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 December 23rd, 2000 |
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December 23rd, 2000 |
 What a great time it was to meet our friends and take in the sights of Las Vegas at Christmas. We stayed at the MGM Grand [right; emblem above] and had a good look around the various lavishly themed casino resorts and shopping malls lining the "Strip" — enjoying the clear but chilly weather and the eye-catching architecture with flashy bright lights and neon. |
 Among other things, we were quite impressed with the enormous classical music colored fountain display that spanned the entire front of the Bellagio Hotel [left]. |
Our main objective for the trip, however, was to see one particular star at the all-star charity event on the evening of December 23rd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena: 001 WITH LUV — JACKIE CHAN & SUPERSTARS IN CONCERT. It was a fantastic live show of high comedy and fine music provided by Jackie Chan, Emil Chau, Jonathan Lee, Eric Tsang, Anita Mui, Lydia Shum, Pak Cheung Chan, Maria Cordero, Alex To, and Joey Yung, who were all donating their time to help raise funds for local health-care organizations.We were surrounded by a huge audience of fans, so many of the people seeming to be middle-aged and older, and many families with children were present as well — clearly 98% of the crowd in attendance was Chinese, and the arena was packed to the rafters.
During the 3-hour show, the jesting and teasing among the entertainers was non-stop and even a little risque here and there, thanks mostly to Eric Tsang — who Jackie jokingly informed us was the "Chinese Chris Tucker"! The conversations that went on were downright hilarious, though almost no English was spoken by anyone!
Emil Chau was the second-to-last performer to step on stage. By that time the crowd was so delighted by all that had come before — particularly memorable being Anita Mui's and Maria Cordero's lively numbers — that lightsticks were waving furiously all around the arena.
With one of the few English phrases heard that night — "Merry Christmas!" — Emil greeted the crowd then got right down to joking with his longtime friend Jackie Chan, and they appeared to be as intent on entertaining themselves as they were the rest of us. Emil always seems to have great rapport with everyone, and especially with his friends!
Emil started off by singing "Hurt By Love" in his typically laid-back style. While we had a relatively close view from our prime section of the arena (as evidenced by the $150 price for the seats!), I really enjoyed being able to watch Emil and the others loom into view at eight-times magnification through my compact binoculars — so I could fully appreciate even how the colored overhead spotlights cheerfully highlighted Emil's fashionably tousled hairstyle! Once he had finished his first song, he launched into a humorous chat that further charmed the audience.
Then Emil and Jackie started horsing around at the piano on the ballad "You Make Me Happy and Sad" (Rang Wo Huan Xi Rang Wo You), a familiar and comic little intro that they have conspired on before. Jackie seemed intent on playing the opening chords of the song, but soon it was apparent that he probably didn't know how to play the piano at all! Nevertheless, he pounded away at discordant random and beckoned for Emil to get a move on and start to sing. With Emil squinting and frowning and stalling for time, it was really a funny sight! But they did manage to get the song rolling, with Jackie wrapping it up solo in lavish style! By the way, you may know that "Rang Wo Huan Xi Rang Wo You," one of Emil Chau's biggest hits, is an adaptation of a song originally composed by the Japanese pop star Ryo Aska of the duo Chage & Aska, and that Jonathan Lee had written the Chinese lyrics for it.
Jonathan Lee in fact emerged as the final special guest to sing a couple of his wonderful classics — and he was in excellent form! Then he and Emil hung out for a while in the low lights at the rear, while Emil looked to be sipping a bottle of soda as the two chatted and chuckled and sang along a bit as Jackie soloed on a medley of familiar songs that included some of Emil Chau's and Jonathan Lee's own signature hits.
Then the three together — Jackie, Jonathan and Emil — decided they'd sing "The Sincere Hero" (the original of which has actually four parts that included Anthony Wong). They launched right into the song, immediately colliding comically in somewhat off-key confusion about who was supposed to sing what and when — very funny! But they got it going again after conferring for a moment, and when Emil's part came, he strode to the right front corner of the stage and dropped to one knee in great feeling as he belted it out. He then rose as he sang and moved to the center front of the stage, kneeling dramatically once again with his arms spread wide before the monitor speaker — where he then reached over and pulled off a cheat sheet of the lyrics that was taped to it! Jackie snatched it from him and passed it to Jonathan — so that's why those crafty guys had been orbiting near the center front speaker as they each so sincerely sang the "The Sincere Hero."
The three of them were such crack-ups!
Needless to say, everyone on stage and off had a wonderful time at the concert, and it was all the more satisfying to know that the event was being held for worthy charitable causes.
Sure, we and our friends had hoped that we might be lucky enough to meet Emil Chau in person, and we spent a good portion of our time roaming the hotel and casino as well as the shopping and restaurant passageways, named the "Studio Walk," that lead to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in the hope of an Emil sighting. On the afternoon of the concert, we just happened to spot Eric Tsang heading for the arena entrance. Psyched up by such good fortune, we were combing that flashily Christmas-decorated area looking here and there among the passers-by, when suddenly behind us a woman called out "EMIL!" Immediately we spun around — only to find that a German lady was trying to get her husband's attention! What a huge laugh we all got from that!
Even though we ended up not seeing Emil outside of the show, we were not disappointed. Also around the same area, I could exchange hellos with the compact Brad Allan as he strode toward the arena looking very preoccupied (likely mulling over his part in the upcoming kung fu-style dance number that opened the show), and one friend's favorite piano player in Emil's band, Eric Hong Jing Yao, was spotted heading up the stairs after the concert was over — she went off after him but he was lost in the crush of people, unfortunately. Among other celebrity guests, Sammo Hung himself was present in the audience and stood up to be acknowledged during the concert, and after the show we watched Jackie Chan's 90+-year-old father in his baseball cap, resolutely climbing the stairs out of the arena area rather than taking the adjacent escalator, plus Jackie's manager Willie Chan passed by with a friendly wave as one of the last people who left the arena that evening.
What a merry holiday it was! Yet even having decorated Christmas trees and garlands everywhere, with all of the 24-hour casino-style flash and noise the Las Vegas atmosphere seemed more commercial than Christmasy, at least to me.... Still, on Christmas Eve after our friends had left for home, we went over for our last evening to the Mandalay Bay and Four Seasons hotels — great to see that there were no slot machines at the latter! — both of which had traditional Christmas trees and decorations, so stately and elegant, probably the best we'd seen up to that point. And we had an excellent late dinner of succulent prime rib at the Mandalay Bay, which was far better than any of the meals we'd experienced at the MGM Grand!
 As we were led to our table beside theirs,
I paused in front of Alex for a moment. Suddenly forgetting anything
appropriate to say — such as the all-important "We're
really looking forward to your performance at the concert!"
— I simply smiled and said "Hello," and he smiled
and said it right back. The others with me (rather rudely, I
thought!  ) marched straight to our table. Once we
were seated, Alex and his two companions occasionally eyed us
with puzzled expressions — I could see him and one of the
women by peeking around my friend's head — as if they were
wondering why the heck we didn't even ask for an autograph! (Or
maybe they were as dissatisfied with their overcooked breakfasts
as we were. Heh heh!) A pity that I hadn't tried to be
bolder in approaching Alex — surely he would've been impressed
that we'd come all the way from Japan for the show! But there
we were, mumbling excuses about letting them eat in peace, etc.,
while I was fiddling with the camera in my lap. I must admit,
though, we were also rather preoccupied with keeping an eye on
the Studio Walk just beyond the potted plants in the hope of
sighting Emil Chau! So in the end, Alex To departed the Coyote Cafe
at least having finally been recognized by someone there.  In fact, we think
Alex has made some excellent music. Hey, Alex! We do own
a few of your albums — and thanks a bunch for singing at
the concert! |
Content © copyright of the WWS. Photos of the concert courtesy of Reuters News Service / Ethan Miller; images of the MGM Grand and Eric Tsang kindly provided by Stephanie; image of Alex To from the Hit 2000 VCD (1999), Rock (HK) Co., Ltd.
