Cantonese Opera Artistes in Singapore 狮城粤剧艺人

2009-10-03T13:02:00.002+08:00

Here are some of the artistes. More will be added when I have the information.

Sally Low Moon Chin 劉滿鑽

2009-06-26T19:51:00.004+08:00

Sally’s first step into Cantonese opera was in 1977. She has been actively involved in Cantonese opera since then. Her first opera teacher was the well-known Joanna Wong. Another teacher is the renowned Chan Siu Hong. Sally does not confine herself to a single role. She believes in acting out different roles with divergent characters including villainous and comical roles.

In the earlier years she was the lead huadan in Kong Chow Wui Kun’s Opera Troupe. She performed her first lead role in 1985 and since then she has performed numerous operas and partnered innumerable artistes.

Since the 90s Sally has also been attempting script-writing. She has written several short opera scripts and adaptations with considerable success. She went to Guangzhou to visit the well-known Cantonese opera script-writer Chan Koon Heng and obtained invaluable advice on script-writing from him.

She is also a founder of the Chinese Cultural Arts Centre, an organization promoting Chinese opera. The CCAC has presented several full-length operas in which She and Gary Kong played the lead roles.

Her showcase performance in 1997 to commemorate her 20 years in Cantonese opera

Sally (30 years) and James (40 years) commemorating their combined 70 years in Cantonese opera in 2007

Wong Mei Ling 黃美玲

2009-06-07T07:55:00.002+08:00

Wong Mei Ling is a founder of the ECHO Chinese Opera Club in the Eunos Community Club and is its lead huadan. She has a great passion for Chinese opera. To her, every performance is also a good opportunity for her to learn more in her pursue for excellence.

Her lastest full-length opera Emperor Li Yu in 2007.

Mei Ling with Chan Fook Hong in Emperor Li Yu.

Mei Ling in a comical role.

See Too Hoi Siang 司徒海嫦

2009-06-02T18:58:00.039+08:00

When she was a little girl, Hoi Siong often accompanied her grandmother to watch Chinese wayangs. As time passed, she became fascinated with chinese operas, mesmerized by the scenes before her and the beautiful artistes with their painted faces and glittering costumes. One of her favourite artistes was But Suet Seen.

At the age of 15, she started learning cantonese opera under Joanna Wong.

In 1997 she became a full-time artiste with the Chinese Theatre Circle. In 2000, she was one of the two recipients of the Outstanding Young Person Award given once every two years by the Orchid Jayceettes of Singapore.

With Gary Kong

She has performed with several artistes from Hong Kong and China like Ow Kai Meng, Wan Yook Yu, Yip Yau kei and Pang Heng Wah. In the past 10 years she has performed lead roles in numerous full-length operas. In most of them the lead sheng was Frances Wong.

with Wan Yook Yu from Hong Kong

with Francis Wong

Her most recent show was The Patriotic Princess in September 2009.

Over the years she has put on considerable weight which doesn't look good with a hua dan. Hopefully she will slim down.

Choy Yien Chow 徐應就

2009-05-28T11:06:00.003+08:00

Information and pictures are taken from Choy Brothers' website.

Choy Yien Chow is the founder of Choy Brothers’ Chinese Opera Troupe. The multi-talented Mr. Choy not only performs, instructs, choreographs and directs opera performances, but is also a qualified martial arts instructor.

He specializes in the warrior role. He had learnt opera singing from renowned opera artistes, namely Liu Fushan of Beijing opera, Xiao Didi of Cantonese opera and Chen Xiaohan of Cantonese opera. His martial arts teachers include the well know Ren Daxun of Hong Kong.

Since 1967, Mr. Choy has groomed many local performers in opera singing, opera performance and martial arts. As the artistic director, Mr. Choy directs all the performances, of which "The Precious Lantern", "Madam White Snake", "Monkeys King", Blocking the Horse" and "At the Crossroad" were most memorable and well received by the audience.

In 1990, the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Association invited Mr. Choy to choreograph and direct a Chinese opera entitled "The Drum of Amazon Liang Hong Yu" as part of 25th National day celebrations. This opera was a joint presentation by thirteen societies and involved a cast of 150. The performance was a success and received a standing ovation from the audience.

Mr. Choy was invited by Theater Work, a professional English drama company, to be the Technical Adviser for their well -known drama "Lao Jui". The drama was a huge success and was selected to participate in the Perth Arts Festival.

Choy Yien Chow in a warrior role.

Chik Chiu Kuarn 戚超群

2009-05-26T12:42:00.012+08:00

Chiu Kuarn with the Shenzhen Opera Troupe

At the age of 15 she received training in Cantonese opera at a well-known drama school in Guangdong. She was a top student in the school. After her graduation she has been performing with a few opera troupes in the Guangdong province. She was the lead huadan in the Wu Chuan Cantonese Opera Troupe. She has also received several prestigious awards for her singing and opera skills.

performing with Gary Kong

In 1996 she migrated to Singapore and has performed opera excerpts and full-length opera with several local artistes. She is much appreciated by Singapore Cantonese opera fans. At present she is the opera instructor with the Hong Lim CC and The Frontier CC Cantonese opera groups as well as Guangdong Association’s opera group.

From left: Chung Lai Yong, Chik Chiu Kuarn, Fung Kong Ngai, Ng Li Li

Aw Yeong Peng Mun 歐陽炳文

2009-05-25T20:15:00.001+08:00

Peng Mun is a nan huadan (female impersonator). His style of singing is similar to that of the legendary Hong Seen Lui. If you see him dressed as the ancient beauty Wang Zhaojun cradling the pipa and singing the famous classic "Zhaojun Crosses The Border", you will be amazed that a man could be so womanly. His most memorable roles are those of tragic maidens such as Jiao Guiying in "Thrashing the Sea God" and Wang Bao-chuan in "Peng Kwei bids his wife farewell".

He became interested in opera when he was young and began to perform when he was in his early twenties. He had an affinity for Hong Seen Lui's operas. In 1984 when Hong's troupe was here, Hong saw Peng Mun perform and was impressed. She agreed to guide him in the finer points of the art should he visit Guangzhou. The following year he left for Guangzhou eagerly. He was not disappointed; he gained much from Hong's coaching. In 1994 Peng Mun went to Guangzhou on a training grant by the National Arts Council. He studied under a Master Liu who was recommended by Hong.

In 1996 he was the first artiste featured in the Young Opera Artistes Series, a project of the Chinese Opera Society, Singapore.

In recent years he has also been conducting opera classes for those interested in learning opera.

The Wilful Princess - his full-length opera in 2005.

Peng Mun as Wang Zhaojun

Featured in the Young Opera Artistes Series, 1996.

Gary Kong Yew Cheong 龔耀祥

2009-05-14T19:27:00.008+08:00

Gary Kong is among the first batch of artistes nurtured by Joanna Wong and Lou Mee Wah of the Chinese Theatre Circle. He is highly commended for his acting and singing skills.

During these 25 years he has traveled extensively with his troupes to perform overseas. Apart from numerous opera excerpts, he has performed lead roles in several full-length operas such as War and Romance, High Command, Errors at Hua Tian, The Yang Family, The Patriotic Princess, The Princess and the Thief .....

In August 2002, Gary and a few other opera enthusiasts set up the Chinese Cultural Arts Centre with the aim of promoting Chinese opera. The CCAC also conducts course in opera skills and singing.

In 2006 Gary commemorated his 25 years in Cantonese opera

Gary with Zeng Yin Ling

Recognize these two artistes standing with Gary? ..... They are Yuen Siu Fai (left) and Leung Yew Onn (right).

Ling Tung Meng 凌东明

2009-05-14T10:55:00.011+08:00

Ling Tung Meng was trained under several well-known opera teachers in Guangzhou. He has been with the Foshan and the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Troupes and had performed leading roles in many operas. He has received numerous awards in Cantonese opera in various competitions. He has performed in the United States as well as in Asian countries.

He came to Singapore in 1999. At present he is the artistic director and instructor at his own opera center, Ming Xing Opera Center, which conducts courses in opera-song singing, opera movements and opera make-up. With his more than 20 years of experience, Tung Meng hopes to promote Chinese opera in Singapore and to nurture future opera artistes.

Ling Tung Meng with Chee Siew Fun

Chee Keng Fun 朱敬芬

2009-05-13T12:43:00.003+08:00

Chee Keng Fun has been the lead hua dan as well as artistic director of Tung On Wui Koon's opera group for many years. She started learning opera when she was seven years old, under a well-known and respected Singapore artiste, Chee Lai Hong. Her first major performance was "The Patriotic Princess" when she was only in her late teens. Throughout the years she has performed various roles in numerous operas. In 1999 she played the omnipotent Empress Dowager in the opera "Emperor Kong Zui & his concubine Zhen Fei". She has also been teaching and grooming the younger generation in her opera classes.

She left Tung On in 2008 and set up a new troupe, OperaWorks (Singapore). She is the troupe’s chairman cum artistic director. In that year they presented an opera show to raise fund for the Buddhist Fee Clinic. The show included well-known Hong Kong and China artistes Luo Jia Ying, Nan Feng, Mai Jia and Zeng Hui.

Their fund-raising show in 2008

Chan Fook Hong 陳福鴻

2009-05-12T23:25:00.006+08:00

Chan Fook Hong with Aw Yeong Peng Mun

Christopher Choo 朱振邦

2009-05-10T18:06:00.001+08:00

Chris is a pioneer graduate from the Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts where he majored in directing. He can perform and direct both English and Chinese contemporary dramas as well as Chinese opera.

His love with Chinese operas started when he was young. His idol was the late Cantonese maestro Leng Chi Bak. His opportunity to see and learn from Leng came in the seventies when Leng came with his troupe to perform in Singapore and Malaya. A chance meeting between them sealed their fate as teacher and disciple. Leng was moved by his earnestness and took him in as his disciple. Since then Chris had been going to Hong Kong annually to pay respect to his teacher and to learn from him.

Unfortunately, Leng passed away in 1992, at the age of 89. In 1997, Chris staged a show entitled "Inspiration and Aspiration of Christopher Choo" which consisted of three opera exerpts to commemorate Leng's 70- year acting career in Cantonese operas.

Chris specializes in the elderly role (lao sheng) as well as comical role (chou sheng).

Christopher with his mentor Leng Chi Bak.

Christopher as Justice Bao

Woo Wai Fong 胡慧芳

2009-05-10T15:43:00.013+08:00

Woo Wai Fong acting in the opera she loves most

Woo Wai Fong is the lead wen-wu sheng in Kong Chow Wui Koon opera troupe. She fell in love with Chinese opera when she was young partly due to her father's involvement in opera work. She performed on an ad hoc basis during her younger days. She got into the mainstream of opera performance when she joined Kong Chow Wui Koon opera troupe in 1975.

Over the years, of the many roles she played the most memorable was Lu You, a well-known poet in the Sung Dynasty, in the famous opera "A Broken Dream : 40 years of unfulfilled Love" (夢斷香銷四十年). In this opera she had to play the role from youth to old age.

Her wish is that more people will love and appreciate Chinese operas.

Her showcase performance in 2004

Woo Wai Fong with Chan Fook Hong

Lou Mee Wah 卢眉华

2009-05-09T12:23:00.006+08:00

Her lastest show, 2009 - Wang Xi Feng, one of the rare occasions where she performed as a huadan.

Lou Mee Wah with Leong Seok Heng

Lou Mee Wah is the instructor at the Tanjong Pagar Community Club's opera group.

Lou Mee Wah's blog: http://loumeewah.blogspot.com/

Please click here for write-up:
http://www.ctcopera.com.sg/loumw.html

Joanna Wong 胡桂馨

2009-05-08T12:20:00.006+08:00

One of her lastest shows, 2008 - Women Warrior of the Yang Family

Joanna's Golden Jubilee show in 2004

One of Joanna's earliest role

Please click here for write-up:
http://www.ctcopera.com.sg/joanna.html