KitChan.com

Jodie & Cathy: The Princess and the Flea

irishblue — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 10:46:00 +0000

The book titled "Jodie & Cathy: The Princess and the Flea", written by Kit and her friend Siew Fern, will be officially released on 21st July 2006. It's half-fiction, half-autobiography.

Thanks to Candice for the release dates!

Made-in-Singapore musical back by popular demand

irishblue — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 08:11:00 +0000

By Yvonne Yong | Posted: 27 July 2006 1039 hrs

SINGAPORE: "Forbidden City" was first staged in 2002. The musical was such a success that it was brought back again the following year to the delight of more than 55,000 theatre-goers.

It is no surprise that a repeat performance has been planned to coincide with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings 2006 to be held in Singapore this September.

Before it hits the stage again, Channel NewsAsia's Prime Time Morning caught up with Kit Chan, the main star of the musical who plays the young Empress Dowager Cixi and Gaurav Kripalani, artistic director from the Singapore Repertory Theatre.

“I can’t wait to go back on stage, especially because I’ve taken a year off singing,” Kit says, excited at the thought of playing Empress for the third time. “I hope to bring a new energy, new sass, more femininity and more tenderness to the role.”

“But I don’t think it ever gets easier,” she says, when asked how she feels about doing it all over again. “You have to put in the same amount of effort, if not more – I tend to put more expectations on myself to be better.”

The 33-year-old, who was the first Singaporean to break into the Hong Kong Cantopop and Taiwanese Mandopop markets more than ten years ago, says it was her love for musicals that probably led to her becoming a recording artiste.

For Kit, performing in a musical made in Singapore is very much like coming home, “I feel very comfortable working in Singapore… I feel a rapport and a very warm feeling with the audience here”.

And there is no doubt that audiences here feel the same way. But for those who were lucky enough to experience Forbidden City three years ago, there is still much to look forward to this time around. “We’ve revamped it quite a bit,” says Kripalani.

“The choreography, the costumes, the cast have changed… It’s tighter and more exciting.”

“For Asian audiences who are familiar with the Empress Dowager’s story, this is a completely new take on it. And for those who are not familiar with it…it’s beautiful…. At the end of the day, it’s a beautiful love story set in an historical context.”

The epic is about a young concubine in love, a dying Emperor, a heartless traitor, an idealistic artist and an empire that stands to fall.

The story is told through the eyes of Kate Carl, who is commissioned to paint the empress' portrait, and the musical recounts CiXi's trials and tribulations from ingenious concubine to ruthless ruler, to unmask the woman behind the painted face.

Kriplalani is looking forward to the opportunity to show the world, when it comes to Singapore in September, the high standard of musical theatre that exists here.

“We’re ready to use this as a platform to showcase to the world what we can do in Singapore – we’re bringing in producers from the rest of the world to see this,” he says proudly.

Meanwhile eager theatre fans don’t have much longer to wait for the revamped, much-improved Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress, the musical, as it re-opens in just over a month on September the 8th at the Esplanade Theatres.

Related Videos
- Kit Chan in Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress
- Kit tells PTM she feels at home in Singapore
- "We've revamped it quite a bit."

Source: ChannelNewsAsia.com

UFM Interview

irishblue — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 15:08:00 +0000

Here's the interview recorded on 11-Aug-2006. Kit and Siew Fern talk about their book, friendship and reminisce their childhood.

(press play to start)

PS: If you managed to record the earlier yes933 interview and would like to share it, please email me. Thanks :)

NEWPAPER: Princess and flea fight to be Madonna

irishblue — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:28:00 +0000

By Syahirah Anwar
08 August 2006

THEY have been friends for more than 20 years, and have now released a book about their friendship.

But back in school, local songstress Kit Chan (above right) and friend Yong Siew Fern got into an argument because both of them wanted to play the Material Girl.

Kit, 34, said: 'When we were back in school, there was a skit on Madonna and we adored her and both of us wanted the part. But in the end, I got the part and that made Siew Fern really angry with me.'

Siew Fern, 34, a magazine sub-editor said: 'I actually burst into tears of anger because she got the role! I guess at that point I was a little jealous. But that was a long time ago when we were still young.'

The duo, who met while studying at Raffles Girls Secondary School, remain firm friends.

The semi-autobiographical book about their friendship, boys and food, titled Cathy And Jodie: The Princess And The Flea is available at all bookstores for $18.90.

'The idea came about in 2003 when SNP, which is our publisher, approached me to do an autobiography. But I felt I was still too young to do one. So I suggested doing a semi-autobiography about my friendship with Siew Fern,' said Kit at the book's launch last Wednesday.

The book, she said, had to have 'spice added to make some of the incidents seem more dramatic'.

In the book, Kit's character, Cathy, is a singer whom she describes as a dreamy person, while Siew Fern's character, Jodie, is the 'more grounded one'.

'I'm like the balloon and she's the rock. She keeps me down and prevents me from floating away. That's how we are actually,' said Kit.

In the book, Siew Fern describes Kit as someone who is 'selfish, unreasonable and secretive', traits which Kit readily admits to.

Kit showed her secretive side when we tried to probe about her love life.

'I can't hear anything,' she said, covering her ears when asked her about her banker boyfriend.

She would only say he is a lot like Siew Fern - 'grounded and sometimes stubborn'.

'You wouldn't want to be the one they hate but the one they love,' she said.

Kit, who will be returning to the stage for the hit musical Forbidden City, denied rumours that she is moving to the US to get married.

'We're just really happy where we are right now.'

Kit Chan is back!

irishblue — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:41:00 +0000

Kit Chan returns... with a book release and musical

It was August 2004 when Kit Chan announced her temporary departure from the chinese pop music scene. It has been a long time wish for her break to Boston to rest and accompany her boyfriend who works in the finance line. As she was involved in Jacky Cheung's musical Snow.Wolf.Lake. (mandarin edition) tour, this plan has been put on halt. She finally had her wish come true last July, flying to Boston to spend time with her boyfriend.

On her return this time, she has decided to stay here for good, saying, "I never said I was going to migrate!"

Kit just returned to Singapore three weeks ago. She enjoyed herself greatly in Boston where she lead a normal life. After announcing her "retirement", she did ask herself if she could really put aside all that fame and fortune. From the past one year's experience, she is now sure that it is definitely able to let go. During this period in Boston, she has taken up some music lessons.

She says, "I do not miss being an artiste one bit... the glamourous but hectic days. If there's one thing I miss, it would be the stage!" It's a pity though, that she still does not have the intention to return to the pop scene. She feels that too much attention is given to an artistes personal lives instead of their effort and performance.

Kit Chan has no plans to record a new album

After getting together with her boyfriend for 5 years now, her mindset has changed quite a bit. Now she is no longer a workaholic, but has learnt to treasure the people around her.

Kit spoke fondly of her boyfriend. Her boyfriend travels back and forth between the USA and Singapore. At the moment, she hasn't thought about marriage, "Maintaining the current situation is pretty good."

Although she has no plans to release any music albums, she will be meeting up with fans under a different setting. Next month marks the beginning of the rehearsals for Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress (musical). She will reprise the role of the Empress Cixi for the third time this year.

She will also be releasing an English book titled Cathy & Jodie together with her secondary school buddy, Yang Siew Fern, of 20 years. The new book written by them both will include both interspersed fiction and real-life encounters. "Cathy" refers to Kit while "Jodie" refers to Siew Fern. After preparing for three long years, the book will finally be released this Friday, fulfilling both their childhood dreams. In the book, her buddy mentions that Kit is "selfish and overbearing, loves to show-off, and is very talkative!" In response, Kit says, "Being selfish and overbearing is true, being talkative is also true, but being a show-off is not! Haha!"

-----------------------------

陈洁仪回来　出书演音乐剧

(2006-07-19)

　　陈洁仪自前年8月宣布“暂别”华语流行歌坛后，一直想到美国波士顿好好休息，陪伴在银行界工作的男友。不过，后因忙张学友音乐剧《雪.狼.湖》华语版巡回演出，一再把计划搁置。她终于在去年7月得偿所愿，飞往波士顿与男友朝夕相对。　　

　　这次回国，她决定做长期逗留，她直呼：“我从来没有说过要移民！” 　　

　　刚在3个星期前回来的洁仪透露，她在波士顿的这一年过得非常愉快，有如平常人一样生活。宣告暂时“退出”后，她也曾质疑自己是否真的能把一切名利放下，但经过这一年来的体验，她非常肯定自己绝对放得开。好学的她在波士顿居住时，还修读了音乐课程。　　

　　她说：“我一点都不怀念当艺人那种喧哗与奔波的日子，如果要说想念，我唯一想念的是舞台！”可惜，她依旧没有重回流行乐坛的渴望，因为她认为外界现在都把艺人的私生活当焦点，而不是真的注意到艺人在工作上的表现。

陈洁仪暂没录新专辑计划。

　　洁仪透露，自认识交往5年的男友后，自己的心态改变许多，现在她不再像以前那样不停冲刺，而是学会珍惜身边的人。　　

　　洁仪一谈起男友，语气甜蜜，男友现在美国和新加坡两头飞，这对情侣才不至于分隔两地。不过，她目前依然没有想结婚的念头，因为她说：“保持现状也很好啊！” 　　

　　虽然暂时没有复出录制专辑的打算，但她会通过其他方式与喜爱她的观众见面。下月，她将投入英语音乐剧《慈禧太后》的彩排工作，三度饰演慈禧一角。　　

　　她还与20多年的中学好友杨筱芬推出了一本英文新书“Cathy & Jodie”，新书由两人合力撰写，内容掺杂了虚构与真实的情节。Cathay指的是洁仪，而Jodie指的是杨筱芬。能够合作出书是两人小时候的心愿，如今筹备3年的书终于将在本星期五面市，总算为这段深厚的友谊做了个纪念。针对好友在书中“数落”洁仪自私霸道、爱炫耀、喜欢说个不停等，洁仪逐一回应： “自私霸道是真的、爱说话是真的，但爱炫耀是假的！哈哈！” 　

source: Zaobao

Tickets available for sale now!

irishblue — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 02:45:00 +0000

Synopsis:

A historical retelling of the story of China’s Empress Dowager, the story is seen from the eyes of an American painter, Kate Carl, who is commissioned to paint the Empress’s portrait. The Empress recounts her amazing journey from a young imperial concubine to become the Empress of China and the pressures she faced. The musical explores the myths surrounding her reign, from the controversial death of her only son to her ambitious tussle for power. Having played to 60,000 people in 2003, Forbidden City is Singapore’s most successful musical to date. Starring Asian sensation Kit Chan.

Prices (exclude SISTIC Fee) :

Preview Show
S$60, S$45, S$40, S$30, S$75 (VIP Box), S$15 (Restricted View)

Mon-Thurs 8pm, Wed & Sat 3pm Shows
S$110, S$80, S$70, S$50, S$140 (VIP Box), S$30 (Restricted View)

Fri-Sat 8pm Shows
S$120, S$90, S$80, S$60, S$150 (VIP Box), S$30 (Restricted View)

Please add to above price $2 booking Fee for tickets above $20 and $1 SISTIC Fee for tickets below $20. Charges include GST where applicable.

Public Sales
Internet Booking starts on 23 June 2006, 12am.
Other Sales Channel starts on 23 June 2006, 10am.

Priority booking for DBS Credit Cardholders Only
Internet Booking starts on 1 June 2006, 9am.
Other Sales Channel starts on 1 June 2006, 10am.

*Note: Kit will not be doing the Wed shows.

< Book Here >

Kit confirmed for FC role

irishblue — Fri, 26 May 2006 17:38:00 +0000

It is now confirmed with SRT that Kit will be doing Forbidden City this year.

Ticket prices are as such:

Dress rehearsal ( 7th Sept 2006)
VIP Box - $75
Cat 1 - $60
Cat 2 - $45
Cat 3 - $40
Cat 4 - $30
Restricted view - $15

Mon - Thur 8pm
VIP Box - $140
Cat 1 - $110
Cat 2 - $80
Cat 3 - $70
Cat 4 - $50
Restricted view - $30

Fri - Sat 8pm
VIP Box - $150
Cat 1 - $120
Cat 2 - $90
Cat 3 - $80
Cat 4 - $60
Restricted view - $30

Wed/Sat Matinee 3pm
VIP Box - $140
Cat 1 - $110
Cat 2 - $80
Cat 3 - $70
Cat 4 - $50
Restricted view - $30

No shows on Sunday.
Ticket prices excludes $2.00 SISTIC fee.
* Kit will NOT be doing the Wed matinee shows

This musical is expected to run for at least 2 weeks, and longer if the response is good. Might go on till 1st Oct. Tickets will go on sale at Sistic soon.Thanks to ting for the info!

Forbidden City - back by popular demand!

irishblue — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 15:18:00 +0000

Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress

From 8 Sep 2006

Esplanade Theatre

Presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre

"... Strong story, well presented." ~ The Business Times

"A Huge Success" ~ Opera Now

Starring Kit Chan.

A historical retelling of the story of China's Empress Dowager, the story is seen from the eyes of an American painter, Kate Carl, who is commissioned to paint the Empress' portrait.

The Empress recounts her amazing journey from a young imperial concubine to become the Empress of China and the pressures she faced. The musical explores the myths surrounding her reign, from the controversial death of her only son to her ambitious tussle for power.

Having played to 60,000 people in 2003, Forbidden City is Singapore's most successful musical to date.

Staged to coincide with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - World Bank Group - Board of Governors Annual Meetings, Singapore 2006.

Tickets will be available soon at all SISTIC outlets.

Grace Magazine cover

irishblue — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 06:02:00 +0000

陈洁仪个性张扬

作者:高明

“我从新人阶段走到今天，过程中潜在着许多危险地区，因为总是会有很多人给你各方面的提点，可是你无法把种种不同的意见照单全收，最重要的是你自己要有一个过滤的系统——人，终究还是要还原一个最根本的自己。”

完成了最后一张专辑《东弯土星》，陈洁仪结束了和海蝶音乐公司的十年宾主关系。
她说，自己在几年前就希望不要再唱流行歌曲。在海蝶所发行的最后３张专辑，都是属于较冷门的沙发音乐。如此坚持己见，是因为经过10年的探索，她已经确认了自己所要的是什么。10年积累下来的自信口说无凭，她用行动证明了自己的决心，还有能力。“我跟公司说，我已经唱了10年你们要的歌，够了。现在有阿杜和林俊杰为公司赚钱，我已经没有后顾之忧。”今天，看到一个又一个新加坡歌手渐渐在海外崭露头角，身为开路先锋的陈洁仪，终于可以退下来当一名观众，为在海外发光发热的新生代，继续喝采。

雪爱狼

“驾驶什么样的车子已经不重要，最重要是掌控自己的速度，沿途欣赏好风景。不过人算不如天算，未来的日子会出现什么变数，谁也说不准。”
去年，陈洁仪通过经纪代表发出一封电邮向新加坡媒体告别，表明自己将无限期退出中文流行乐坛。不过，电邮中也特别声明：此举并非完全退出娱乐圈。大家将来还是会在舞台上、电视上，甚至是电影，或在她未来所承接的任何工作上看到她。
之后，原本准备随男友远赴美国生活的她，却为了音乐剧《雪狼湖》而暂时搁置一切计划。
《雪狼湖》相隔7年后卷土重来，张学友笑称：“我的服装都是7年前留下来的，证明我身材保持得不错。”陈洁仪则说：“这7年来我成长了许多，对《雪狼湖》的感情也更加深厚。”
普通话版的《雪狼湖》去年底平安夜在北京首演，时值冬季，北京又冻又干的气候，对所有的演员来说，都是一个大考验。张学友和陈洁仪的表现获得满堂采，只要他们一开唱，台下就是不断的掌声。
“1997 年演《雪狼湖》对我的演艺事业的启发性最大。当时的表现肯定不是最好的，但因为是第一次，所以留下的记忆最深刻。”对陈洁仪来说，这一回，已经不是一个 ‘机会’那么简单，当中有一个专业表演者对自身的期许。最大的挑战，是如何通过截然不同的语言，让历史重演，却不让人喊闷。
《雪狼湖》里有两个女主角 —— 阿雪和阿凤，当年张学友第一时间接洽陈洁仪，让她任选一角。“我觉得两个角色都一样重要，只是诠释起来有分先后。‘阿雪’因为得到了爱情，因此在观众眼中，她是第一女主角。我没想过要演‘阿雪’，因为那里面没有我的个性。7年前和7年后，我都因演‘阿凤’而如鱼得水。从小我就相信直觉，如果当初我挑的是 ‘阿雪’，也许不会演得那么好。”
《雪狼湖》结束之后，陈洁仪遵守自己的承诺，悄悄离开了舞台。
“很多人都认为我应该打铁趁热，在中国人气腾升的时候再冲刺。但我没有，甚至连《雪浪湖》公演前的宣传造势活动都选择袖手旁观，怎么还会有所恋战？出走的计划是志在必行的。表演艺术是我永远的钟爱，但人生要有所追求，割舍的过程在所难免。觉得之前的10年，我整个人就像镶嵌在一个模式里，好比驾车，开动了，车子就要不停地走走走……。今天，我决定换档了，你驾驶什么样的车子已经不重要，最重要是掌控自己的速度，沿途欣赏好风景。不过人算不如天算，未来的日子会出现什么变数，谁也说不准。”

温习洁仪

“不过我对自己说，不能那么懦弱。此外，我脑子里常有梦想，鼓励自己走向那个‘美好’的地方，结果就这样坚持下去了！”

为了这个访问，我把多年前，陈洁仪让台湾人和香港人认识的“心痛”翻出来再听一回。当日初听之际的惊心，仿佛又回到心中。她的歌声，摇撼着午后的阳光。

初见陈洁仪的时候，她还只是个刚从艺术学院毕业的女孩，表情青涩而认真。但这个天生的表演狂，在10年后走出一条属于自己的路。赞美与掌声，只会让她产生更多的冲动，义无反顾地追寻自己想要的东西……。某一年，在某个访问中，陈洁仪告诉我她其实不喜欢被冠上“红”这个标签。做为一名歌手，当然希望自己的表现得到大家的认同。如果只是一瞬间的震天价响，她宁可不要。

“对我来说，生命是一个阶段又一个阶段的串联。现在所谓的‘成功’，只是过程当中的段落，心情虽然兴奋，但我绝对不会自满。”我相信。因为我看见往后的陈洁仪，终究还是走向一个又一个的新开始。

初到台湾，因为国语讲得不好，她曾经害怕……。当时，唱片还没正式推出，上节目时，主持人老记不牢“陈洁仪”这个名字。第一次到校园演唱时，主持人以极度平板、慵懒的声调介绍她出场……

“那年头港星大举前来抢滩，台湾本土艺人个个能言善道，我们这些南洋艺人几乎找不到自己的定位。我告诉自己一定要比别人付出更多的努力 ……”。后来她发片了。再度到校园巡回演唱时，观众的反应已经不可同日而语。“欢迎来自新加坡的——陈，洁，仪……”，霎时掌声欢呼，使她深感“存在”的喜悦，原来可以如此踏实。
“其实刚踏入歌坛的前五年，是最辛苦，也是最累的，唱的歌不一定是自己喜欢的，还要上你并不喜欢的节目打歌。“不纯然是因为专辑销路的压力，而是对环境的茫然，常一个人躲起来哭，也想过退出。不过我对自己说，不能那么懦弱，此外，我脑子里常有梦想，鼓励自己走向那个‘美好’的地方，结果就这样坚持下去了！”
“我能体会孙燕姿的累，她给自己一个休息的空间是必要的。何况时代不同了，我们以前可以专注唱歌，但现在的歌手，除了唱，还要演戏、拍广告、主持、出书……每一个人都把自己逼到极限，要朝‘全方位’发展。你光有实力还不够，背后还要靠一套市场策略作后盾。然而，本末倒置的结果，就是对一个艺人的扼杀。”
打从19岁那年立志要当一名歌手开始，陈洁仪的耕耘岁月，就不曾间断。本着对表演艺术的狂热，百炼成钢。站在舞台最耀眼的地方，期待一次又一次的自我超越。

美的哲学

对她来说，服装不关乎流行。服装是一种生活态度，自我的表达。

“I Love Fashion！”她说。

站在镜头面前，陈洁仪熟练而准确地运用肢体去表现自己。柔和的线条在她慧黠的眼神里，显露出她个性中的勇于尝试。

在2003年发行的《懂得》专辑中，陈洁仪已经开始为自己设计造型。也许应验了“恋爱的女人特别漂亮”这句话，那一年的她，成熟、温柔而充满女人味，魅力无止境。

“我本来就是女人啊！”她笑说，“女人单有美丽还不够，我觉得还必须要突出性格。但如果太标榜个性，那会很僵硬。一个跟我合作了十年的摄影师告诉我，嘿Kit，我终于懂得怎样拍你了。你就这样子不要动，让我来动。哈哈！终于有人‘懂得’ 陈洁仪了！”

对她来说，服装不关乎流行。服装是一种生活态度，自我的表达。

“不要问我最喜欢的牌子有哪些，因为我的答案每一次都会不同。潮流是瞬息万变的。你要去了解自己，筛选流行。当你硬要把自己套入格格不入的流行，你会很丑。”

她的衣著哲学是——找出属于自己的颜色，很有自信地穿出舒适感，就是表现自己的一种方式。当你看见在一个睥睨着镜头的陈洁仪，你就会了解她话中的意思。她喜欢焕亮的黄，有奔放的热情、夏天的感觉……；她也喜欢黑，冬的神秘，充满戏剧效果。穿衣是一种态度，她不介意去触碰任何新的尝试，然而，那必须要经过自我重新的整合。

大多时候的陈洁仪，喜欢的仍是自然、随意的装扮。“能够完全自由、放松”的感觉，正是陈洁仪对服装最在意的要求。

在发育时期一度是“胖妹”的她，即使今天当上艺人，依旧拒绝让自己为磅数而活。

“我常自嘲自己是同行中的重量级。我不节食，吃是一种的乐趣，压抑会让自己不开心，不开心人就会变得好很丑。可是好奇怪，21世纪的女性还是甘心让体重问题成为自己的紧箍咒，而且情况越来越严重。教育的普及，没有让人们的思想变得更开放，我们还是那么在意旁人的眼光！你知道吗？我从新人阶段走到今天，过程中潜在着许多危险地区，因为总是会有很多人给你各方面的提点，可是你无法把种种不同的意见照单全收，最重要的是你自己要有一个过滤的系统——人，终究还是要还原一个最根本的自己。”

“我在20岁时就很期待自己快点步入30大关，因为年轻时，我们都在寻找自己的极限，一路上跌跌撞撞，30岁，应该是一个验收成果的时候。在歌坛十年，我觉得自己是在打长战，不会一下子把子弹都用光。能走到今天，其实并没什么了不起，只要把事业和生活结合得很好，一方出现低潮时，另一方也许是高潮，就这样平衡了过来。我想，一年出一张专辑应该是我下来所渴望的节奏和步伐，我希望自己的日子能过得很自在，包括感情生活。”

现在这个真命天子是她的第3个男友，在结束前两段感情后，原本以为今生不会再爱上别人，可缘分这东西，来了就是来了。以前的恋情最长达四年，最短两年半。她打趣说，不知道自己究竟喜欢哪一种男人，可是肯定的，每回分手后，我都知道那个绝对不适合自己。

“我平时不太多话，没想到在机上认识他，我们竟然谈得很投缘。他知道我是歌手，不过不是我的歌迷，现在则开始听我的歌了。他大我五岁，我喜欢较成熟的男人。我告诉他，嘿，你现在认识我是很幸运的，因为以前的我脾气不好，我们会常常吵架。”

25岁那年，陈洁仪写下了一首诗：“有一天，我将承诺自己一双翅膀，了无痕迹地飞离……”

10年，只是一个小结。看到陈洁仪的努力、了解她的意图、欣赏她的歌声；你会觉得，为她喝采，是一种光荣。

thanks to duffy for the link!

Missing in Action

irishblue — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 05:58:00 +0000

Kit Chan, 34
RGS (1984-1987) --> haha.. this should have been (1985-1988)
RJC (1989 - 1990)

Why couldn't we get an interview with Kit Chan, one of Singpore first Mandarin pop superstars? Well, she's holed up somewhere in Boston and unavailable for interviews, says her manager who adds that letting us talk to the songstress may lead to an avalance of requests from other media. (We hear she's been pursuing a long distance Bachelor of Arts Degree Honours with LASALLE since last year) So we did the next best thing - and talked to her RGS alums instead. In exchange for anonymity, here's what they told us.

Chubby Checker "Kit used to be a bit chubby, especially around the face, like Sammo Hung. But she started slimming down in her RJC days. Still, she stayed rather tubby throughout secondary school."

She was an "angmoh pai". "She struck me as a big angmoh pai (Hokkien for "westernised"); maybe because her spoken mandarin wasn't very good then and she had this offbeat air about
her. But the girl was incredibly good at English Literature and even wrote poetry! It was amazing because English Lit is supposed to be one fo the hardest subjects to score and most of us were struggling with it."

Born to Perform "She was acting and singing onstage like a pro back in primary school, while the rest of the kids were scared stiff by stage fright! She's really a born performer.

She was in the choir and everyone knew her as the girl who could really sing. She starred in every major production by the club. I remember her playing lead roles like Maria, in The Sound of Music, and Sandy in Grease. There was no doubt she had the best set of pipes in school.

She formed this band called "The Banshees" with three other RGS girls. I heard they later joined a Xinyao (Chinese singing) competition, where Kit was talent-scouted by (local music maestro) Billy Koh. I guess that was the start of her road to stardom."

transcribed by ting

Icon & Elle magazines

irishblue — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 15:31:00 +0000

Icon (Nov issue)
A small photo of Kit at the "Carl F. Bucherer Trail Blazer Award 2005" ceremoy held on 3rd Nov 2005.

Above photo courtesy of Carl F. Bucherer website

Elle (Fann Wong cover)
There is an article featuring celebrities who help charitable organisations. There's a very short mention about Kit with regards to her involvement in the WMD (Women Make a Difference) and she appears in a group photo as well.

SEA games theme song

irishblue — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 15:19:00 +0000

The official SEA games theme song sung by Kit is finally out. You can listen to it at:

http://www.ssc.gov.sg/ts/dreams.mp3
source: TeamSingapore.com

Dreams
On this land that we share
Where we build our hopes and dreams
To become the best we can
It’s what life really means

Live our dreams

On this day that we sing
With our hearts beating loud
As our nation comes together
And as one we stand strong and proud

Let our voices rise to the clouds….

I see victory with your unity
I hear happiness in perfect harmony
There is no place that I’d rather be today
Where the spirit shines and runs through you and me. (X2)

With our dreams it’s not a game nor the reason why we came
It’s a nation of dreams, one golden dream

We see victory with your unity
We hear happiness in perfect harmony
There is no place that I’d rather be today
Where the spirit shines and runs through you and me. (X2)

There is no place (there is no place!)
That I’d rather be today
Where the spirit shines and runs through you and me
It’s our time (Take your place!)
For us to shine (Let us race!)

Now is the time to live our dreams….

* lyrics thanks to ting!

URBAN - 06-Oct-2005

irishblue — Thu, 06 Oct 2005 15:40:00 +0000

Kit Chan

Singaporean singer-actor-writer Kit Chan, 33, has no qualms about being called fat.

She is 1.64m tall and weighs 58kg, which she says is considered overweight in the entertainment world.

'Stylists used to tell me to lose weight so I'd look better in front of the camera and it'd be easier to find me clothes,' she says.

'But now that they've realised I'll never be skinny, they're very kind and look for clothes which make me look slim.'

Though she says the pressure on performers to be skinny is enormous, she insists she has never had issues with her weight and eats what she likes.

In fact, she's gained 10kg since she first started out in showbiz 12 years ago.

Her secret, she says, is 'being comfortable with your body image and having a sense of humour about things'.

'I know that in the real world, I'm not considered fat,' she says.

'It helps that I think I look awful skinny because the veins in my neck stick out.'

Her versatile career helped her nab an inaugural Carl F. Bucherer Trail Blazer Award last week. It recognises individuals who have made their mark by blazing their own trail.

And in line with her non-conventional attitude to life, she pairs a vintage-looking Karen Walker ensemble from Trixilini with a Chanel 2.55 for today's shoot.

'Many people think that Chanel bags only look good on tai tais or career women,' she says. 'I wanted to show that you can look great pairing a Chanel bag with casual clothes.'

Photography: Desmond Wee; hair: Ben Leong, Passion; make-up: Alvin Goh, (contact@alvingoh.com)

Her bag I got this from my boyfriend for my birthday last month. I've always wanted a classic Chanel 2.55 bag but I thought I'd wait till I was 40 because they look quite glossy and tai tai. But then, I fell in love with this vintage-style one and put my name on the waiting list for it. But after shopping in Europe, I couldn't afford it, so I told my boyfriend to cancel the reservation. It was so sweet of him to surprise me with it.I'm not a soft toy kind of girl but when I saw her in Paris I just had to get her. Just look at the detailing on her jacket. I like that she's hand-made.I'm not sure if this is the best product in the world, but the packaging is damn cute. I picked it up from Taipei and I really like the way Burt looks on the lid. I'm a big fan of alternative entrepreneurs.I am a pen and paper person and this came with a leather case but that's too big for my bag.I bought this from Blackjack about 10 years ago and I never thought it would last me more than two yea!
rs. But I'm careful with it and I only use it when I'm carrying a small bag. Hopefully it'll last me another 10 years.I love to do yoga at Club Oasis but I'm nowhere as good as Tanya Chua. But I only do it on and off because I'm not a sporty person. I'd rather work or hang out than exercise. So the moment someone asks me to go out, I'll cancel my yoga.This cost around $10 from Japan. It's very useful because you don't want anything stuck in your teeth after eating, especially if you've got a photo shoot. I'm the sort who will tell a friend if he has something stuck in his teeth. I usually only use this in the toilet, but if I'm in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan, it's okay to use it at the table because that's a part of their culture. I started this boutique with a secondary school friend and my former personal assistant about five years ago. They do the merchandising and I'm a silent partner. I love wearing the accessories, but unfortunately I can't fit into a lot of the clothes. This, along with a Montblanc pen, was also a present from my boyfriend. It's great for shopping lists and ideas that I get when I'm on the move. I just write little notes and tear them out to pass to people.

*Transript thanks to Avi!