Andy Lau, the Asian Elvis, crooned and charmed his way through Atlantic City, where he performed with such gusto that even the non-believers among us simply had to believe.
The final installments of Andy Lau's 2005 Vision Tour took place right here in the states, with two performances in Atlantic City and a sold-out Christmas show in Las Vegas. In Atlantic City, the Trump Taj Mahal was mobbed with Lau's fans for the entirety of December 18th. (Rumor has it that he was gambling alongside his fans in the casino between his two shows.) Lau proved his resilience during the second show, which took place only several hours after the first, when he performed in spite of persisting flu symptoms. Though the Atlantic City concerts didn't sell out, each drew a considerable amount of adoring fans, young and old.
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In true Hong Kong fashion, the afternoon concert commenced about 45 minutes late. But fans were far from disappointed once they caught a glimpse of the superstar, clad in an embellished black tuxedo and some facial hair to match. Lau opened with a crew of about ten backup dancers, both male and female, dressed in sparkly androgynous bodysuits. Throughout the show, he spoke in both Mandarin and Cantonese, and was very attentive to his fans. Between each song, he posed for pictures, accepted numerous gifts from the audience, and brought laughter to the auditorium with his good-natured quips. Perhaps it was just an act, but it's easy to see why Lau is one of the biggest celebrities Asia has ever known.
The afternoon concert lasted for about two hours, during which Lau beautifully performed his most recognizable hits and classics from a variety of his albums. The clarity, smoothness, and range of his voice were very impressive, as his live performance was nearly indistinguishable from his CDs. Some of the songs included were “Ru Gou Ni Shi Wo De Chuang Shou," “Bing Yu," and “Shi Jie Di Yi Deng”. From his movies, Lau performed the song from Infernal Affairs that was originally a duet with Tony Leung, and also a song from his new movie All About Love. Perhaps the most tender moment of the show was when he sang the famous ballad “Wang Qing Shui," with full accompaniment from the audience.
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Lau and his dancers all dressed in over-the-top garb with a variety of embellishments, color, and downright drama. The six costume changes ranged from a rhinestone-embellished gladiator outfit to an inflated muscle suit to a traditional sequined Chinese robe with two three-foot feathers on his hat. His simplest costume, a classic white tuxedo and fedora, was accompanied by a beautiful female dancer in a flowing white dress. Their impassioned dance sequences together made the girl the envy of the entire audience. Lau also had some costume help from an audience member, who gave him a Yankees hat with his initials AL embroidered on the back.
As probably the only member of the audience who wasn't a hardcore fan, I was easy to pick out, since everybody around seemed to know every lyric of every song. And not only did many wear Andy Lau shirts or hats, fans also made posters, waved Andy Lau glowsticks, or had his name written somewhere on their attire. His audiences aren't loyal -- they're obsessed. But as I said before, it's really not hard to see why all of Asia seems to be in love with Andy Lau. More than anything else, the man has charisma. He knows how to talk to an audience of thousands and make each fan feel like he or she is involved in an individual conversation. When he wasn't smiling for cameras, he was responding wittily to comments shouted by fans.
The afternoon concert concluded with a short video showcasing Lau's extensive film career, featuring memorable clips from movies old and new. The combination of these clips and his music are indicative of his role as China's king of the silver screen and premier Hong Kong recording artist. The magnitude of his fame is a difficult idea to grasp, as there is no equivalent in America, and may never be. For decades, Lau's entertainment value has never ceased to amaze his onlookers. An audience member made a joke as we exited that the young generations of Chinese will know Andy Lau's name better than they know Chairman Mao's. At first I laughed, until I realized that this fan's words may one day be a reality.