THE Canto-pop bad girl is back. Of course, diehard fans would argue Anita Mui Yim-fong had never really left. Having 'retired' from stage life about four years ago, Mui went on to produce a record, appear in movies and make headline news. But time has changed, and with it, the local audience's taste and demography. This is the write-your-own-song 90s and weeks before Mui's Easter shows, the local press was already whispering: 'Can she do it?' Mui's own message is, however, loud and clear. Sponsored by Hang Seng Bank and presented by What's Hot Entertainment, she tells the audience in her 14 shows that her 'comeback' is just a way to say the stage is where she belongs. Mui also admits she doesn't know the age of her audience and is anxious to get the right mix of numbers. But judging from the screaming fans who packed the open segments of the stadium, Mui has little reason to worry. The 1995 stage version of Mui (who had shed a few kilograms for the Easter shows) is lean, more sophisticated and extremely sexy. Simplicity rules the day - be it the triangular stage or her stage costumes. On her second night, she kicked off the two-hour performance on her own (not one dancer in sight) with the old hit Dream Partner. And as if by magic, the audience was once again mesmerised by her low, thick, bassy voice. But the problem with Mui is that she has always been more than just a Canto-pop singer. Her audience, therefore, expects and demands so much more from her. So as the show progresses, Mui has to come up with ideas to keep her fans entertained. First came the ancient Egyptian queen episode in which Mui was down to the basic essentials in terms of costume. The spectacular eventually turned into a snake show where dancers (from Japan) fondled real snakes to the beat of the music. That was followed by a change of scene - the glitzy and glamorous Shanghai nightlife in the 30s. When she sang breathlessly to the song based on the theme of The Last Emperor, here was the daring Mui (with her low cuts), that resembled Madonna. There was no guest appearance apart from singer-writer Anthony Lun (who is the show's music director). In one segment, he sang some memorable Cantonese tunes with Mui which went down well with fans. Apart from one minor incident in which an object fell from the wobbly overhead set, the second night's show went smoothly. The grand finale came literally with a bang after the second encores. Those sitting close to the stage could smell the fireworks. Whether her concerts are sell-outs is irrelevant. Mui is still a good performer and entertainer. Anita Mui in Concert, Hong Kong Coliseum, April 15
