Kar-Sing Lam () was a former actor and Cantonese opera singer from Hong Kong. Lam is credited with over 300 films.
Early life On January 18, 1933, Lam was born as Lam Man Shun in Hong Kong. Lam's ancestry origin was from Dongguan, Guangdong province, China. Lam's sister is Lam Kar-Yee. In 1936, Lam's mother died. Lam and his sister were raised up by their father. When Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation, Lam's family fled from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, China, and returned to Hong Kong later. At the age of 10, Lam became a student under Tang Chiu Lan-fong.
Career In 1944, at age 11, Lam began his Cantonese opera career. In 1947 at age 14, Lam's acting career started. Lam first appeared in Prostituting to Raise the Orphan, a 1947 Cantonese opera film directed by Hung Chung-Ho. In 1966, Lam founded Tsung Sun Sing Troupe in performing Cantonese opera on stage.
Lam's last film was Madame Lee Sze-Sze ( Li Shi-Shi), a 1967 Cantonese opera film directed by Wong Hok-Sing. Lam is credited with over 300 films.
In Cantonese opera, Lam's singing is known as Sing style.
Repertoire This is a partial list. The Marriage of the Top Scholar The Dream Encounter Between Emperor Wu of Han and Lady Wa Time To Go Home, a (Sit Gok Sin , Lam's master) classic The Butterfly Lovers (two versions) Lu Wen-long Bao and Dai of Red Chamber War and Never-ending Love Romance and Hatred Merciless Sword Under Merciful Heaven (a.k.a. Paragons and Heroism) The Sounds of Battle The Story of Chu Pin's Loyalty to the Sung Dynasty Uproar in Jade Hall A Chronicle Written in Blood Lam Chung (a.k.a. Lin Chong) The Jade Disc Wu Song Zhou Yu Who Should Be the Commander-in-Chief?New Nation (SG); 6 January 1981; page 23; Review by Ngai Soet:- The plot...essentially the battle of sexes. ..two dimensional stock characters.... no opportunity to show off their techniques. Despite...Peter Pan of the opera,... to milk laughter,...stooped to gutter humor,...the fighting scenes were rather lackadaisical staged with stylised but boring calisthenics...; Article available on Microfilm Reel NL10894
Theater Performance This is a partial list. Passing of Sit Kok Sin in 1956 - Time To Go Home - The Marriage of the Top Scholar - The Dream Encounter Between Emperor Wu of Han and Lady Wa July 1957 with Yim-hing Law - Lady White SnakePostbills of 1957, October 2018 MPWeekly - Queen of the Stage (a.k.a. Marriage Is a Life-Long Business)Also known as Spotlight, according to Postbills, this was performing Cantonese opera in western costumes. 1967, United States with Ho-Kau Chan 1971, United StatesNew Nation, 31 December 1980, Page 12; Article available on Microfilm Reel NL10844 - Invitation originated from 1967 for Kwun-Lai Ng and her Lai Sing Opera Troupe but Ng could not get the necessary documents to perform in the United States that year. 1976, 1st Festival of Asian Arts 1976, United States 1977, 2nd Festival of Asian Arts - Lu Wen-long - Bao and Dai of Red Chamber 1978, 6th Hong Kong Arts Festival - Butterfly Lovers - War and Never-ending Love by playwright Poon Cheuk 1978, 3rd Festival of Asian Arts 1980, 5th Festival of Asian Arts 1981, Singapore (17 titles for 2 weeks, hopefully 3 weeks, repeated four titles for more days, extended to 22 January 1981)New Nation, 30 December 1980, Page 22; Article available on Microfilm Reel NL10844 [ARTICLE] Xin Ming Ri Bao, 18 November 1980, Page 3, Not Viewable from home, available on Microfilm Reel NL10846 - Lam Kar Sing Cantonese Opera Troupe was brought to the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre by IME United instead of the Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre by Tan, Fiiona, Singapore Infopedia, A Singapore Government Agency Website. Kreta Ayer People's Theatre like other troupes such as the one in 1974 led by Madam Choo Sow Ying (),Newspaper Articles (1) HKopera troupe to help funds drive, The Straits Times, 22 July 1974, Page 13. (2) Guangdong opera troupe to perform here, The Straits Times, 5 February 1980, Page 7. to help funds drive. - Proceeds of the first night was donated by Lam's troupe to the People's Theatre Foundation. (Guangdong Cantonese Opera Troupe grossed $150,000 in 1980.Troupes to come for fund raising, The Straits Times, 2 February 1981, Page 10.) 1981, North AmericaXin Ming Ri Bao(), 26 May 1981, Page 6; Article also available on Microfilm Reel NL11231 - Invitation was from Chee Kung Tong (a.k.a. Gee Kung Tong) of Hongmen 1982, 7th Festival of Asian Arts 1984, Chinese Opera Fortnight - Time To Go Home, a (Sit Gok Sin, Lam's master) classic - The Sounds of Battle (a.k.a. The Battling Sounds, 1963 film version) - Romance and Hatred - Merciless Sword Under Merciful Heaven (a.k.a. The Pitiless Sword, 1964 film version)
Filmography Films This is a partial list of films. 1947 Prostituting to Raise the Orphan 1955 Parents' Hearts 1960 Three Females - Ho Chi-Hung. 1962 Battle at Sizhou (aka) The Capture of the Evil Demons 1963 The Battling Sounds 1964 The Pitiless Sword 1967 Uproar in Jade Hall - Cheung Kim-Chau. 1967 Madame Lee Sze-Sze (a.k.a. Li Shi-Shi)
Discography This is a partial list. 1968, Of Love and Enmity 1969, Why Not Return? (2xLP, Gat) 1969, Lam Chung 1970, Drums Along the Battlefield (LP, Album) 1971, The Revenge Battle Meeting at the Pavilion (a.k.a. Butterfly Lovers) The Story of Chu Pin's Loyalty to the Sung Dynasty
Awards 2006 Star. Avenue of Stars. Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Hong Kong. 2010 Honorary Doctorates. Presented by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. 2012 Silver Bauhinia Star.
Personal life In 1962, Lam married Hong Dou-zi (d. 2009), a Cantonese opera singer. They have two sons. In 1993, Lam and his family moved from Hong Kong to Toronto, Canada. In 2003, Lam's younger son committed suicide in Hong Kong. In 2009, after Lam's wife's death from cancer in Toronto, Canada, he returned to Hong Kong.
Lam suffered from Parkinson's disease. Lam resided in Kowloon Tong area, Hong Kong. On August 4, 2015, Lam died in Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei area, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Lam was 82 years old.
See also Kwun-Lai NgJiasheng Lin & Junli Wu WorldCat page Bo-Ying LeeJiasheng Lin & Baoying Li WorldCat page Ho-Kau ChanJiasheng Lin & Haoqiu Chen WorldCat page
References
External links Cantonese opera master Lam Ka-sing dies in Hong Kong, aged 82 at scmp.com (August 5, 2015)(Required paid subscription) Lam Kar Sing at starlightopera.com Exhibition to showcase Cantonese opera collection donated by renowned artist Lam Kar Sing (with photos) Historical Dictionary of Hong Kong Cinema, p.247 By Lisa Odham Stokes, Rachel Braaten Kar-Sing Lam at hkmdb