After waiting and waiting, Kitty Chen came. The last time
appeared in the eyes of mainland audiences as a musical actor was in 2005 when she starred in "Snow Wolf Lake".
When I learned that Kit Chan was going to star in the Guangzhou musical "The Lion", some friends I hadn't heard from for a long time sent messages to the reporter asking for theater seat recommendations. Like them, many of them were not fans of musicals, nor did they Even though she knew how many roles she had in her role, she was still willing to spend hundreds of dollars to buy a ticket and walk into the theater just to hear Kitty Chen sing live.
Kitty Chan on the stage has the ability to capture people's hearts. When she opens her voice, her voice is as steady as a CD, and her voice is full of story-telling. She sings it into people's hearts immediately. The song "Smile" is emotionally delicate and makes people remember it for a long time. "Kitty Chan seems to be singing as soon as she opens her mouth. Live!" the audience shouted. He is worthy of being a national treasure singer in Singapore and is worth the price of admission.
One evening not long ago, we met Kitty Chan. Even though the day's itinerary was packed, she didn't feel tired at all, but had a sense of relaxation that didn't belong in the city. "(The sense of relaxation) comes from practice." She spoke softly.
Kitty Chen has been a person with strong opinions since she was a child. When she first watched the video of the musical "The Sound of Music" in the third grade of elementary school, she decided that this was what she liked. Later, she chose to go to a small drama school, and everyone else was impressed. I feel like she is daydreaming, "How will I find a job after graduation?" But she can't control that much, "This is what I want to do."
She is also a free and easy-going person at work, and she can choose a female In the musical "Snow Wolf Lake", she took the initiative to choose the second female lead because the role was more suitable for her; at the age of 32, when her career was on the rise, she chose to leave the music scene temporarily. Her idea was simple: she wanted to return to life; in recent years, she She went to the farm and became a farmer, with a straw hat on her head and a bare face, her face flushed from the sun. "I like working and the feeling of sweating profusely."
In just 40 minutes, she chatted a lot with Nandu reporters about music. , about life, about beauty and aging... Throughout the entire interview, she always had a warm smile on her face, like a ray of sunshine in winter, bringing warmth to people.
1
Musical is my "Happy Paradise"
Stills from the musical "The Young Lion".
Nandu Entertainment: This is your first time participating in a musical in China. Do you have any different experiences?
Kitty Chen: Although my main career is a pop singer, I will continue to act in a musical every 3 to 5 years. This is my paradise of happiness. Although it requires a lot of time, rehearsing here makes me feel like I'm back in school. In this environment, everyone is equal and I can be very relaxed.
What I think is great is that even though I have reached this stage of my life and career, there is still one thing that makes me feel curious and excited. I think this is a grace, and I regard it as a great gift from God. Good gift.
Nandu Entertainment: What kind of musical do you think "The Young Lion" is, and what do you hope to convey to the audience?
Kitty Chen: is like our slogan, "Even if there are many reasons to give up, only one is enough to persist." If people have dreams, I think they are happier and will find life more interesting and meaningful, so no matter how big or small the dream is , if you can persist and complete it, your life will not be in vain.
Nandu Entertainment: How do you feel when you see these young musical actors? What do you think young actors need?
Kitty Chen: We also know how hard it is for them. They have to perform a new thing in a week or two. I can see the hard work of young people who refuse to admit defeat and never give up. I feel very moved. I will also think back to the time when I was in that place. Depending on the age, if young people don’t have this kind of fighting spirit, it will be difficult for them to go on in the future.
I think young people have an empty cup mentality. For example, when my nephew was looking for his first job, I told him that you don’t have to be afraid and should be "greedy". The so-called greed means that you have so many experiences and have not yet experienced them. Don't be afraid of losing, taste the sweet and sour, because you are still empty. When you are almost full, you can start sifting.
Nandu Entertainment: As a new generation of musical actors, you have appeared in the musical "Snow Wolf Lake" very early. How did you choose in the first place?
Kitty Chen: I think I am very lucky. Many opportunities that others think are important, I rely on my feelings and fate, and rarely plan deliberately. I remember that I was busy promoting a record at that time, and the record company in Hong Kong informed me that I had to take the earliest flight to audition for a project. They said I was trying to participate in Jacky Cheung's musical. I said I was very tired, could I not go? He said no, he must come. I asked what I needed to prepare, but he said no, but I still prepared a song myself and made sure that the clothes I wore were suitable for dancing. As soon as we entered, Jacky asked, "What song do you want to sing for us?" Fortunately, I was prepared and sang an English song "wind beneath my wings". Then he asked, can you sing "memory"? He sang another verse as requested, and then he asked, "Can you dance?" I said yes, and learned two 8-beats from the dance teacher on the spot.
I was notified two weeks later that I had been selected. Jacky said that there were two heroines for you to choose from. I think you can do both. Then I chose the second female lead. Jacky was surprised, why did you have to choose the second female lead? ? I said the second female lead suits me better. I have been a person who has always followed my own feelings since I was a child, and I tend to follow what I like. At that time, I felt that the second female lead was very suitable for me, and the song "Waiting and Waiting" was also very suitable for me.
Nandu Entertainment: Did learn any professional qualities from him?
Kitty Chen: Absolutely, I was only 25 years old at that time, and he was already a singer. When I saw that he had such high demands on himself, I felt that he was like this, and I wanted to be like this even more. For example, there is nothing wrong with him singing, but if he feels that he has not done a good job, he will be very angry with himself. I am also like this naturally. When I see him like this, I feel that it is true, and I want to be more like this. But later on, when I matured, I realized that I shouldn't go too far, otherwise I would feel very uncomfortable.
Nandu Entertainment: What special meaning does this drama have to you?
Kitty Chen: is a very important milestone in my career. First of all, it gave me my first famous Cantonese song "Waiting and Waiting", which allowed me to enter the Hong Kong market. Later, I filmed TV series and started to release Cantonese albums. I also learned a lot during my time in Hong Kong.
Nandu Entertainment: You retired at the age of 32? What is ? What makes you leave ? What is ? What makes you come back to ?
Kitty Chen: I debuted when I was 21 years old. Our previous publicity work was very scary. When we released a record, we had to promote it for three months. We talked about the same thing 16 hours a day for three months. Then I felt that at that time It has reached a saturation point, and it seems that I have been completely consumed, so I have to pull away, but I know very well in my heart that I will come back. Let me recuperate, and I will come back after recuperating. I know very clearly that singing is A lifetime thing.
Then I went to school and went to work. Those days were also a very important turning point, because I had only been an artist and had never done any other job. I felt like I was out of touch with the outside world. I was a confident singer on stage. However, after leaving the stage, I was a very unsure person. During that period, I supplemented this part. When I returned to this position, I was a more confident person, which was great.
Nandu Entertainment: Except for "Singer" and "La La Land Youth", you rarely participate in variety shows. When faced with invitations to some projects, what are your selection criteria?
Kitty Chen: I think you must feel comfortable with . Sometimes we can of course judge whether the content is suitable, but sometimes the content is not important. The feeling of the person you are contacting is more important. Sometimes you may feel that the content is a little It's unacceptable. If the person you are contacting has a way to convince you, or he can use another method to get you to see this matter, I will consider it.
Nandu Entertainment: What do you think of the current short video hits?
Kitty Chen: I think every era has its own music form. For example, in the 1980s, there was the first music video. In the past, listening to music was just listening to the radio. Music video is a very breakthrough thing. Now it is a short video, maybe There will be new forms in the future. Although I have never really been exposed to short videos, I have sung some. It is also a channel to promote good songs. I have sung two songs that became popular in short videos, one is "Go Away That Him" and the other One of them is "An". I think no matter what method I use, as long as I can introduce good songs to everyone, it’s good.
2
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade out of it"
Nandu Entertainment: nearly a few years You have been in contact with nature and become a farmer. What insights do you have to share with everyone? What kind of energy does nature give you ?
Kitty Chen: Being a farmer is a little different from nature. If you want to get close to nature, we can do it at any time. You can travel or climb mountains. You can just enjoy the feeling that nature gives you. But being a farmer means you are living in a big world. Working in nature is another kind of enjoyment. I think the greatest satisfaction that being a farmer gives me is labor.
Nandu Entertainment: That’s the process.
Kitty Chen: Yes, the so-called "get your hands dirty" in English is called "get your hands dirty". In fact, I have always respected people who work with their hands since I was a child, whether they are sanitation workers, cleaners, or others, I think Urban people can buy everything with money, but working with hands is different. When you really get your hands dirty and sweat to do something, I feel that kind of satisfaction, yeah~
"Being a farmer Labor gives me the greatest satisfaction."
Nandu Entertainment: I feel like you have a rare sense of relaxation. How do you view age and time?
Kitty Chen: These are all incubated. Just like the sense of relaxation you mentioned, it is also incubated. It is not innate. I was born in a relatively tight state. Later I realized that it was very tight. A stretched life is not a good thing. So I practice slowly. There are many things that need to be practiced. If a certain idea or lifestyle attracts you, you must work hard in that direction. But being relaxed does not mean that you are not serious. You can still be serious, but you have to learn how to stay serious in this (relaxed state). Doing so will make many things easier.
Nandu Entertainment: How do you view your 20+, 30+, 40+ and 50+? feels that at every stage, is different from ?
Kitty Chen: The difference between 20 and 30 may not be that big. Maybe 20 is like just starting to learn swimming, and it will always be very strenuous. Maybe you don’t have to step on it that many times, but you will step on it a lot, and 30 will be more stable. I think 40 is a very interesting stage. I remember that many people would be very nervous when they were about to turn 40 and would say "I am too old to die". I think if you can master the age of 40, then the road ahead will be easier.
Nandu Entertainment: How to say ?
Kitty Chen: is just a number. Don’t feel oppressed when you see 4. You have to embrace it and accept it.Tell yourself, I have been climbing up and learning in my twenties and thirties. Can you use your 40s to refine what you have learned and make it more streamlined? You must be very... We speak in English Calm means very calm. When you spend these 10 years cultivating yourself, you will not be afraid when you are 50 years old. But if you keep resisting and keep saying how can I become younger, how can I... I think you The more you struggle, the more you will sink.
Kitty Chen’s daily life photos. She said that no matter what happens in life, she should make her life the best it can be.
Nandu Entertainment: So you don’t resist these, including aging?
Kitty Chen: If you don’t resist , why resist? You can’t change it, you need to accept it. There is a saying in English: “make the best of whatever”, “when life gives you lemons, just make lemonade”. You are a lemon. What should I do if the lemon is very sour? You can make it into a delicious lemon juice. This is my attitude. No matter what life gives me, as long as I live, I will make it the most beautiful thing.
Nandu Entertainment: So do you like your current state ?
Kitty Chen: I like it, but I have to tell you that you have to work hard every day. This state is not just like this when you wake up. It is the accumulation of daily practice, and you must move towards this goal step by step.
Nandu Entertainment: I think you are very attractive. Everyone says you are very beautiful. How do you define beauty?
Kitty Chan: I can tell you that no one said I was beautiful when I was young. (How is that possible?) Really, if you look at the previous reports, they will all say that this girl is good at singing, but not very good-looking. I think everyone's aesthetics may also be changing. As you grow older, you will never be more beautiful than when you were young, so the beauty you pursue is not the (external) beauty, but the inner beauty, so you praise me, Of course I am very grateful. This means that I have finally succeeded in practicing cultivation. I am very happy that you have seen my inner beauty.
Nandu Entertainment: How do you stay in such good shape?
Kitty Chen: I know how to dress well. I think I have a very healthy figure. I am definitely not the slim figure that many people pursue. But I have a healthy figure and I think health is more important.
Nandu Entertainment: If you were to sum up your 30-year acting career, how would you sum up yourself?
Kitty Chen: It’s hard for me to summarize because I haven’t played it enough yet. I’m still playing, so I can’t summarize it. I can only say that I still enjoy this job very much so far. I am very grateful every day. You are still so good after 30 years. I think it is very rare to love this job.
Nandu Entertainment: How does do this?
Kitty Chen: I think strives for a balance. No matter how much you love this stuff, I don't allow myself to do it too much to exhaust it.
Nandu Entertainment: Will have any concert plans in the future? Everyone really wants to hear you sing live.
Kitty Chen: There should be one in , but I am more casual about many jobs.
Written by: Nandu reporter Li Chunhua
Pictures: provided by the interviewee
