Kar-Sing Lam (Chinese: 林家聲) was a former actor and Cantonese opera singer from Hong Kong. Lam is credited with over 300 films.
Early life
On January 18, 1933, Lam was born as Lam Man Shun in Hong Kong. Lam's ancestry origin was from Dongguan, Guangdong province, China. Lam's sister is Lam Kar-Yee. In 1936, Lam's mother died. Lam and his sister were raised up by their father. When Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation, Lam's family fled from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, China, and returned to Hong Kong later. At the age of 10, Lam became a student under Tang Chiu Lan-fong.[1][2]
Career
In 1944, at age 11, Lam began his Cantonese opera career. In 1947 at age 14, Lam's acting career started. Lam first appeared in Prostituting to Raise the Orphan, a 1947 Cantonese opera film directed by Hung Chung-Ho. In 1966, Lam founded Tsung Sun Sing Troupe in performing Cantonese opera on stage.[2][3]
Lam's last film was Madame Lee Sze-Sze
(aka Li Shi-Shi), a 1967 Cantonese opera film directed by Wong Hok-Sing. Lam is credited with over 300 films.[3]
In Cantonese opera, Lam's singing is known as Sing style.[4]
Repertoire
This is a partial list.
The Marriage of the Top Scholar
The Dream Encounter Between Emperor Wu of Han and Lady Wa
Time To Go Home, a (Sit Gok Sin, Lam's master) classic
The Butterfly Lovers (two versions)
Lu Wen-long
Bao and Dai of Red Chamber
War and Never-ending Love
Romance and Hatred
Merciless Sword Under Merciful Heaven (aka Paragons and Heroism)
The Sounds of Battle
The Story of Chu Pin's Loyalty to the Sung Dynasty
- Invitation originated from 1967 for Kwun-Lai Ng and her Lai Sing Opera Troupe but Ng could not get the necessary documents to perform in the United States that year.
- War and Never-ending Love by playwright Poon Cheuk
1978, 3rd Festival of Asian Arts
1980, 5th Festival of Asian Arts
1981, Singapore (17 titles for 2 weeks, hopefully 3 weeks, repeated four titles for more days, extended to 22 January 1981)[5][9][10]
- Lam Kar Sing Cantonese Opera Troupe was brought to the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre by IME United instead of the [11] Kreta Ayer People's Theatre like other troupes such as the one in 1974 led by Madam Choo Sow Ying (Chinese: 朱秀英),[12] to help funds drive.
- Proceeds of the first night was donated by Lam's troupe to the People's Theatre Foundation. (Guangdong Cantonese Opera Troupe grossed $150,000 in 1980.[13])
In 1962, Lam married Hong Dou-zi (d. 2009),[16] a Cantonese opera singer. They have two sons. In 1993, Lam and his family moved from Hong Kong to Toronto, Canada. In 2003, Lam's younger son committed suicide in Hong Kong. In 2009, after Lam's wife's death from cancer in Toronto, Canada, he returned to Hong Kong.[1][19]
^ abNew Nation (SG); 6 January 1981; page 23; Review by Ngai Soet:- The plot...essentially the battle of sexes. ..two dimensional stock characters.... no opportunity to show off their techniques. Despite...Peter Pan of the opera,... to milk laughter,...stooped to gutter humor,...the fighting scenes were rather lackadaisical staged with stylised but boring calisthenics...; Article available on Microfilm Reel NL10894
^Also known as Spotlight, according to Postbills, this was performing Cantonese opera in western costumes.
^ abNew Nation, 31 December 1980, Page 12; Article available on Microfilm Reel NL10844
^New Nation, 30 December 1980, Page 22; Article available on Microfilm Reel NL10844
^Chinese: 人民劇塲管委副主席李衛國否認 林家聲粵劇團將為人民劇場舉行義演 [ARTICLE] Xin Ming Ri Bao, 18 November 1980, Page 3, Not Viewable from home, available on Microfilm Reel NL10846
^Newspaper Articles (1) HKopera troupe to help funds drive, The Straits Times, 22 July 1974, Page 13. (2) Guangdong opera troupe to perform here, The Straits Times, 5 February 1980, Page 7.
^Troupes to come for fund raising, The Straits Times, 2 February 1981, Page 10.
^Xin Ming Ri Bao(Chinese: 新明日报), 26 May 1981, Page 6; Article also available on Microfilm Reel NL11231
^"Three Females". hkmdb.com. March 22, 1960. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
