Tan Soo Suan delivered an outstanding performance at Dama Orchestra’s revival show of The Moon Speaks For My Heart.
Last week’s Teresa Teng tribute concert was a hit with fans of all backgrounds.
DAMA Orchestra’s The Moon Speaks For My Heart show last week was full of poetic visuals and jaw-dropping vocals, powered by an ensemble of seasoned and charismatic stars. A revival of its 2011 Teresa Teng concert, the show featured an explosive opener – the first song-and-dance sequence offered a stunning and effective way of establishing intrigue, as narrators Samuel Tseu and Alex Koh recounted the confusion and hype surrounding news of her death, in 1996.
A full-cast performance of You saw smoke billowing across the stage as a picture of Teng’s face, wistfully staring into a mirror, was split open to the sound of sirens. This was my favourite scene from the show – the set reflected a mood of excitement and heightened tragedy, as an orchestra-fuelled bonanza of dramatic opera voices, rising in unison among the cabaret-style choreography, represented a world shocked and in mourning of her premature demise.
Tseu and Koh then took us through the story of Teng’s life, speaking with dignified composure. Each milestone was punctuated by relevant numbers, sung by resident Dama performers Tan Soo Suan, Chang Fang Chyi and Rachel Tan.
Tan’s soprano vocals stood out, filling every inch of the stage with a haunting power and panache. She breathed her own brand of life and soul into Goodbye My Love, The Boat Song, and some of Teng’s English covers, like Flashdance.
Her rendition of The Way We Were sent chills down my spine.
Rachel also offered an impressive performance – in spite of a petite frame, her voice packs a punch. She also brought a forceful charisma to her performance, owning the stage and excelling in Teng’s earlier folk tunes such as Plucking The Lotus and Going Back To North Nanshan Mountain, the latter of which was particularly captivating. Chang’s renditions differed significantly in style, bringing us to a more mellow, upbeat place, with a touch of razzle dazzle.
Jazz arrangements for songs like The Moon Is Like Lemon and Flowing Water were packed with fun. But some of the best moments were full-company pieces like Copacabana, which featured dynamic visuals and excellent vocals.
The finale, despite the “cheese” risk of medleys, worked really well. In one scene, each singer (including back up singers and narrators) sang excerpts of Teng’s various songs, their voices finally uniting in one harmonic crescendo. It was as if I was watching all the different stages of Teng’s personality and past being slowly pieced together to create a climatic whole, representing the epitome of all her achievements.
Of course, they save the best for last. The show’s closing scene indulged the audience with Teng’s most popular, and possibly her most beloved, song: The Moon Speaks For My Heart. As the applause sounded, I couldn’t help wondering how a two-hour show seemed to be over so fast.
The Moon Speaks For My Heart will be running till June 23 at Pentas 1, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre. For more information, call 03-4047 9000 / 9010 or contact iLasso Tickets (03-7957 6088). For online booking, visit ilassotickets.com.
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