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Dick Lee: I’m more sure of myself as a Singaporean

The music veteran’s re-staging of “The Mad Chinaman” promises a deeper look into his musical journey

 

Dick-Lee-2015
Dick-Lee-2015

Dick Lee is widely regarded as Singapore’s theatre and music maestro, including for his immensely-popular national song “Home” (Photo: Joel Low Photography)

 
Amid a busy day of conference calls for the National Day Parade and speaking to the press, Dick Lee sat down with me in Dancing Crab, a Cajun seafood restaurant he co-owns.

From creating sold-out musical productions to becoming a restaurateur, Dick is a true Renaissance man and go-getter, who many locals love to see more from.

Dick, who first shot to regional fame with the album, “The Mad Chinaman” in 1989, revealed to me the method behind his ‘madness’.

 

You staged “The Adventures of the Mad Chinaman” twice in 2011. What prompted you to re-stage the show this year?

It was an offer from the Esplanade. I did the first run [in 1989] there, and they liked it very much.

This story is about my own world and experiences but there are similarities to Singapore celebrating its anniversary.

 

How will this “Upsized” version be different?

This time, the venue is so much bigger. It was in a recycled studio last time, and now it’s a concert hall. Previously, it had only one piano. Now, I’m filling it up with a band.

The previous concerts featured my musical journey from the ‘60s to the ‘80s. This time, I’ve extended it to what happened when I went to Japan, Hong Kong and so on. This is also a show about the Singaporean identity and how it affected my career as Singapore changed.

 

MAD-CHINAMAN-COVER-002
MAD-CHINAMAN-COVER-002

 

The Mad Chinaman was your alter ego. Who is he, and what has happened to him?

The Mad Chinaman is someone who is confused about his identity, and it’s enough to make him go crazy. Right now, I’m more sure of myself as a Singaporean. I’m able to express myself as a Singaporean.

So he’s not so mad anymore but still crazy — in terms of fun!

 


Also read: Suhaimi Yusof: Why I love making people laugh


 

Other than “The Mad Chinaman Upsized” and SG50 projects, what have you been busy with?

Where do I begin? The LKY Musical just opened [ed’s note: the show ended its run on Aug 16], and I’m directing Beauty World next — I’m excited about that. This year has been very jammed because of SG50.

 

That’s a lot of work.

I cannot say no! Every project is very meaningful to me.

 

How was your experience filming the channel 5 variety show “Rolling Good Times”?

That was a great experience. Strangely, the first two seasons were produced in the ‘90s when I was living in Japan, so I’ve never seen it. But everyone I knew was talking about it and thought it was great.

So when the idea came back, there was lots of enthusiasm. So many people actually stayed home to watch it on Sunday night! That’s quite rare nowadays.

They’re going to do another one next year — that was my idea. It’ll be quite different and it’s going to be interesting!

 

Your works are intertwined with Singapore’s history. Is it a conscious effort or does it just flow?

Before, when I wasn’t so sure of my identity in my music, I made a very conscious effort to infuse a Singaporean-ness within the music. That was really hard, because what was the Singaporean identity anyway?

I used to try different things; for example, using ethnic instruments to create an East-meets-West thing. But Singapore is more than East meets West; it’s something that comes from inside. I spent most of my career looking for it and experimenting.

Now, with the confidence I have gained, I found that whatever I write is Singaporean. I must believe in it, and I feel confident enough that it comes across anyway — I don’t have to try very hard.

 


Also read: Chua En Lai: From Noose to juicy news


 

If you could re-stage a popular musical in Singapore style, which would it be?

Beauty World, which I’m doing soon. That is a very special show for me as it was my first musical, and also one of the first Singaporean musicals.

I’m directing it this time, so I’m going to present my vision of it.

 

It seems like you’re a real renaissance man. What ideas might you be toying with now?

I’m going to be directing my first movie next year. It’s part of a trilogy. The first was a play last year called “Rising Son”, about my father as a teenager during the Japanese Occupation. The second play is called “Dancing Girl”, about my mother growing up.

And then the third one — the movie — is about me, inspired by my experiences in the ‘70s. It’s all about growing up with the different periods of Singapore.

 
By Pamela Chow

Dick Lee composed the theme song “Our Singapore” for National Day 2015. His show, Dick Lee: The Adventures of the Mad Chinaman Upsized will be held on Sep 3 at the Esplanade Concert Hall.

By Pamela Chow for Weekender Singapore