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A-Mei Performs Japanese Turandot

aiwan's most famous pop star will play the title role in a Japanese version of the Puccini opera Turandot. Hong Kong singer and actress Kelly Chen was slated to play Princess Turandot until an injured leg forced director Amon Miyamoto to sign A-mei. The production begins at the Akasaka ACT Theater March 27 and runs through April 27 before moving on to Osaka and Nagoya. It co-stars Japanese movie stars Goro Kiani and Shido Nakamura. All music has been re-written by Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi.

Taiwanese singer A-mei, right, and Japanese actor Shido Nakamura perform during a rehearsal of Japanese director Amon Miyamoto's musical Turandot, in Tokyo Thursday, March 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

     This is only A-mei's second opera gig. Her first experience was in a production called I Love Carmen which she co-wrote with her producers. A-mei is best known to the world as a Mandarin-language pop singer banned by China in 2000 for singining Taiwan's national anthem at the inauguration of President Chen Shui-bian. She also has the distinction of being the only Taiwanese entertainer to appear on the cover of Newsweek and one of a handful of singers to sell over a million copies of an album.

     A-mei is an affectionate corruption of the aboriginal Taiwanese entertainer's full name, Chang Hui-mei. She got her start by winning a talent competition in 1995 on her second try after losing in the finals on her first attempt. She is seventh of nine children. A-mei married a professional Taiwanese baseball player last August.

A-mei rehearses with Japanese actor Shido Nakamura. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

(AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

(AP Photo/Lo Sai Hung)

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