Announcement: Teresa: The Musical

Fans of the late Teresa Teng (邓丽君) will be delighted to know that a musical performance on her will soon be staged right here in Ipoh come 1st September, 2016.

Brought to us by Perry Chiu Experimental Theatre and Ritz Garden Hotel Ipoh, this musical is a tribute based accurately on the life of Teresa Teng, with a focus on her three high-profile romances, plus her one major regret in life: that is her failure to stage a concert for her fans in China.

The audience is first taken on the journey of Teresa’s life as a teenager, when she initially gained fame, until her untimely death at the age of 42. It is a very complex story, which tells of her romance with a martial arts actor, followed by the son of a Malaysian tycoon, and finally, with her French boyfriend fifteen years her junior.

Born in Taiwan to Chinese parents, Teresa’s father was a soldier in the Republic of China Armed Forces and was one of the political victims forced out of China, together with his wife.

Life was certainly not easy for this community of displaced families. But for Teresa, blessed with a voice so sweet, her singing talent was discovered at a very young age; she clinched a recording contract at the age of 15 and she soon left school to support her family.

As a child of a military family, Teresa regularly performed for Taiwanese servicemen. This did not augur well with the Chinese government, although Teresa’s parents never made her forget her Chinese roots and drilled into her that she must return to China one day.

This sense of longing was best portrayed in her rendition of “My Home Is on the Other Side of the Mountain”. Teresa had even planned to stage a concert in Tiananmen Square for 200,000 fans for free but that never materialised.

Obviously, what I am sharing with you is just the gist of Teresa’s life (Wikipedia), part of which will be portrayed in Teresa: The Musical, written by Shanghainese Sha Yip-Sun. He was engaged by Teresa’s family to write a 30-episode television drama on the life and times of the singer.

However, due to unforeseen circumstances, Sha was unable to complete the television drama despite having clocked three years of on-ground research which saw him travel to all the countries that Teresa had lived in before, including the United States of America, Japan, Hong Kong, France and of course Taiwan, to speak to everyone who had known Teresa personally.

As this script was authorised by Teresa’s family, Sha did not give up. He travelled to Teresa’s final resting place in Chin Pao Shan, Taiwan and made a promise that he would somehow tell her story. And that was how this musical came about in 2013.

Its first performance was in Hong Kong and from there, the cast and crew travelled to Singapore, London and Vancouver to bring the story of Teresa Teng to her fans.

Die-hard Malaysian fans would recall that this production was staged before for three nights in Genting Highlands a couple of years ago. It was so well received that more than ten thousand fans watched it at the time.

If you were one of those fans and are looking for an encore, or if you have missed the musical and would like a second chance to catch it, this is a golden opportunity for you to do so.

Teresa: The Musical is a multi-language production, scripted according to the different stages of her life.

Expect to enjoy some thirty evergreen hits of Teresa’s during the two-hour show, also rendered in various languages and dialects, from Mandarin to English, Japanese, Thai, Cantonese and even Hokkien. Teresa’s biggest hit, The Moon Represents My Heart, will of course, be delivered, too.

Ipoh is the crew’s first stop in Malaysia, followed by Kuala Lumpur (3rd Sept) and Penang (6th Sept) before returning to Hong Kong for three shows. A high level of skills is required from the actors, particularly in a musical.

In Ipoh, Teresa: The Musical will feature seven main stars, led by Perry Chiu Woon. They are supported by about thirteen crew members, all flown in from Hong Kong, so we are guaranteed a top notch performance. I have been told that this is a tear-jerker, so get your tissues ready!

Secure your tickets before they are sold out! Ticketing information enclosed below:

Ticket prices: RM58, RM78, RM98 & RM128 (VIP)

Tickets for Ipoh’s show are available at:

Ritz Garden Hotel, Ipoh
Add: 86 – 88, Jalan Yang Kalsom, 30250 Ipoh.
Tel: 019-5768748 (Lily) / 016-5038819 (Siew)

Far East Records
Add: 57, Jalan Theatre, 30300 Ipoh.
Tel: 05-2552501

Pengkalan Emas Mall
Add: 688, Jalan Pasir Putih, 31650 Ipoh.
Tel: 05-3221013

East Come Restaurant
Add: 43 & 45, Jalan Hussein, 30250 Ipoh.
Tel: 05-2559328

Teresa: The Musical
Venue: Ritz Garden Ballroom (Garden Wing), Ritz Garden Hotel, Ipoh.
Add: 86 & 88, Jalan Yang Kalsom, 30250 Ipoh, Perak.
Date: 1st September, 2016
Time: 7.30pm

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