Ming Chee Sing Chinese Opera Troupe () is one of the top
Cantonese Opera
Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Guangdong Province. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau and among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Like all versions of Ch ...
troupes in Hong Kong. The troupe was founded in 1990 by Lau Kam Yiu () to promote a young opera talent,
Joyce Koi Ming Fai (). Lau himself, a retired businessman, later took over the management of Ming Chee Sing.
After the demise of Lau Kam Yiu in 2011, Ming Chee Sing Chinese Opera Troupe came under the management of his daughter, Lau Kok Ying (). The Troupe now performs at least 100 shows a year in many countries including the United States, Canada, England, Australia, Japan, China, Singapore, Macau, etc. It celebrated its 25th anniversary in October 2015.
Members
Leading male
Koi Ming Fai is the ‘man mou sang’ (leading male) of Ming Chee Sing. She is a popular and well-known opera male impersonator, and the god-daughter cum disciple of Cantonese Opera maestro
Lam Kar Sing (). Since 1995, she has also acted in several Hong Kong TV dramas. In 2001, she was awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Hong Kong.
At first, Koi Ming Fai partnered her classmate Zong Yun Sin (). The two of them were both trained at the Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong (). After the initial performances, an experienced actress
Wan Fei Yin (), was recruited to take over as the leading lady.
Current leading actress
Since November 1994,
Ng May Ying
Ng May Ying 吳美英 (born Pun Kwai Mui 潘桂妹) is a Cantonese opera performer. Also known as Ng Mei Ying, she comes from a family of Cantonese opera actors. Ng Shang Ying 吳尚英, her adoptive father, was a ‘man mou sang’ (actor who c ...
(), a renowned leading actress, is the stage partner of Koi Ming Fai. Their 21 years’ partnership is a record in Cantonese Opera circle. They are considered to be ‘The perfect pair’ by many Cantonese opera fans.
Operas
The operas performed by Ming Chee Sing are mostly famous plays of
Yam Kim Fai
Yam Kim-fai (, 4 February 1913 (Lunar 29 December 1912 – 29 November 1989), also known as Ren Jianhui was a renowned Cantonese opera actress in China and Hong Kong.
Yam was most notable for her unique ability to sing in the lower register. Tha ...
/
Bak Sheut Sin (), well-known operas of Lam Kar Sing (), and those written by Li Kui Ming ().
References
* ‘Traditional Opera’ by Louise do Rosário in Macao (Macao Magazine Issue No. 5, October 2010)
* Press release “Ming Chee Sing Chinese Opera showcases Tong Tik-sang's classics” by news.gov.hk dated August 30, 2011
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Theatre companies in Hong Kong
Cantonese opera troupes
1990 establishments in Hong Kong