No plans for Christmas Eve yet? Here is a very fine idea: take your loved one to the Grand Stage. Hong Kong singer Anthony Wong promises his first solo concert on the Chinese mainland that night and it will be a gala party to remember.
Wong is best known as the vocalist from the "Tat Ming Pair," Hong Kong's most successful duo in the 1980s, and for his flamboyant, androgynous personal fashion style.
Calling himself a perfectionist, the 45-year-old never fails to excite his audiences with his one-of-a-kind performing skills and dazzling costumes.
The concert, specially designed for Shanghai and the holiday season, will be divided into four parts, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Christmas and Wong.
Wong will premiere one or two songs "closely related to Shanghai," as he said, and his latest single, "Jade Theater."
Apart from the new songs, he will also perform a few of his most well-known including "Blow up," "Swirl" and "I should Feel Happy Today" as well as classics from his "Tat Ming Pair" era.
Dubbed Hong Kong's David Bowie, Wong started his career as a DJ at the Commercial Radio Hong Kong in 1984.
He formed the "Tat Ming Pair" with composer and guitarist Tats Lau but the group disbanded in 1990.
Wong continued his musical career as a solo singer and later as a producer.
He reached the peak of his musical career in the mid 1990s, winning many prestigious musical awards.
In 1999, he founded the music production company People Mountain People Sea with a group of talented artists and musicians in Hong Kong.
The company has since produced and published albums not only for high profile pop singers such as Leslie Cheung, Faye Wong and Eason Chan, but also for alternative artists such as at17 and PixelToy.
The cover of his latest album "Like Water" features Wong covered all over by thousands of crystals.
The Hong Kong artist visited Shanghai frequently this year. In July, he performed the Shanghai leg of the worldwide Live Earth concerts. Most recently, he has attended both the MTV Awards ceremony and the China Fashion Awards in the city.
According to Wong, there will be programs specially designed for the Christmas and New Year at the concert. Also, he hopes that the audience will come to the concert dressed in their most glamorous costumes.
Date: December 24, 7:30PM
Venue: Shanghai Grand Stage, 1111 Caoxi Road W.
Tel: 6438-5200; 6438-4952
(Shanghai Daily December 20, 2007)
