Golden Lotus is a musical written and composed by George Chiang. The musical is based on the classic 17th-century Chinese novel Jin Ping Mei (The Golden Lotus). Set amidst the dying, war-torn years of Song dynasty China, the musical tells the story of the Golden Lotus (Pan Jinlian), whose desire for true love leads her into a web of deception and desperation with the valiant tiger slayer Wu Sung, the rich and powerful Xi Men (Ximen Qing), and the humble peddler Wu Da (Wu Dalang).Review: "Golden Lotus The Musical", MADDBUZZHK, September 13, 2014Review- Golden Lotus, the Musical", hkeld.com, September 13, 2014
Development Golden Lotus participated in the ASCAP Foundation/Disney Theatrical Productions Musical Theatre Workshop in New York City during March and April 2003 with artistic direction by Stephen Schwartz. The three-week workshop included two live performances by a cast of sixteen performers which included Harriet Chung as Golden Lotus, and Scott Watanabe (who also served as the music director) as the District Intendant.", Film The Magazine, pages 21-24, February 10, 2023Woman Pursues Her Passion in Life and Dance, The Standard HK, September 10, 2014
The musical was presented to a series of focus groups, which led to further revisions. This was followed by a year-long workshop led by Jim Betts with Script Lab's workshop in Toronto, modeled after BMI's Lehman Engels Musical Theater workshop in New York. Following the workshop, Betts worked directly with Chiang for several months on the musical as its dramaturge.
Hong Kong World Premiere On September 12, 2014, Golden Lotus premiered in Hong Kong at the Y-Theatre with a cast of twenty-six performers. The production featured Harriet Chung as the title character, Boon Ho Sung as Wu Sung, and Ronan Pak Kin Yan as Ximen. Also featured were Billy Sy as Wu Da, Samantha Fa as Madam Wang, Scott Watanabe as the District Intendant, Marc Ngan as the Fruit Peddler, and Soraya Chau as Ping. Emily Chan directed the production, with music arrangements by George Gao, choreography by Ivy Chung, and set and costume design by Moe Mo.Rebirth of an Epic Tale of Passion, The Standard HK, page 4, September 5, 2014身演出振雄風 白健恩生擒潘金蓮 He Was Born to Capture Golden Lotus, hd.stheadline.com, September 5, 2014
The production hailed Golden Lotus as "Hong Kong's First Musical." Its signature pop love song, "A World Away", has been praised.白健恩激情戲成重點 Ronan Pak Kin Yan's Passion Play, SING PAO, September 25, 2014 The production was recognized with three Hong Kong English Drama Award nominations for Best Show, Best Actress (Harriet Chung), and Best Original Work.And the winners are... HKELD.com, September 8, 2015
Musical film The Hong Kong production of Golden Lotus was captured live during four consecutive performances and later edited into a feature-length film showcased at film festivals during 2021–2023. The musical film won over 60 awards across multiple categories, including Best Picture of the Festival at the 2023 World Independent Cinema Awards (WICA). Golden Lotus was selected as the standout film of the year and named the best film from all 11 festivals.
On May 1, 2024, Golden Lotus began streaming on the Stratford Festival's digital platform. Chiang called the deal a "proper alignment" with Straftest@Home due to their commitment to showcasing world-class theater.
Musical numbers
+Act I Song Performer(s) 1 "Prologue" Fruit Peddler 2 "Wu Sung Slayed the Tiger" Fruit Peddler, District Intendant, Townspeople 3 "Captain of the Guard" Wu Sung, Chingho Guards 4 "Fresh Buns for Sale" Wu Da, Street Kid, Fruit Peddler, Townspeople, Xi Men 5 "Confrontation" Wu Sung, Xi Men 6 "Reunited" Wu Da, Wu Sung 7 "When I Close My Eyes" Golden Lotus 8 "Forgive Me" Golden Lotus, Xi Men 9 "Ten Thousand Fold Happiness" Golden Lotus, Wu Da, Wu Sung 10 "Loyalty" Golden Lotus, Wu Sung 11 "Verdant Spring Bordello" Sing-Song Girls, Patrons, Madam Wang, Xi Men 12 "Paradise" Xi Men, Sing-Song Girls 13 "Her Name is Golden Lotus" Madam Wang, Sing-Song Girls, Xi Men 14 "Garnering the Glow" Madam Wang, Xi Men, Sing-Song Girls 15 "Fresh Buns for Sale " (Reprise) Wu Da, Fruit Peddler, Madam Wang, District Intendant, Xi Men 16 "Imperial Envoy" District Intendant 17 "As Each Day Goes By" Golden Lotus, Wu Sung 18 "Fried Dumplings" Golden Lotus, Wu Sung 19 "Dreams of My Heart" Golden Lotus, Wu Sung 20 "A World Away" Golden Lotus 21 "Life or Death" Madam Wang, Xi Men, Golden Lotus 22 "Purple Stone Street" Fruit Peddler, Street Peddlers, Townspeople, Madam Wang 23 "Clandestine Affair" Fruit Peddler, Street Peddlers, Townspeople 24 "The Perfect Plan" Wu Da, Madam Wang, Golden Lotus, Xi Men
+Act II Song Performer(s) 25 "Does Anyone Here Know?" Wu Sung, Townspeople, Fruit Peddler, Madam Wang 26 "Keep on Looking Down the Street" Fruit Peddler, Wu Sung 27 "Flag of Death" Wu Sung, Ghosts, Wu Da 28 "WaterLily Pavilion" Xi Men's Wives, Xi Men 29 "Fallen" Wu Sung, Golden Lotus, Xi Men 30 "Banished" District Intendant, Xi Men 31 "A World Away" (Reprise) Golden Lotus 32 "Little Brother Mandarin" Xi Men, District Intendant, Ping, Wedding Guests 33 "Little Brother Mandarin (Reprise)" Ping 34 "Lord of the Five Ways" Ping, Golden Lotus, Ghosts, Xi Men 35 "The Concubines" Fruit Peddler 36 "Destiny" Wu Sung, Soldiers 37 "The Auction" Madam Wang, District Intendant, Fruit Peddler, Wu Sung 38 "Eternity" Wu Sung, Golden Lotus, Madam Wang 39 "When I Close my Eyes" (Finale) Wu Sung, Golden Lotus
Albums Golden Lotus: Sounds From The Musical was released on May 31, 2015. It is a CD consisting of 15 songs from the musical as they appeared in the Hong Kong world premiere. It was recorded in Toronto with Harriet Chung as Golden Lotus, Charles Azulay as Wu Sung, Thom Allison as Xi Men, George Chiang as Wu Da, Stacey-Lea Marhue as Madam Wang, Scott Watanabe as the District Intendant, Pierre Bayuga as the Fruit Peddler, and Josette Jorge as Ping. The music and its vocal arrangements were directed by Tim Stiff, and the music arrangements was by George Gao.
Golden Lotus: Sounds From The Musical (Deluxe Edition) was released on December 1, 2023, and features 4 additional tracks from the musical, which are: "When I Close My Eyes", "Verdant Spring Bordello", "Little Brother Mandarin (Reprise)", and "Lord of the Five Ways".recordworld.com, October 20, 2023Tinnitist.com, October 13, 2023
Singles A single of the signature pop ballad from Golden Lotus, "A World Away", was recorded by Harriet Chung. The song was arranged by Warren Robert, who also conducted the live orchestra for the recording. The single and its music video were released on August 25, 2020, as "A World Away (Remix)". The single won Best Original Song at the Hollywood Gold Awards.
Harriet Chung recorded a solo version and music video of the signature duet from Golden Lotus, "As Each Day Goes By" on October 6, 2023. The single and its music video won Best Original Song and Best Music Video at the International Gold Awards.
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