Forever Prince – Jeff Chang
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Chang not only has a pure heart when singing the love songs which made his career a great success, but also a kind heart and warm concern for animals.
"Dogs have a very simple emotion and trust for people. But many who decide to keep a dog out of sudden impulse don't realize that it is a lifelong commitment. They are not toys but living creatures," he said.
He also suggested that if someone does decide to have a pet, adopt one instead of buying. Many dogs and cats that have experienced a vagabond life value their survival and are well behaved.
"Many people say to me that helping stray dogs is a troublesome business which takes a lot of money, energy and time, and ask why I still do it. Actually, I do not know why, maybe it is just a love of animals born within me from which I get a lot of unexpected happiness."
His care for animals has affected many people -- he was awarded the title of Ambassador of Love To Animals by the Shanghai Small Animal Protection Association -- just as his songs have done.
And he has taken an opportunity to extend this care through his art in a stage drama.
In "Lulu, Listen to Me," the three lead actors in the play use bold, even exaggerated body language to portray the complicated relations between husband and wife, between female dog (depicted as the "other woman") and the couple, between the pet and the owner, and also between the stray dog and society.
In the play, Tarcy's character is a big challenge because she must act as a real dog, Chang said. And Tarcy agrees. "It is really difficult for me. Every move, every sound I make or react to must be like a dog so I took a lot of time observing the movements of real animals," she said.
"And I found that if you really see the world through the eyes of a stray dog, life seems different and hard, sometimes really cruel," she added.
Chang believes the play is very touching.
"We wanted a way to perform the classic and at the same time discuss the relationship between human beings themselves as well as the animals around them," he said.
Apart from his current focus on the stage drama, the "love song prince" also has a clear blueprint for the future.
He thinks that the ultimate goal of a singer is to perform musical drama which puts higher demands on the performer. It requires live singing and performing as well as coordination with the dancers and the stage itself. It has something more in-depth to offer so his next goal is to do musical drama.
"I think my previous experience in singing, in film and in stage performing are all going to help me move forward in that direction," he said confidently.
"But that doesn't mean I will abandon singing. Musical drama is another level of music and my new album will be released by the end of the year."
"Lulu, Listen to Me" is a Shanghai International Art Festival program which will be staged at the Majestic Theater from November 12 to 15.
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