Forbidden City - Portait of An Empress

A historical retelling of the story of China's Empress Dowager, the story is seen from the eyes of an American painter, Kate Carl, who is commissioned to paint the Empress' portrait.
The Empress recounts her amazing journey from a young imperial concubine to become the Empress of China and the pressures she faced. The musical explores the myths surrounding her reign, from the controversial death of her only son to her ambitious tussle for power.

Picture & Synopsis Courtesy from SRT

I was asked by my brother to accompany him for this musical last week. Since one of the members of the cast, Kit Chan is one of my fave singers of all time, I decided to accompany him, which means I finally had the chance to go to the Esplande for the first time.

I must say the musical was not bad, except for the first part, where the old Empress Dowager was acting to provide the background story for the musical. The musical perked up only after Kit Chan appeared as the young imperial concubine, where she really left us enthralled with her powerful singing and soulful voice. I guess she really justified my ticket price of $92, and the OST which I bought later after the show.

Equally impressive was Hossan Leong, who acted as the servant of the young Empress Dowager. He never fail to make us laugh with his hillarous antics that spiced up the musical. The musical will be like a boring history lesson without him.

Last but not least, Dick Lee, who is the music director of the musical. The Singapore Idol judge has cherographed the music to new heights, that has left me and my brother deeply impressed.

If you guys are interested in the show, it is still on till 30 September 2006. Tickets can be purchased from Sistic at 63485555