Chinese actress Han Xue apologises after lip-synching during musical
- Into the White Night star told audience her vocal cords were inflamed and she couldn’t sing, so the theatre company had decided to use a recording
- Her comment afterwards that it was ‘the most special performance’ drew criticism online that it was unacceptable and unprofessional
A celebrity who used a recording at a live musical performance in eastern China over the weekend has apologised after a public backlash, again raising the issue of professionalism in the entertainment business.
Actress and singer Han Xue was starring as the lead female character in the musical Into the White Night, based on the mystery novel Byakuyako by Japanese author Keigo Higashino.
But on Saturday, before a performance in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, Han appeared on stage, telling the audience she had an acute inflammation of the vocal cords and could not sing. Instead, she explained, the theatre company had decided she would still appear in the musical using a recording of her singing from a previous performance.
Afterwards, Han thanked the audience in a Weibo post, saying it was “the most special performance of Into the White Night”.
But her post drew criticism online, with comments that miming at a live performance was unacceptable and unforgivable – even if the audience was warned.
On culture and film forum Douban, Han’s performance was criticised as unprofessional.