By Dan Grunebaum http://www.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/recent/stage.asp Turandot Controversial Taiwanese pop diva A-Mei stars in a musical adaptation of the Puccini opera Those who live or work in Akasaka will know that broadcaster TBS has finally put the finishing touches on the large structure it’s been building. The new Akasaka ACT Theatre opens this spring with a spectacle that assembles some of Asia’s best-known talent. Among them is Taiwanese pop queen A-Mei, who was in Tokyo late last fall to discuss her upcoming leading role in the new adaptation of the Puccini opera Turandot. The production was originally meant to feature Hong Kong singer-actress Kelly Chen, but A-Mei was recruited when Chen broke her leg and became unable to fill the role. A superstar in the Chinese-speaking world, A-Mei, 35, remains less familiar in Japan than Chen. Most Japanese and English speakers will know of her mainly through the controversy that erupted when she sang the national anthem at the inauguration ceremony of Taiwanese president Chen-Shui-bian, angering Beijing and leading to a ban on her performing in the country that has only recently been lifted. For an artist whose fame is based on her emotive performances, playing the ruthless ancient Chinese queen Turandot presents difficulties. “Turandot appears cold on the outside, which is the opposite of how I am when I sing,” A-Mei said through a translator. “It will be a challenge to portray a character that is so different.” The upcoming production is based on the Puccini libretto but features entirely new music by Jo Hisaishi, the renowned composer of music for anime legend Hayao Miyazaki, and is to be directed by the first Japanese to oversee a Broadway production, Amon Miyamoto. They’re taking a risk on A-Mei, not only because of her low profile in Japan but also because of her newness to the language. “After doing Carmen in Taiwan two years ago, I’ve become increasingly interested in musicals,” A-Mei says. “I thought I wanted to do one again, so the offer came at a good time. But all the lines are in Japanese, so it’s worrying.” A descendent of one of the aboriginal tribes that inhabit Taiwan, A-Mei attributes her extroverted style to the group’s vocal traditions. “In our culture, we sing both our own songs and Chinese pop,” she explains. “The Chinese pop tradition has a limited range of subjects, but with our own music we can sing freely and improvise about anything. There are no formulas.” Debuting in 1996, A-Mei quickly rose to iconic status in Taiwan, setting a new template for Chinese divas with her stadium-filling voice and flesh-baring shock tactics that recall Madonna. While she may have been burned by the political firestorm she inadvertently set off and prefers not to discuss, A-Mei has undoubtedly been a powerfully liberating influence on women in Asia. "I don't know if I'm a representative of Asian women, but I'm happy if people think of me that way," she says. "Asian women aren't very good about expressing themselves. They tend to be conservative. My songs appeal directly to the heart, and in that way I may have helped them to get in touch with their own feelings. " “The Asian market is evolving quickly. Not only are singers opening up, but listeners are demanding more.” --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 203.73.150.4