One of Connie’s Faithful Fans by Catherine Back in the late 60s there was only one cinema not far from my home, and it was usually crowded at all times. I remember one day I accompanied my mom to the theatre, and one of the movies featured Connie Chan. I was so attracted to her the moment she appeared on the screen, with her sweet face and long hair, that I started to admire Connie very much and wanted to watch all her movies. At that time there were not many chances for me to go to the movies, because I couldn’t afford to pay the ticket price. Sometimes I would sneak into the cinema as the crowd made their way inside. (It is quite embarrassing when I think about it now.) Inside the cinema there were usually one or two inspectors checking tickets, and since I didn’t have one I would just move around until the movie started. I would look out for an empty seat, and if there were none, I would just squat beside some of the aunties in their seats. Whenever I passed by the cinema after school, I loved to look at the lobbycards and would keep an eye out for Connie’s new movies. Years later when Connie’s movies were shown on television, our neighbors, both young and old, would squeeze into my uncle’s living room to watch them. I was so impressed by her acting; she was always convincing in whatever roles she played. She is one of the best actresses I’ve ever come across. That’s why I am still smitten by her even today! One day in 1998, I read in the newspaper that Connie would return to the limelight after 26 years of retirement to perform in a live stage drama called A Sentimental Journey. I was overjoyed and told myself that I must make a trip to Hong Kong to see her performance. In April 1999 I took a flight over to Hong Kong all by myself to attend two nights of the show. I stayed at the Empire Hotel, which was within walking distance of the Lyric Theatre, where the show was being held. That evening I was so excited and decided to get there early. As I walked to the theatre, I saw a huge and beautiful banner of Connie displayed on one of the tall buildings. On another street there was a similar display, and there were pictures of Connie on the public buses as well. Over at the theatre, the crowd increased in size as I walked around looking at all the flyers, photos, and posters. Many famous well-wishers sent bouquets of flowers. I was amazed as I looked at all of the beautiful flowers that filled the theatre lobby. After I bought some souvenirs, a few of her photos and a reprinted magazine from the 60s about Connie and her master Yam, I went upstairs and saw the beautiful welcome decorations specially designed and made by her faithful fans. There I chatted with someone who told me that I could meet Connie personally after the show. Afterwards, I did manage to join the other fans waiting for Connie to appear. There was a big crowd, and in order to get her autograph, we had to queue up. As soon as she appeared and waved at us, she was ushered to a seat and started signing autographs and shaking hands. When it was my turn, I was really thrilled and even talked to her for a while. I was so glad that I finally had the chance to see her face to face for the first time and to take a picture with her. After all her fans got her autograph, Connie was ushered to her car with her son Dexter. I kept watching them until the car drove away and everyone left. While I was walking back to the hotel, I kept turning back to look at the scene which had suddenly quieted down. This was a very memorable event for me and one that I will never forget in my life. Then in 2003, it was announced that Connie would perform a live concert. I did not want to miss this, so again I decided to fly alone to Hong Kong to watch the show for three nights. Even though I bought the expensive tickets, my seat was quite far away, and I had to use the binoculars to see Connie clearly. Still, I really enjoyed all three nights. Oh, they were such good shows! The opera “Dai Lui Fah” was especially wonderful; her expressions and the way she sang and walked were really great. In September 2005, the second run of A Sentimental Journey came to Singapore. I was so delighted and went to both of the evening shows. From then on, I started making friends with other fans from Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. In February 2006, Connie performed live with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra at the AsiaWorld-Expo. This time, I no longer traveled alone but flew to Hong Kong with many fans from Singapore. During our five-day stay, we also went to the Hong Kong Film Archive to see Connie’s old movies and searched the shops for her VCDs & DVDs. Then we flew back home together. It was a very enjoyable journey for all of us. Later that August and September, the musical Only You was performed in Hong Kong. I could not make the trip to see Connie this time around, so I am very happy to hear that the show will come to Singapore around November 2007. I am looking forward to that day and to meeting up with her faithful fans again! Photos courtesy of “faithful fans” Catherine, Erica, and Sherry. Thanks!