Life imitates art for cast members of Hong Kong youth musical Sing Out
Pupils of local schools take part in production by award-winning composer, and much like the characters they play, discover their inner strength and values
A musical production on youth issues has turned out to be a journey of self-discovery for producers and young cast members from Hong Kong schools after six months of preparation.
Sing Out, an original Cantonese musical, will premier on Friday night at Kwai Tsing Theatre. The production tells a tale of modern-day city youths who revisit basic human values and explore their potential, gaining acceptance through the power of performing arts.
“I have never worked with secondary school pupils and had doubts when I was told to write a musical for them,” Leon Ko, a Broadway trained award-winning composer, said.
Ko, who won a Golden Horse Award in 2004, added: “But I didn’t lower the standard in any way and treated them as professionals both for solo voices and the four-part chorus. To my surprise, they delivered.”
Ko was born in Hong Kong, and to date, has seven Cantonese musicals under his belt, including one that premiered in Beijing last April to critical acclaim.