“Oh! Hossan ah?!”
Reviewer: Isaac Lim
Performance: 29 January 2015
Let’s just face it, Hossan Leong is one very talented man. He needs his own show. And now that he has his own show … oh … wait, wasn’t there “The Hossan Leong Show”?
Hossan-ah is a play on his name, and you need to have watched his previous stand-up comedies to know the reference (a fact not mentioned in this installment). Apart from the confusingly long title, the 90-minutes long show also felt a tad too long too.
The show opens with Leong performing “Corner of the Sky” from the Broadway musical “Pippin”, a song not particularly familiar to the audience in the house. The fact that he sings to a back up track, while there is a grand piano on stage, feels strange too.
Leong says that this is a tribute show of sorts: it turns out to be an almost- spin-off of the National Day Parade, which he hosted for the first time in 2014. So expect a mash-up of 21 NDP songs from the past, familiar tunes about Katong and Geylang, and a predictably obligatory performance of folk songs in the four official languages (with fireworks projected on stage no less).
Talk about too much of SG50!
As with his previous one-man shows, Leong shows off his diverse talents. These include singing, playing the piano, and conjuring a myriad of characters: which begs the questions – why was it necessary for Music Director Elaine Chan to be on stage to perform a set with him? Their interaction is rather forced, and Chan’s singing at times is off.
Long time collaborator Benjamin “Miyagi” Lee, writes for this piece, as well as for the series of “The Hossan Leong Show”. Lee could have made this show sync better, but fails on several levels. Apart from the lack of a clear throughline and theme, the transitions between talk sets and song performances are awkward most of the times, with the links abrupt and at times, out of place.
There is also a clear rehash of materials from previous shows. In one segment, Leong performs classic television drama theme songs, changing into costumes of the different characters, including Hong Kong TVB dramas King of Gamblers and Man in the Net, and local serials Good Morning, Sir and The Awakening. His comic timing is excellent and works beautifully with the humorous English translations of the lyrics.
In another segment, Leong acts with “his father” (played by himself) on screen, performing a localized version of Jailhouse Rock. This “television” element was last seen in the 2011 edition.
Leong as a stand-up comedian lacks the unique individuality and distinct personality that distinguishes the other prominent local stand-up artists. His “local boy” branding is fading with each of his lone performance. His singing of Mandarin and Malay songs sounded unnatural and forced, probably due to his estrangement from both languages.
Hossan-ah is an enjoyable night out at the theatre. You can listen to nice songs, and you will laugh at the multiple if random punch lines. In spite of that, it is forgettable and worse, it feels like a self-indulgent show for the benefit of the artist on stage.
And this review wonders, why create a new and confusing title and branding, and not carry on with “The Hossan Leong Show”?
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ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
HOSSAN-AH! SAFE AND SECURE IN HIS LEONG ARMS by Double Confirm Productions
28 January – 1 February 2015,
Drama Centre Theatre
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Isaac Lim is a third-year Theatre Studies major at the National University of Singapore who enjoys bustling in all-things-arty, gets crafty, and indulges in being a foodie.
