Salute to Broadway-Movie Sings

Article by Jazmin Justo
Photo by Shuo Chen

Salute to Broadway-Movie Sings is a spectacular opening performance to the 2015 Taiwanese Student Film Exhibition, hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York. With a cast of six talented performers from Taiwan, Salute to Broadway-Movie Sings consisted of songs from classic Broadway hits such as “Little Night Music”, “Ghost”, “Chicago”, “Babes in Arms”, “Hairspray”, “The Fantasticks”, and “The Addams Family”. With Ching Hui Chen, as the producer and host of the show, she introduces the public to the importance it is to celebrate the work and talent of the young Taiwanese artists who are making debuts in Taiwan and in the United States. As a former Taiwanese actress herself, she uses the show to display the marvelous work produced by the Taiwanese filmmakers and artists.

Paul Chang the Ambassador of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York

Chen also introduces important guests who have given their support including Paul Chang the Ambassador of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Charlin Chang, Director of the education Division and TECO Producer, Lee Chiao Chen, a NY based director and John Jay Ming, a London-based director.

In the first opening act the whole cast of performers danced and sang to “Overture and Night Waltz” from the classical Broadway show “A Little Night Music”. As the audience watched in awe, the whole cast danced in beautiful unison and coordination to the beat of Sayun Chang’s percussion and the fantastic piano playing by Yi-Hsuan Chi.

Min Tzu Wang

The song “With You” from the Broadway show “Ghost”, followed the first act, with Min Tzu Wang in a solo. Her strong melodious voice and her heartfelt emotion, brought life into the song about a heartbroken lover who misses her love.

Chiao Chun Hu

After the sorrowful song, Chiao Chun Hu led the dancing duo Yung Shan Chuang and Yun Chi Wu in “All that Jazz”, a musical hit from the infamous Chicago musical. With sensual outfits and jazz dance, the trio’s quick dancing feet and Chiao-Chun Hu’s powerful voice captured the spirit of the lively jazz era.

Yung Shan Chuang’s incredible act of flair in “Roxie” stole the show with her powerful singing and coordinated dancing with the quick dancing duo Yun Chi Wu and Ching Hui Chen, left the audience in awe while reviving the groovy energy from the original “Roxie” performance by Renee Zellweger.

Yung Shan Chuang

In “Finale: Nowadays/Keep it Hot” both Yung Shan Chuang and Chiao Chun Hu, perform in a melodious duet. With wonderful choreography in sync to the jazzy beat, the two vibrant personalities captured the energetic spirit of the jazz era, in a song about the rapidly changing future of show business and society.

In “Where or When” from “Babes in Arms”, Ya Han Chang and Carl Hsu sing a beautiful duet about two nostalgic lovers who are trying to remember their first encounter but still have deep feelings for each other.

Ya Han Chang and Carl Hsu

In “I Know Where I’ve Been” from the musical “Hairspray” Ya Han Chang was lead singer with Yung Shan Chuang, Chiao-Chun Hu, Carl Hsu, and Min Tzu Wang as chorus. Her strong solemn voice was well suited to the tempo of the blue beat as she sang about perseverance throughout life’s obstacles.

Followed by a solo act, Carl Hsu sang “I Can See It” from “The Fantasticks”,  his voice followed the upbeat tune of the percussion and piano. Although there was no dancing, his voice alone impersonated a person who sees a light in his road of life but is unsure if it’s a sign of good things to come or a road of despair and pain. Nonetheless, the upbeat tune of the song gives light to show his enthusiasm and urge to continue that path to learn of what his fate may be. It is also fantastic of how well he was able to uphold the originality of the musical piece as done before by female artists Betty Buckley and Barbara Streisand.

Carl Hsu

As a grand finale, the whole cast performs “When You’re an Addams” from “The Addams Family”. All dressed in black with solemn faces, the choreography was amazingly well done as everyone took turns in singing while dancing to the suspenseful spooky beat of the infamous musical piece.

Overall, the young performers held a dazzling performance with their singing full of emotion and dance full of life. They upheld the originality and quality of the musical Broadway songs while adding a mix of their own style and personality into the mix making the show all the more spectacular. The performers have marvelous talent and thanks to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, who gave the rising stars a place to shine in a bustling cultural city.

Yung Shan Chuang, Carl Hsu

 

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