Today's image-obsessed stars have purists of the genre pining for the past, writes Katie Lau
They don't make music like that any more' is a common lament from Canto-pop lovers of a certain age who have little time for today's production-line pap. And if the slew of tributes to past stars and declining album sales are any indication, many people feel that way.
Once in a Lifetime, a musical based on hits by the late Danny Chan Pak-keung, is the latest in a series of retro-pop projects, including last month's Dying Young, which paid homage to the music of Chan and Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, two of the biggest stars from Canto-pop's golden years in the 80s and early 90s. Then there are the many tribute concerts and albums by other singers.
Tickets for Lifetime's five shows this month sold out within days, prompting another run in July. Sales for the eight performances start tomorrow. Although many people were probably attracted by the cast of teen idols, including singer-songwriter Chet Lam Yat-fung and Ellen Loo of pop duo at17, the soul of the production lies in Chan's music.
'His songs are like a best-kept secret,' says Lam, who is the show's musical director. 'We all love them, but nobody talks about them. They're irreplaceably charismatic.'
Lam created the musical in honour of his mother, who is a huge Chan fan. The tale tracks the love life and growth of a group of university students, built around Chan standards such as Waiting and Ripples.