasons, muses Mindee, she would be “winter on the outside and summer within”, because buried within her cool exterior is a fervent yearning for love.

The character of Dan Lei, however, is quite different. Emma sees her as a passionate girl who is humourous, materialistic and generous to those she loves. She is certain that she shares some character traits with the guileless Dan, “but only her ‘innocence’.” Says Emma, “I would definitely not make such a huge self-sacrifice for the sake of love!”

Acting, singing and dancing in Shanghai Blues pose no problems for both Mindee and Emma. In fact Mindee had her first break in a singing contest but says, “I still prefer theatre.” From TV sitcom Different Cuts Different Strokes, and Momo by Drama Box, to the recent If There're Season by Theatre Practice, Mindee has come a long way and her experience has only reaffirmed her preference for theatre.

Emma, on the other hand, received her training in musicals, having performed in several such as Dick Lee’s Beauty World and Mortal Sins. “But I hardly sing Mandarin songs”, she says. “So I will listen to as many Mandarin albums as I can, especially songs from the 30s and 40s to accurately grasp the singing techniques and styles.”