Singing out internal conflicts and hope
Having composed for several musicals, Kam is particularly serious about plots following logic. "Although I am not the playwright, the plot of musicals is intrinsically tied to the type of songs to be included, which need to fit into the theme of the musical. I always request changes if I find the plot illogical." He proceeds to add with a smile: "Luckily, Sunny Chan did not get annoyed by me, and the changes we made were worth it. After all, it was his first time writing for a musical. We all took on suggestions from one another and frequently made adjustments to the plot, music and melody. The process was quite dynamic." Kam said the plot of this musical was changed more than any other musical he had worked on. And due to the pandemic, the process of creation was exceptionally long. "We do not like to rush into anything, so the timing of this performance is perhaps perfect for us."
The process of production brought together various masters of playwriting, music composition and lyric writing, which in fact made things difficult. In musicals, decisions have to be made on when to drive the plot with dialogue or lyrics. And how can that be complemented by music? "It depends on the situation. For example, there is a song for the Four Bandits about how they came up with their group name at Yeung Yiu Kee. After the showcase of the musical, we all believed the part was taking too long and felt it could be delivered through two lines of dialogue, rather than a four-minute song."
Later, Kam read through the dialogue that came before and after this section, and identified some content that could be delivered through song. So he tried it out, placing a few lines of dialogue into the original melody. "Chris Shum is very quick-witted. He immediately understands what you are trying to do, and knew that the dialogue had to be shortened into lyrics." The final version of the song narrates why these four people with distinct backgrounds had to join the uprising, giving the song a deeper meaning. "At least the song now touches on the inner conflicts of the characters and their lingering hopes. If it only talks about how the group got its name, the lyrics would be vacant and superficial."
The creators all agree that Yat-sen is not a chronological play. "It is a play about growth and coming of age. It narrates how the young protagonist originally viewed the world idealistically, and eventually learned to accept the truth and change his attitudes." The play does not blindly worship Sun Yat-sen. "He also makes mistakes, but we want to focus on how he learned from them."
