Chinese superstar Faye Wong's aloof appearance has always given her the image of an ice queen.
But that is not who she is, insists Ida Wong, producer-director of Faye's comeback tour and also a close friend of the singer. Those who know her know she is a very "passionate and considerate person", she says.
Over the telephone from Hong Kong, Wong tells Life! in English: "Faye has a kid's heart and is really not as cool as people would think. I cannot tell you some of the specific phrases that she uses because that's private, but she is really hilarious and is very funny with her close friends."
Recalling a recent incident that happened during rehearsals, Wong says with a laugh: "There was one time when a friend gave Faye an iPhone case that had rhinestones and Hello Kitty on the back, and Faye could not stop talking about how lovely the thing was. It really made her happy for the whole day. Even little things like this will make her happy."
The 41-year-old singer will be in Singapore for a concert on October 29 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. She has already performed in places such as Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and will continue on to Kuala Lumpur and the north-eastern Chinese city of Harbin after her Singapore show.
This is the first tour for the China-born singer after a six-year break from the entertainment industry following her second marriage in 2005. The last time she performed here was in 2004.
Concert organiser Running Into The Sun says that more than 90 per cent of tickets have been sold. Only 5,000 tickets have been made available for this concert. The Indoor Stadium can hold up to 12,000 people but the elaborate stage design for the show has reduced the number of seats for the audience.
According to the concert promoter, setting up the stage and other preparations for the concert will take six days. The production cost for the Singapore show is estimated at S$3.3 million (US$2.7 million).
The razzmatazz should more than compensate for Faye's famous reticence on stage. Between-song banter at her concerts is almost non-existent
Ida Wong says matter-of-factly: "Faye does not like to talk much to people that she does not really know because she doesn't really think that there is a point to it. Even if I give her specific segments during a concert to talk, she will say only the usual 'thank you' or 'hope you enjoy the show'."
The producer-director adds that Faye's reluctance to engage in idle chatter suits the current concert concept because the show "has a continuous feel and it will be the music that links everything together".
Throughout the creative planning process, Faye has remained gracious and open-minded, according to Wong, who has produced the star's concerts since 1999.
"She showed none of that diva behaviour that people may believe, and gave the entire production crew a lot of respect. She put 100 per cent trust in the whole team and was never demanding.
"Only for the last song, Bi An Hua or Flower Of Paradise, did she make specific requests. She is a devout Buddhist and wanted to make sure the segment conveyed the concept of reincarnation properly.'
Apparently, Faye's professionalism never wavered, not even when faced with personal safety scares. During her concert in Taipei in January, the rig carrying her up in the air got stuck on the way down and briefly shook in place. The singer, who was about three storeys up, was "very scared", but put on a brave face and continued singing.
Fortunately, the technical glitch was resolved and she was brought back down to the stage safely. Ida Wong says she asked the music director to extend the instrumental music segment at that point so that Faye could regain her composure on stage, but that Faye told them that there was no need for that.
Wong says: "She was really brave and I was touched by her work ethic. She never tried to cancel that part of the show for future concerts, either."
However, there are limits to what Faye would attempt in the name of professionalism. The line is drawn at dancing.
It is hardly a secret that Faye will not win a dancing competition now or in the future, but Wong confirms, with a chuckle: "There are some singers like Joey Yung and Sammi Cheng who can dance, but not Faye. Sometimes, for certain songs, Faye may feel like moving to the music, but I never set out a plan for her to dance.
"She has never requested to dance and I always tell her that I don't think it's a good idea. Since 1999, I have never tried to give her shows a dancing segment."
