Fei Xiang (right) and Heather Laws (left)
Courtesy of Forward Music
People haven’t seen Fei Xiang (費翔) since his last record, Wild Flower (野花), in 2001 and 2002, when he published his first book, Twelve Gold Keys For Fei Xiang (給費翔的12把金鑰匙). Now, the famous singer returns to Taiwan, his home before his 1987 relocation to China, again to promote his new record, Broadway Album, and his concert, Summon Wind and Rain (呼風喚雨), which will take place at the Taipei International Center on Jan 21 and 22.
It’s the first time for Fei Xiang to host his own concert that audience has to pay. For this concert, to be presented by Kuang Hong Arts (寬宏藝術), Fei gets ready to reminisce with us his classic hits from the past two decades and some popular Broadway music, some of which he has taken parts sometime within the last decade. The exact repertories are a secret, however. According to Ms. Yang of public relations at Kuang Hong Arts, “Fei Xiang wants to surprise the audience, so I can’t talk too much about the details of concert. We even don’t know his next plan of tour.”
“In this past year, Fei had been busy touring China, with a series of solo concerts in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Chengdu, and Wuhan.”
For his Taipei concert, Fei has invited Tony Award winner Rofer Kirk (The King and I) as costume design for him and his twelve dancers. According to Yang, this is not the first partnership between Fei and Kirk.
Other big names in the production team include Guo Zi (郭子), Zhong Xing-min (鐘興民), and Zhang Sheng-feng (張勝豐), in an attempt “to adjust different audience and music market,” said Yang.
In addition, there will be a special appearance by Broadway actress Heather Laws, singing a tune from “The Phantom of the Opera” and another from “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.” Heather Laws was last seen in musical, “Boy from OZ,” with Hugh Jackman.
Fei hopes that the audience will enjoy the best sounds and light effects from the stage and appreciate his 23-year singing career. After all, as a star, the process of Fei Xiang’s performing career has been varied and graceful. He made his first appearance in 1981 in Cheng Ai-jia (張艾嘉)’s teleplay, “Eleven Women (十一個女人)”. Fei began his music career a year later. His first albums included Linger (流連) and Asking Sunset (問斜陽). Since then, he has also appeared in the films with entertainers of Hong Kong, like Liang Jia-ren (梁家仁), Zhong Chu-hong (鍾楚紅), and Taiwanese actor Lin Rui-yang (林瑞陽) from 1984 to 1985. Unexpectedly, the Taiwan-based singer transfers his career to China in 1987. Due to the political reason, he doesn’t come back to Taiwan until 2000.
In 1987, Fei Xiang sang the two songs, “Fire of Winter (冬天裡的一把火)” and “Clouds of Hometown (故鄉的雲),” in the Spring Festival Show (春節聯歡晚會). His Chinese-American facial features quickly won numbers of fans. Fei gave sisty-three solo concerts in twelve Chinese cities in 1989. When he picked up Taiwanese singers’ successful songs and Western oldies as a producer, the album sold twenty million copies. The record is still unbroken.
Once again, he felt his career was at a standstill; he changed his name back to his born-name Kris Philips in 1991 and auditioned for Broadway, eventually landing a role in “Miss Saigon”, and later, cooperating with Andrew Lloyd Webber, in the international tour “Cats”.
Tao Jing-ying (陶晶瑩), hostess of entertain news programs tried to find her idol in “Super Sunday (超級星期天)” in 2000. The program made the huge impression after Fei showed up. People felt surprised about his voice, gentle figure, and the looking, these things don’t change even the day past. Fei Xiang came back to Taiwan, signed the contract with “Forward Music (風華唱片)”, and made two albums for Taiwanese audience.
Due to Fei’s hard working in his career, Yang is confident about this upcoming concert. “Fei Xiang has many fans that across age,” she said. “Some people was his loyal fans when he made performance in the early 1980s; He won some young fans’ heart after his return; and the newest record has attracted some audience, too.” Yang continued, “Fei sings many kinds of songs, no matter what their styles are. I believe that foreigners would also like his music because of his various experiments in singing.”
“Fei Xiang Concert” will perform on Jan 21and 22 at 7:30 pm at Taipei International Convention Center, located at 1, Sec 5, Hsinyi Rd, Taipei (台北市信義路五段一號). Tickets cost NT$1200-3600. Please go to the ERAticket website at www.ticket.com.tw or Kuang Hong Arts website at www.kham.com.tw, and call 07-7403466 for more information.
The poster of Moment Forever Concert
Courtesy of Red Music Company
When the world keeps running, things can't help changing. Young people have controlled the music market; the characteristics of their songs have more rhythm and technical effects. In this period, "Moment Forever Concert－Meet Oldies on Wednesday" (瞬間永恆在週三－老歌演唱會) still show up to concern about the oldies again by the whole year's performing.
Red Music Company (大紅音樂工作室), which is a record company and they have produced albums for singers, like Wen Zhang (文章), Yu Tai-yan (于台煙), and Cheng Feng-feng (張鳳鳳). "Three years ago, the record market all over the world started declining for illegal downloading, fake record, and disc copying. The company has lost twenty to thirty million dollars worth of benefit, but we are still struggling to survive. Hosting the concert is a way we are doing now." Pei Hong-qi (裴紅麒), some people called him Brother Lang (郎哥), the stage director of the Concert said. Red Music Company will present "Moment Forever Concert" on Jan 5 and continue performing until Dec. 28, 2005, at the Taipei Family Theater (台北市親子劇場) at 7:30 p.m. Brother Lang said that there would be a total of thirty-nine concerts this year. Two shows will be held in Taipei every two weeks, and one show in Kaohsiung every four weeks. Lang seriously explained, "we have prepared the show for half a year. The concert is the last chance for us."
As for the main purpose of making the concert, Lang felt sad about the media right now in Taiwan, "the media, especially the electronic ones, is always chasing affairs and scandals. I can't ask our performers wearing swimsuit or having affairs in order to promote. It's out of the question. The media doesn't care what the fifty-year-olds really like. Allow me to say something impolite, many of the old people just stay at home and wait for death." Lang continued, "the concert is trying to help people to recall their memories by these old songs. You might think of your first lover's sweet words when you hear some specific songs."
We also hope that the atmosphere of the society can be corrected by this kind of show. Lately, the society was getting worse and worse. Lang mentioned Taiwan's unique culture, "some old soldiers went to the Red Envelope Place (紅包場) to listen twenty years ago. These men missed their hometown after the internal war was over. They needed a place to effuse their emotion. At that time, the literary quality of audience is quite good, these guys would tell the singers what kind of song is better to sing." He added that singers could get some red envelopes as an extra salary from the audience when their performance was great. Singers can make communication with audience more in a singing place (歌廳) like Bai Le Men (百樂門), it imitated the old Bai Le Men in Shanghai, which usually performing the songs back to 1910s and 1920s. The Restaurant provides drinks. What is different is that the performers don't accept the audience's choice of songs but theirs only.
"Now, Red Envelope Place is not only making performance, too much Red Envelopes have formed a vicious contest. Some Red Envelope Places have hired some twenty-year-olds on the stage to attract audience." Lang delivered his opinion about the social problem. But he also emphasized, "our concert don't want to hurt the other culture in Taiwan, it's just a friendly competition."
Going back to the concert; Brother Lang explained, "Oldies mean singing over twenty years. Actually, when one song had been singing over ten years, it might be the oldies. Singers will also sing some English and Taiwanese old songs, so the show has affluent elements. "But the concert won't appear the newest one, like 'Take Off (脫掉)' by Alex Du (杜德偉)." He joked.
Ba Ge (巴戈), the former jamboree chair and Wang Meng-Lin (王夢麟), a folk singer, are the hosts. They will appear at the stage together in the whole year, and also make performance for audience. The Chinese Opera diva, Cheng Feng-feng is the lead performer; her personal show may take forty minutes. "Liang and Chu－The Butterfly Lovers" is one of her classic programs. Other current singers include Xie Lei (謝雷), Li Yi-jun (李翌君), and Lily Duet (百合二重唱). "Lily Duet will sing as the opening performer, Li Yi-jun, Xie Lei follow their step, and Cheng Feng-feng will be the last singer. There are around four group singers in each concert, everyone has half an hour to perform, and every interview during the break will finish in three to five minutes that hosts will take control." Lang stated the condition of performance. He also noted that the repertories range from thirty to sixty periods. "Besides, we will change the programs and singers every two months so the audience can enjoy different shows."
When reporter wondered that there is some assistance came from the Taipei City Hall, Lang quickly explained, "The launch of the Moment Forever Concert was held all by ourselves. The Taipei City Hall only offers the place." He also spoke of some problems, "The Taipei Family Theater is a kind of stage used for dramatic performance. Though the theater is close to the audience, the atmosphere is warm. The lights, sounds are not as professional as a stage that we want. Therefore, we had to ask designers to create a suitable stage for the concert."
The Red Music Company has to spend nearly one million dollars for each concert. However, Lang didn't care about the huge investment, "We don't intend to make money, and it will be great if we don't lose too much. There are only 799 seats at the Taipei Family Theater. The company might earn three million dollars in this year, but the balance meets only if all the tickets are sold out. Even so, the benefit cannot cover all the costs we've invested. Furthermore, two percent of the box office will be donated to the United Way Association (聯合勸募協會)." Lang insisted, "Our company signed the contract with the United Way. The listing of the names of the audience will be posted big at the entrance. We originally wanted to use the episcope, but that's the payout once again. These donation represented that we help audience doing the charity."
At present, the box office is not bad. Lang said, "we have almost sold ninety percent and the concert is continuing a whole year so the audience can watch the show when they feel like in 2005. The worst thing is that many people don't know anything about our show. On one hand, we have some problem regarding promotion, you know, the television propaganda is expensive. And it was a pity that TV anchor didn't allow us to take too much time to promote the concert. So Cheng Feng-feng can't say much about the show but sing during an interview because they don't want their news program becoming commercial; On the other hand, the people we try to attract is mostly fifty years old or older, they don't have the habit to surf on the Internet, and don't know where and how they can buy the tickets." Lang mentioned that people came from southern Taiwan even spent high prices asking other people to buy tickets for them. "We really want to contact these people by spreading the news but the media everyone used is different, how should we do to let these audience aware of the show is difficult. If we want everyone know the concert, the cost will be thirty to forty million." Lang said distressfully.
"Our biggest wish is the information of this concert can attract as many people as possible, even the foreigners who have lived in Taiwan for a long time; some of them might grow up with these oldies." Lang also described his unique opinion, "I hope son and daughter can help their parents to buy the tickets to show their filial affection, and come here to appreciate the show together. If it works, the problem of selling site and channel will be solving.
The premiere of the concert is approaching; the crews worked in Red Music Company still need improvements. Lang said, "our benefit is not great, so I can't hire too many people, and really need someone who're useful, relieve some pressure when we are preparing the concert."
Finally, Lang mentioned, "The prices of other solo concerts in Taiwan are expensive, and the organizers usually present only one or two shows, the audience cannot watch the show if they missed this chance." The "Moment Forever Concert" will continue a whole year; you don't need to worry the timing and you can easily enjoy the show at the fixed venue and time. Get away the pressure for a while, just sit down and listen to these old songs.
"Moment Forever Concert" will be held for a whole year at Taipei Family Theater, located at 2F, No.1, Shifu Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City 110 (台北市110信義區市府路一號二樓). Tickets cost 500-1700. For more information, please go to the ERAticket website at www.ticket.com.tw or call Red Music Company at (02) 27079548.
