(代言名表小图) http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20101207- 251205.html By Joy Fang TICKETS to big shows at the Huayi Festival are selling well, with several acts adding extra gigs to cater for the good reception. Now in its ninth instalment, the annual 10-day Chinese festival of the arts, organised by the Esplanade, will open on Feb 4. One of the acts in hot demand is home-grown songstress Kit Chan. Chan, 38, a veteran singer who broke out in 1993, had been on a six-year music hiatus since 2004. But she has not lost her appeal, if ticket sales are anything to go by. Chan had initially planned for just one show on Feb 12. But 70 per cent of tickets were snapped up in just two weeks, leading to another gig being added on Feb 13. The new date was announced two weeks after tickets to her Feb 12 gig went on sale on Nov 11. While she made her musical comeback in Toy Factory Productions' December Rains in August, this will be Chan's first large-scale solo concert in six years. She will be performing her gigs at the Esplanade Concert Hall, accompanied by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. "It's her first show in many years. I definitely want to go and support her," said Ms Selene Quek, 30, who bought tickets to watch Chan perform. Hong Kong indie singer- songwriter Chet Lam is also pulling in the crowds. The 34-year-old was supposed to perform just one gig on Feb 5 at 8pm at the Esplanade Recital Studio. But response was so good - over 70 per cent of tickets were snapped up in two weeks - that an extra time slot was added for 3pm on the same day. Another acclaimed Hong Kong name, Golden Horse award winner Lee Sinjie, will star in a Mandarin play by renowned Hong Kong playwright- director Edward Lam. The show will be staged three times over two days (on Feb 5 and 6) at the Esplanade Theatre. Lee, 34, plays a sweet actress who acts as one half of a happy couple at marketing events in the three-hour show. Ms Mimi Yee, a producer with the Esplanade, said Lee appeals to a younger audience. The Esplanade "hopes (the play) will help introduce them to Chinese theatre and grow the audience pool further". The festival is also devoted to promoting local talents such as Kit Chan, said Ms Yee, and hopes the diversity and artistry of the festival's performers will serve as an inspiration to the audience. The Esplanade's aim is that Huayi will also benefit home-grown artists, who will have "exposure to, and interaction with, their international counterparts", she added. [email protected] --

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