Sharon Au: "Mrs Lee was the perfect Asian wife and woman"
Sharon Au is such a big fan of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew that she was prepared to pull out all the stops to be a part of The LKY Musical.
At the multi-million dollar production's press conference held at ME@UOE this morning (Apr 13), she disclosed that she was the latest addition to its cast.
Other local actors involved in the show are Adrian Pang (as Mr Lee), Sebastian Tan (as Mr Koh Teong Koo) and Benjamin Chow (as Mr Lim Chin Siong).
Au will be in the limelight, for the first time since she moved back to Singapore last year, in this show.
Was she overwhelmed? Yes.
But her friends encouraged her and pushed her to embrace her role.
The local actress is over the moon that she's playing Mr Lee's wife and companion of more than 63 years - Madam Kwa Geok Choo.
But before Au scored the coveted role, there were contingency plans in place to make sure she was part of this musical.
Here's what the only female cast member claimed she was prepared to do:
1) Audition for the role of the rickshaw puller Koh Teong Koo, who was said to have saved Mr Lee's life during World War II.
2) Be the wardrobe mistress.
3) Be Pang's personal assistant and help him carry his bags.
Said Au, 40: "I would have done anything just to be part of this project.
"Playing Mrs Lee is the role of a lifetime for me.
"There are no similarities between me and her. She is an icon.
"She was and is the perfect Asian wife and woman."
But Au admitted that getting into character by researching the late Mrs Lee has been difficult, as she was a very private person.
Mrs Lee was known to be intelligent and poised and had always deferred to her husband in little ways like walking two steps behind him in public.
Said Au: "(To do justice to the role) I have also had to look at (and draw inspiration from) the outstanding women that I'm surrounded by."
(L-R) Adrian Pang and Sharon Au at the press conference for The LKY musical.
The preview for the show will play at the MasterCard Theatre at Marina Bay Sands on July 21. The world premiere of The LKY Musical will take place on July 24.
Tickets via SISTIC go on sale today (Apr 13).
The LKY Musical follows the life of Mr Lee from his early days at Raffles College to the founding of independent Singapore.
Local musician Dick Lee, who composed the music for the show, called it his best work to date.
Pang, 49, said that this project being produced at this time has added significance (with respect to Mr Lee's death).
"We're trying to embrace that there is a wealth of material to draw from now.
"We have much more insight into Mr Lee's family and his life.
"And his love story with his extraordinary wife."
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