A Rose By Any Other Name

Whether or not you have seen her perform, the name Rose Chan is surely one of the most recognisable in Malaysian show business. One can describe her as famous or notorious and both would be equally true, and from 2 to 4 November and 9 to 11 November, guests at Genting - City of Entertainment were able to see a moving dramatisation of the life of this most complex of performers when the musical Rose, Rose I Love You was staged at the Genting International Showroom.

Directed by Low Ngai Yuen and starring Tin Tan as Rose Chan and Carmen Soo as her rival Xuan, Rose, Rose I Love You was a tasteful musical look at the life of a woman who was known as the striptease queen of Malaya. There was, however, no stripping in the show and the only hint of raunchiness came about through the help of lights and mirrors. Instead of being a means to exploit the sexuality of the subject matter, the 90-minute show was a heartfelt look at a woman who has been buried beneath a legend for far too long.